2015 Annual Report

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AWAMAKI

ANNUAL REPORT 2015


TABLE OF CONTENTS Who We Are [3] Message from Executive Director [4] Story of the Year [6] Impact Update [9] Data Dashboard and Map [12] Cooperative Spotlight [14] Financial Statements [17] Connect with Us [19] Supporters [20] Staff and Board of Directors [21]


WHO WE ARE Awamaki collaborates with rural Andean communities to create economic opportunities and improve social well-being. We are a growing and sustainable not-for-profit business helping women’s cooperatives learn to start and run their own businesses. We offer skills trainings and market access opportunities to our partner women’s cooperatives.

We believe that empowering women transforms communities. Poor women know what their families need. Given the opportunity to earn an income, they invest in their children, their homes, their farms, their businesses, and their communities.

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MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DEAR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS, We devoted 2015 to cultivating our Impact Model in our partner cooperatives, teaching them business skills, and advancing their leadership. The result was impressive growth for our six partner groups. The women embraced their increased responsibilities and the opportunity to grow their businesses, and we worked with them to adapt our model as we discovered new artisan needs. We were even able to spread this learning beyond our organization, presenting the Awamaki Impact Model at the 2015 Fair Trade Federation Conference. 4


Our Impact Model moves our partner cooperatives through three levels of milestones until the cooperative can operate as a business on its own without the support of Awamaki. We work with them setting up systems of leadership, implementing quality control standards, making business contacts, and more. Once a cooperative has passed through every level, they graduate as an independent, successful business with their own storefront and client portfolio.

to different parts of Peru. The Rumira knitters traveled to Puno to meet with a fashion alpaca cooperative and to Cusco to visit with government offices that support small business, while the Patacancha weavers traveled to Puno to meet with successful community tourism groups. The field trips and skills trainings provided our cooperative members a chance to engage with other successful businesswomen, observe their best practices, and share their experiences from the Sacred Valley.

Moving rapidly through the levels towards graduation is exciting, but beginning with a firm foundation is essential. When the cooperatives have a space to call their own, it plays a crucial role in motivating and uniting them. In 2015, four of our cooperatives started or advanced construction on their crafts centers, the soon-to-be hearts of their operations. Our two other cooperatives are in the process of acquiring their own land so we can help them build their own spaces.

Just as the women have shared their 2015 experience with us, we now want to share them with you! Our artisans are working hard to build their businesses. We work hard to support them, and we couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for all your support, and I hope you enjoy reading about all you have helped us accomplish this year.

Sometimes the best opportunity for growth is a fresh perspective, so we took our cooperatives outside of their comfort zone on several field trips and skills trainings

Warmly,

Kennedy Leavens Executive Director 5


STORY OF THE YEAR Shear Quality: Closing the Loop of Awamaki’s Handspun Yarn Wrap. Spin. Drop. Twist. Repeat. In previous years, Awamaki’s relationship with our weavers and knitters began with their spinning fiber into yarn. Wrap, spin, drop, twist, and repeat are actions familiar to anyone who has watched Sabina Medina use a drop spindle with dexterity and ease. For 2015, Awamaki took our relationship a step further and went to the source – alpacas. 6


The majority of our women have chakras, or farms, on which they raise alpacas alongside their husbands and family members. These chakras are located high in the mountains, several hours by car and even longer on foot. To improve the quality of our products and deepen our relationships with our weavers, Awamaki traveled to the chakras to carry out workshops on alpaca shearing with the husbands of our weavers. Adam Riley, a professional alpaca shearer from the U.S. whose company shears alpacas all over North America and Europe, led the workshops and spent anywhere from three to nine days at a time working and living alongside the families. He taught our weavers’ families his style of shearing, which includes separating the higher-quality fleece from the lower-quality fleece. Adam used traditional hand shears in his demonstrations, but many of the families use even more basic equipment, such as a sharp kitchen knife. The new shearing methods will improve the raw quality of the fleece that we use in our products. The next step in the lifecycle of our products is cleaning the fleece before spinning it into yarn. We plan to buy alpaca fiber-washing equipment for our Huilloc cooperative so that they can be a quality control checkpoint for the fleece that will then be spun into yarn. The handspun yarn will be sold as is for international markets or used by our local knitters from Rumira and Puente Inca in finished products. By working alongside our weavers from fleece to finished product we can better ensure the quality and sustainability of our processes. Our all-natural handspun yarn line – which we hope to launch soon – is a major step in closing the loop of our fair trade and ethically-made products.

