In 1996, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) left Costa Rica, having determined that Costa Rica had developed to the point that it no longer qualified for US governmental aid.

To continue the bi-national collaboration benefitting the sustainable development of  Costa Rica, a group of US and Costa Rican leaders came together to form the Costa Rica United States Foundation for Cooperation (CRUSA Foundation) with USAID funds establishing the endowment.

Four years later, Amigos of Costa Rica was established by the CRUSA Foundation as the US-based organization that would support this continued collaboration between the two countries.