Creative Associates International Inc. is a consulting and project management firm that receives large contracts and grants from the U.S. government and others to implement international development programs. The company mostly receives contracts and grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other agencies.

The firm manages projects in dozens of developing countries throughout the world relating to literacy, voting and election administration, civic engagement, and health care, among others. The firm was founded in 1977 and has received annual grants and contract awards from the federal government totaling between $60 million and $303 million annually from 2008 to 2023. ^{1 2 3}

Background and History

Creative Associates International was founded in 1977 by four women in Washington, D.C. The company was led by cofounder Charito Kruvant for more than 30 years before she retired and became the chair of the company’s board of directors. Early projects led by the company centered around early childhood development policies in the United States. Eventually, the focus of the company shifted to international educational development project management in developing nations. ⁴

Since its founding, the company has grown to employ approximately 1,000 employees with projects ongoing within 25 or more countries at any given time. The company’s project portfolio has grown substantially since its founding and the firm manages a broad array of programming categories such as economic growth, economic stabilization, governance, and election administration. ⁵

Projects

Most of the government-funded projects managed by Creative Associates International are funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The company has also completed projects funded by the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. ⁶

Examples of projects completed by the group include COVID-19 response funding in various countries, literacy programs in Ethiopia, human resources development in South Asia, and analysis of “gender classroom observations” in Botswana. The company’s website also boasts that since 2000, the firm has trained more than 389,000 teachers in 21 countries. ⁷

The company also conducts several projects throughout the world that focus on preventing violence in elections and promoting transparency and free elections in developing countries. The group launched the Electoral Violence Prediction Market (EVPM), an “online interactive tool that forecasts real-time conflict dynamics to help practitioners and policymakers prevent and mitigate electoral violence.” The EVPM is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict Stabilization Operations and implemented by Creative Associates International in partnership with Cultivate Labs and King’s College London. ⁸

The firm receives significant funding from government contracts and grants. The firm received annual grants and contract awards from the federal government totaling between $60 million and $303 million annually from 2008 to 2023. ⁹

People

Creative Associates International’s “global advisory board” includes former USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios, Harvard education professor Fernando Reimers, retired U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) commander General David Rodriguez, and former Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams (D). ¹⁰

Charito Kruvant is the founder and board chair for Creative Associates International. She was the firm’s CEO from 1977 until 2017 when she was succeeded by Leland Kruvant. She has sat on the boards of the Donors of Color Network, the Acacia Federal Savings Bank, Calvert Funds, the Summit Fund of Washington, and Venture Philanthropy Partners. ¹¹

1. “Creative Associates international.” USASpending.Gov Search Query. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=05c70070a4df2cbc6b92d42f8f15b2fa
2. “At a Glance.” Creative Associates International. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.creativeassociatesinternational.com/at-a-glance/
3. “Past Projects.” Creative Associates International. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.creativeassociatesinternational.com/category/past-projects/page/2/
4. “History.” Creative Associates International. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.creativeassociatesinternational.com/history/
5. “History.” Creative Associates International. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.creativeassociatesinternational.com/history/
6. “Creative Associates international.” USASpending.Gov Search Query. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=05c70070a4df2cbc6b92d42f8f15b2fa
7. “Past Projects.” Creative Associates International. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.creativeassociatesinternational.com/category/past-projects/page/2/
8. “Electoral Violence Prediction Market.” Creative Associates International. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.creativeassociatesinternational.com/projects/electoral-violence-prediction-market/
9. “Creative Associates international.” USASpending.Gov Search Query. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=05c70070a4df2cbc6b92d42f8f15b2fa
10. “Global Advisory Board.” Creative Associates International. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.creativeassociatesinternational.com/global-advisory-board/
11. “Charito Kruvant.” Creative Associates International. Accessed April 21, 2023. https://www.creativeassociatesinternational.com/leadership/charito-kruvant/