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“With a women’s-based cooperative, the men often do not participate in most of our processes. Getting to work so closely with the families – particularly the men – and build relationships with them was a unique experience that I think they really enjoyed.”

Adam Riley, Professional Alpaca Shearer

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IMPACT UPDATE

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The Awamaki Impact Model: 2015 Review It’s been two years since the Awamaki Impact Model was first implemented in 2014. Awamaki originally developed the Impact Model in 2013 in order to improve the efficiency and financial sustainably of our partner cooperatives. We also wanted a model to guide them in developing individual and organizational leadership. Since its implementation, our cooperatives have risen to the challenge, progressing steadily through the levels towards graduation – and becoming independent businesses. In 2015, we revised the levels of the Impact Model to reflect new skills requested by the cooperatives and new obstacles we have encountered. Although the impact model calls for the cooperatives to meet certain rigid requirements, its success lies in its overall flexibility and adaptability to the changing goals and needs of our cooperatives.

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Impact Assessment Flowchart Inputs: Money, Time, Volunteers, Awamaki’s staff Activity

Short-term Changes in knowledge Awamaki orders products from cooperatives to sell in our fair trade store and to export.

Awamaki runs tours to local cooperative centers and organizes other sustainable tourism opportunities. Awamaki works with cooperatives to gain autonomy through formal skills training workshops.

Awamaki runs volunteer programs to increase visibility of its work in the region and to enhance volunteers’ knowledge on Andean culture and crafts.

Impact

Outcome

Output

Intermediate Changes in behavior

Changes in conditions

# of product orders # of retail partners # of countries sold to # of women we work with

Women increase their knowledge and skills in product development and quality control.

Women in the cooperatives experience an increase in income from product sales and tourism.

There is an increase in standard of living, purchasing power, and education for their children.

# of tours conducted # of sales made by women during the tours # of cooking and woodcarving classes conducted # of homestays # of Spanish classes

Women and tourists engage in cultural exchange and gain meaningful cultural experiences.

Women are more aware of their rights as women producers and indigenous people, and gain an understanding that their skills have economic potential.

There is preservation of traditional Andean artisanal skills and culture.

Women increase their knowledge and skills in business and organizational leadership.

The cooperatives develop steady working relationships with retailers independently of Awamaki.

# of women attending the workshops # of cooperatives at each impact model level # of independent clients Type of workshop conducted # of tours conducted by the cooperatives # of orders received by the cooperatives # of volunteers

The volunteers gain a deeper understanding of the local culture and the importance of Awamaki’s work in the region.

The volunteers experience personal satisfaction and further develop their personal relations and skills.

Women independently manage cooperatives with improved business practices and product quality.

The volunteers continue to support and raise awareness of Awamaki in the long term. The volunteers continue to impact the community in a positive way.

How does Awamaki make change? It starts with our activities, such as leading tours to our cooperatives in the communities of Huilloc and

Patacancha. But our activities are just the surface of what we look at. Our Impact Assessment Flowchart demonstrates fully how we clarify and articulate the changes we hope to create in the lives of our cooperative members and their communities. Activities lead to outputs, which lead to outcomes, and then finally to our intended, long-lasting impacts. Indicators for our outputs, outcomes, and impacts measure the qualitative and quanitative aspects of our programs to make sure we are staying on track: empowering our women weavers, guiding our cooperatives towards independence, and transforming communities in the Sacred Valley.

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DATA DASHBOARD Programs, Cooperatives, & Communities

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Cooperative Spotlight: Rumira Our featured cooperative for 2015 is Rumira, also known as the Asociación Virgen de Carmen! Over the past year, Rumira has formed an independent client relationship with Cocoliso, the owner of a wool and knit clothing store in Cusco of the same name. We are so proud of the group for completing this major stepping stone towards full independence! When Awamaki heard that Cocoliso was looking for expert knitters to produce her designs, we immediately connected her with our Rumira group knowing they would be a great fit. We weren’t disappointed. Since meeting with the group to assess their skills and negotiate the details of their relationship, Cocoliso has now placed four orders of knit gloves, hats, and sweaters from Rumira, totaling S/. 3,080 in profit for the group.

