The International Development Foundation, established in 1989, helps people in poor countries access basic financial services by supporting local credit unions. The Foundation grew out of Ireland's successful credit union movement, which started in the 1960s with help from American and Canadian credit unions to provide savings and loans to ordinary people. Now the Foundation shares what Irish credit unions learned with new credit union movements in countries like Sierra Leone and Ethiopia. As a charity working on the principle of "people helping people," the Foundation provides training, support, and helps communities set up fair and affordable savings and loan services to fight poverty and improve people's lives. In 2024, the organization celebrated 35 years of this work.