CIDAC’s origin dates back to 1980 when the Instituto de Banca y Finanzas (IBAFIN) was transformed into a research think tank in the area of development. Our institution has its own trust fund, established originally by Banamex. CIDAC does not receive grants from any political party, nor from the Mexican government. We think of ourselves as "consultants" to society, and as such, we offer the results of our research in topics essential to the development of the country to society at large, as well as to a wide range of decision makers and stakeholders, including congressmen, senators, federal, state and municipal government officials, businessmen and labor union leaders. The board of directors, which is integrated by prominent members of the academia, business and public sectors in Mexico, oversees the operation and the accountability in the use of funds by the institution. Each one of our projects is financed by grants from foundations (the Ford Foundation, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the Tinker Foundation) and from private firms.