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Rumira’s rapid progress through Awamaki’s Impact Model is what has made their client relationship with Cocoliso so successful. The group has now completed 73 percent of the Impact Model, compared to last year’s 53 percent. Through the guidance of the Impact Model they have gained skills in tax management, customer service, and salesmanship. A visit to an alpaca fashion cooperative in Puno also enabled the group to learn directly from the best practices of already successful and independent groups. Rumira’s hard work has been rewarded in more ways than one. In addition to their new client, they now have a space where they can work. Although the Rumira Weaving Center is projected to not be fully completed until the end of 2016, it already has a roof, one of the most important and difficult steps in its completion. Raising the roof of the weaving center has meant that the women finally have a place to call their own. They can now use the space to store their knitting and weaving equipment and take the time to improve their skills away from the distractions of home. Over the next year, Rumira will work on bookkeeping, personal branding, and sales follow-up to carry out more orders successfully, build their client portfolio, and ultimately strenghten their relationship with Cocoliso. Together, the 24 members of our Rumira cooperative can also work to put their special touch on their weaving center, a place that will represent their identity as a successful, independent business once they graduate from the Awamaki Impact Model.

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“Thank you for your [roof] contribution – we finally have an actual building. Our weaving center is a place now.” Irma Mamani Humalla, Member of Asociación Virgen de Carmen

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Statement of Financial Position Assets

Awamaki U.S. and AsociaciĂłn Civil Awamaki, combined 2015 2014

2013

Cash

$ 116,900

$

66,100

$

50,200

Accounts Receivable

$

8,800

$

5,200

$

1,100

Inventory

$

29,800

$

32,300

$

4,500

Fixed Assets

$

2,400

$

2,400

$

2,400

Total Assets

$ 157,900

$ 106,200

$

58,200

Liabilities

$

2,600

$

300

$-

Opening Balance

$ (35,700)

$

10,000

$

10,000

Unrestricted Net Assets

$ 143,000

$

48,200

$

49,400

Net Income

$

$

47,700

$

(1,200)

Total Net Assets

$ 155,200

$ 105,900

$

58,200

Total Liability & Net Assets

$ 157,900

$ 106,200

$

58,200

Net Assets

48,000

Note on financial statements: Awamaki U.S. is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit responsible for raising funds to support the Awamaki goal of creating economic opportunities for rural Andean women. The Asociacion Civil Awamaki is a Peruvian non-profit civil association responsible for carrying out women’s empowerment programs in Peru.

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Statement of Profit and Loss

Statement of Profit and Loss

Asociaciรณn Civil Awamaki

Awamaki U.S.

Revenues

2015

Grants and Donations

$

Program Income

92,500

Revenues

2015

Donations and Grants

$

75,200

$ 231,500

Raffle

$

12,300

Other

$

Total

$ 326,900

Program Income Other

$ $

22,700 45,900

Total

$ 156,100

2,900

Expenditures Operations

$

33,400

Staff

$ 112,600

Fundraising

$

Professional Fees

$

Program

Expenditures Operations

$

1,000

500

Business Fees

$

300

4,500

Program Costs

$

1,900

$ 172,100

Grants and Awards

$ 106,800

Other

$

7,700

Other

$

Total

$ 330,800

Total

$ 110,800

Net Ordinary Income

$

(3,900)

Net Ordinary Income

$

Exchange Rate Gain/Loss

$

(4,000)

Inventory Adjustment

$

(2,500)

Net Income

$

2,600

800 45,300

Interested in how we quantify our social value? Check out our Social Return on Investment Report for 2015. In our report we found that for every dollar invested in Awamaki in 2015, the social and economic return on investment is $1.20. This means we've had a positive social and economic impact on our direct beneficiaries in 2015! 18


CONNECT WITH US

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THANK YOU 2015 SUPPORTERS Daniel Abreu Mejia

