The Garrido Foundation was established in the early 1970s. Its mission was to provide scholarships to disadvantaged students who had the intelligence and drive to rise above poverty. In the beginning, most scholarships were awarded to individuals pursuing technical careers such as refrigeration mechanics, telephone operators, and draftsman. The reason for this practice was to create a healthy middle class in countries where there exist only the poor and the rich. However, as Latin American countries started to grow significantly in the 1980s, the Foundation began to extend its scholarship offers to other careers, including medicine and law, so that these university graduates would be able to subsequently help those in need.
In the 1990s, The Garrido Foundation expanded its program to not only include university careers but also those of middle and upper schools. By giving these young students an opportunity to complete high school, the Foundation felt that it was facilitating their evolution into valuable members of society.
Today The Garrido Foundation still maintains its ever-present goal of promoting education. In addition, it has expanded its reach into two areas of need. First, the Foundation has increased its donations to assist the poor in treating several diseases, such as cancer. Second, the Foundation has created a successful system of microloans throughout the region to support the local communities and their aspiring entrepreneurs. In the coming years, the Foundation will continue to help those people who have nowhere else to look to for help.