This paper explores motivational changes of Nicaraguan women involved in sustainable community‐led development. Sustainability is the goal of many organizations engaged with capacity development interventions. Research on what such sustainability entails point to a correlation between sustained action by communities, postintervention, and high levels of social capital, collective agency, and efficacy. But what factors motivate people to develop the social capital, self‐efficacy, and agency that enable them to sustain their actions towards their communities’ well‐being? Using Self‐Determination Theory as framework, and drawing from interview data, this qualitative paper explores the psychosocial processes rural Nicaraguan women undergo when initially engaging in, and eventually committing to community‐led projects. Types of motivation in combination with shifts from initial to more sustained forms of motivation, we conclude, can inform current and future community development interventions on the role motivation plays toward establishing agency, efficacy, and relationships—that is, essential components of sustainable community development.

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