Monica Chavan

Jim & Birte Falconer

Cynthia & David

Ben Lachman

Karen Mitchell

Jonathan Roberts

Keith Titus

Michael Weiss

Alice Alldredge

Neil Chavan

Iben Falconer

Harrison

Kennedy Leavens

Jeff Mlller

Sara Rogers

Agnes Toccket

Catherine Whitworth

Karen Asher

Denise Chedester

Catherine Farrey

Elizabeth Hazeltine

Ladd Leavens &

Nancy Morlino

Katherine Roguski

Anne Marie Toccket

Nancy Wigington

Allison Ashley

Paula Clark

William Fleming

Jenny Heard

Nancy Kennedy

Judith Murray

Stephen Rummage

Pamela Todd

Michael Wills

Anna Ashley

Darlene Conners

Christine Fletcher

Maureen Henderson

Sherry Lehmann

Robert Murray

Kyle Samuels

Joan Tucker

Jennings L. Wong

Lucas Fletcher

Thomas Hill

Ana Lemley

Paul Nelson

David Schmid

Joan Tucker

Jeffrey Worthington

Fernando Baldonado Rita Conroy Paul F. Barb, Jr

Dianne Cooper

Jessica Franco

Karen Hoffmann

Janet Levinger

Sara Noel

Jean Schwab

Jeremy U’Ren

Jessica Younker &

Madeleine & Ryan

Erin Coughlan

Steve Froemming

Robert Homchick

Joyce & Edward

Kathleen O’Connell

James Schwartz

Carla Uribe

Will Gaggioli

Bell

Steve Daschle

Nancy Fullman

Laura Inveen

Liebelt

Linda Ohsberg

Jean Sculati

Phil Van Den Eeren-

Kirby Zicafoose

Laura Bennett

Jessica Dash

Cathy Fulton

Jenny Jacobi

Kathryn Linehan

Marian Orihel

Anna Silverstein

beemt

JM Zucker

Leonard Bernardo

Raquel Davila

Randy Gainer

Marjorie Jazuk

Sue Little

Alan Painter

Elaine Smith

Israel Villasenor

The David & Patricia

Mati Luik

Ashwini Pandit

Tim & Esther Steege

Maggie Vogel

Giuliani Family

Bob & Randee Black- Aaron Davis

G. Thadeus Gembacz Cari Jeffries

stone

Kevin Davis

Scott Gibson

David Johnson

Veronica Luik

Stephen Patchan

Robert Stewart

Roland Wacker

Foundation

Jonathan Bodansky

Matthias Debernar-

Stacey Gibson

Vernon Jones

Jennifer Mapes

Liv Pedersen

John Stoner

Richard Wagar

In Memory of:

James Borovsky

dini

Paula Gill Lopez

The Hesed Fund

Brandon Martz

Santiago Perez

Martha Stout

Gillian Walker

Jytte Mikkelsen

Chantalle Brace

Carol DeLorenzo

Leonard Goldberg

Joanna Katz

Luke McCarthy

Michael Pierson

Robert Sullivan

John Weeks

In Honor of:

Stephen Brager

Gwyn & John Drake

David Grizzle

Nancy King

Susan McGrath

Sarah Prager

Nathan Tate

Robert Weeks

Rebecca Williams

David Brokaw

Bruce Drew

Kathleen Grugan

Deborah Klein

Nancy Meffe

Deborah Reddy

Shirley Tate

Tom Weeks & Deb

Sabrina Kraus

Asu Burik

Carla Dunn

Bronwyn Hack

Ralph Kreisl

Jon Mikkelsen

Peter & Linda Reddy

James Terwilliger

Oyer

Bruce Burks

Julie Edsforth

Frank Hack

Hayden Kremer

Shelley Miller

John & Martha Reed

Dan Thompson

Vicki Weeks & David

Gregory Canova

Jhlechia Ervin

Pam Hanson & Pam

Chris Krenzel

Kim Mills

Jon Reingold

James Travis Thorn

Jones

Erin Casey

Walter Euyang

Weeks

Daniel Kurland

Bart Mitchell

Barbara Rex

Jailin Threinen

Lisa Weinstein

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STAFF & BOARD OF DIRECTORS AWAMAKI STAFF

Kennedy Leavens, Executive Director Jesse Zimmerman, Operations Director Yovana Candela, Financial Manager and Programs Director Kate Mitchell, Head Designer Mercedes Durand, Women's Artisanal Cooperatives Coordinator Martha Zuniga, Women's Artisanal Cooperatives Coordinator Silvia Pacheco, Administrative Assistant Tebben Lopez, Marketing and Communications Coordinator Giulia Debernardini, Director of Sales and Impact Vivian Smith, Sustainable Tourism Coordinator Laura Brokaw, Volunteer Coordinator Annemarie Toccket, Resource Development Director

AWAMAKI BOARD OF DIRECTORS Annemarie Toccket Ladd Leavens Kramer Gillin Tom Weeks Jessica Younker Kennedy Leavens Kristen Clark, CPA

2015 Annual Report written and designed by Sydney Perlotto

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