 Finnell's international career began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador from 1964–66.From 1972 to 1979, Finnell helped found and develop Private Agencies Collaborating Together (PACT), a U.S.-based international consortium of NGOs, serving as its Deputy Executive Director and managing a Development Fund that granted $2.5-$4.0 million annually to socioeconomic development projects.Prior to establishing The Resource Foundation in 1987, Finnell headed his own consulting firm for eight years, supporting the programmatic and management needs of U.S., Canadian and developing world non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Latin America, Africa and Asia, as well as fulfilling USAID contracts.