Making Waves

Making Waves

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A Caribbean Social Innovation Guide

Country Profile Snapshots

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is home to a dynamic and diverse social innovation ecosystem. Community organisations, businesses, universities, public institutions and international partners are tackling challenges ranging from education and youth employment to climate resilience and inclusive economic development. However, the country faces a deep urban-rural divide. More than half of all mapped social innovation organisations, technical support groups, and funding channels are located exclusively in the capital. This concentration isolates the country’s rural, coastal, and border provinces from essential resources. While women and grassroots organisations play a leading role in driving social innovation and many organisations and people collaborate informally, many initiatives remain fragmented, operating independently rather than as part of a connected ecosystem. Limited coordination,

short-term funding and weak mechanisms for measuring social impact make it difficult for successful ideas to grow and influence policy. At the same time, many organisations lack the long-term financing and institutional support needed to move beyond pilot projects and achieve lasting scale. Despite these challenges, the Dominican Republic has a strong foundation for future growth. Its established academic institutions, influential corporate foundations and growing culture of cross-sector collaboration create significant opportunities to strengthen innovation. The greatest opportunities lie in breaking down this centralised model by connecting social enterprise networks to the country’s booming tourism industry and building dedicated spaces for practical, physical technology development across secondary regions.

01 . Understanding Social Innovation in the Caribbean