SMA-NGO News
We have asked several NGO leaders to summarize their operations and discuss the challenges they face in 2021.
Donna Wilson Foudray, President, San Miguel Community Foundation, A.C., Jan 30, 2021
First, I hope each of you is keeping safe, healthy and wearing your masks. Things in Mexico are difficult and, as you know, we are still under a red light, as is most of the country.
While it has been a challenging year for all of us, the San Miguel Community Foundation has awarded grants. To name a few: despensas (Amigos al Cien), blankets for the poor, converters for oxygen, food grants for various ONG’s, 25 PPE uniforms for the volunteers of Bomberos, awarded grants to Rotary Mid-day honey project, computers for Communitaria Don Diego for the purpose of providing the children of this community a way to attend school, and toys for Three Kings Day to bring a bit of joy to the children of the less fortunate.
Our board has been having fewer meetings and only on Zoom. We are anxious to be able to meet, once again, in person for our meetings in 2021. The SMCF board hopes 2021 will bring some normalcy to all of us, whatever the new normal may be.
For those of you not familiar with the San Miguel Community Foundation, may I invite you to visit our website sanmiguelcommunityfoundation.org. The Foundation is a fixture in SMA, starting in 1976, as a way for U.S. citizens to provide a donation to a Mexican non-profit and receive a U.S. tax deduction receipt. Also, the Foundation awards grants twice a year to Mexican ONG’s. From 2007 to 2021, SMCF has awarded $1,704,048 USD, from our endowment fund, in grants to some of the most needy A.C.’s of SMA.
SMCF is a 501 c (3) in the U.S. and is an A.C. in Mexico. SMCF is a dynamic organization with the goals of helping those less fortunate and being an organization in perpetuity to continue helping ONG’S of SMA. Jan 30 2021
Ali Zerriffi, President, Biblioteca Publica de San Miguel de Allende, A.C., 28 Jan 2021
I have been involved with a couple of NGOs during the 20 years I have been living in San Miguel De Allende but I have spent most of my time on the executive board of the Biblioteca Publica.
My belief in education as a means of achieving personal goals and my conviction that many promising students cannot fulfill their aspirations without financial help has cemented my dedication to the mission of our local library, including the scholarships program.
I have had, in exchange, the opportunity to look and learn about some of the social enterprises that have helped the Biblioteca meet some of its overhead expenses, especially the newspaper and the theatre.
After such a hard year as the one we have had and looking forward to the new year with all its uncertainties , I am awed by all the possible projects we can achieve, while at the same time, I am also concerned about the impact of a new and very restrictive tax law and the daunting challenge to raise enough funds to comply with the previsions of this law and maintain the services that this institution has been providing to the community for over 65 years.
María Luisa Langenscheidt, President, Mujeres en Cambio, A.C., 30 Jan 2021
Mujeres en Cambio has been providing scholarships to young girls in the campo for over 25 years. We are a grass-roots organization. Over 90% of the money we raise goes to the scholarship program.
We support their education 8th grade through high school and for those who qualify, University.
We raise these funds through events, donors and grants. For us, like many non-profits, 2020 has been difficult. We have slowly moved from live, in-person events to Zoom events. Our donor base is aging and becoming increasingly strapped for funds. We are looking for additional grant opportunities.
One of our biggest challenges this year has been how to keep our students engaged and stimulated with minimal face to face interactions.
More on the way