EntreMundos Annual report 2012

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Annual Report 2012


Contents 3 - Letter from the director Annual Report 2012

4, 5 - Introduction 6, 7, 8, 9 - Volunteer Program 10, 11, 12, 13 - Magazine 14, 15, 16, 17 - Capacity Building Workshops 18, 19, 20, 21 - Community Tourism 22, 23, 24 - IT training 25 - Beneficiary Database 26 - Partner Organizations 27 - EntreMundos staff 28, 29 - Financial Report

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Letter from the director 2012 has been a year of many changes for EntreMundos, perhaps appropriately for the year of 13 Baktun, a new era for the Mayan calendar. We have several new members of staff, among them our Development Coordinator, our Volunteer Program Coordinator, and Capacity Building Program Assistant. However, despite new faces, EntreMundos remains commited to its mission as an organization and we continue to work to strengthen non-profit organizations and community groups all over the country. In 2012 we have been able to increase the impact of our projects, and have worked with organizations in 13 different departments of Guatemala, a positive sign that the work we are doing is much needed in the development sector of the country. Thank you so much ongoing support.

for

your

Jocelyn Bates EntreMundos Director

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Introduction EntreMundos was founded in 2001 with the aim of building the capacity and enhancing the effectiveness of local grassroots organisations dedicated to improving development and human rights within their communities and in Guatemala as a whole. The persistent problems of poverty, marginalisation and social exclusion that persevere throughout the country have led to hundreds of such organisations being established in order to address urgent and critical needs within their communities and to contribute to the social, economic and environmental development of Guatemala. These organisations work on a huge variety of issues, including, but not limited to: environmental sustainability; agriculture; micro-credit and local economic development; citizen participation; youth; childcare; education; health; infrastructure; fair trade; advocacy and defending/promoting the human rights of women, campesinos, and indigenous peoples. Despite these organisations´ dedication to improving the vital issues that they face, many of them are struggling to survive due to limited funds and resources, and require additional skills and training in order to effectively manage their organisations and deliver successful development programs to the populations they serve. Opportunities for such organisations to develop their capacities and receive training specifically related to organizational management and project planning and administration for development are scarce in Guatemala (as evidenced by the need of some organisations to travel such long distances in order to attend our workshops), and usually involve either securing an elusive partnership with a large, international NGO or paying fees that are simply out of the reach of small, grassroots organisations.

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The Solution - The EntreMundos approach EntreMundos’ mission is to address this gap and provide such organisations with the crucial support and training they need to become self-sustainable and implement effective projects and programmes that can make a real and lasting difference to the problems of poverty and marginalisation in Guatemala. The majority of organisations that EntreMundos works with are relatively small, grassroots organisations that have arisen when a group of people come together to confront a common problem within their community or communities. As such, these organisations know what needs to be done in their communities; our objective as an organisation is to provide them with the skills, knowledge and human resources (volunteers) that they need so that they are better placed to achieve their own development objectives. Our goal is to continue providing organizations with the support that they need in order to be more sustainable and efficient, so that their own projects are effective and successful. In this way we will continue cause a high level of positive impact in all of the different sectors that the organizations work in. In addition we will raise awareness amongst the popluation of the vital work that these grass roots organazations undertake, and the social issues that effect all of Guatemalan society.

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Volunteer

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Program Introduction 2012, the year of a new (controversial) president, a devastating earthquake in the west of the country, and the ongoing global economic instability. However, 2012 was an exciting year for EntreMundos and the Volunteer Program. 137 volunteers participated in one of the four services offered by the association. In 2012, the Volunteer Program focused on strengthening the various services of the program. Through the database updating process and the renewal of our policies, the quality of information and volunteer positions available improved. Relations with hosting organizations part of the Internship Program have been improved, resulting in a more effective collaboration and also the expansion of internship program. We have also worked on the maintenance of existing and potential university relationships for our Community Service Program through outreach work.

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Advisory Services Between January and December of 2012, 108 people interested in volunteer work used the Advisory Service. This service takes place in the office of EntreMundos between 2 and 5pm, Monday to Friday, offering personalized advice to both national and international volunteers and arranging volunteer placements with local organizations part of our database. Pre-Departure Service 13 people used this service in 2012. EntreMundos requests a symbolic donation from interested volunteers, which includes advice, assistance, and arrangements of suitable accommodation, as well as information and support before volunteers leave their country of origin. Community Service-Learning Program In March 2012, EntreMundos received a group of 10 people from Bridgewater State University in Boston, United States. They participated in the Community ServiceLearning Program for 7 days. The group worked on a reforestation project, painted a school, and built stoves for a womens group and their families. They also participated in various cultural activities. After this experience with EntreMundos and the Community Service-Learning Program, Bridgewater State University decided to return to Guatemala in 2013 with another group of students. 8


Internship Program Since this program began in 2011, it has increased significantly in scope. The amount of 8 internship position expanded to 14 positions in 6 organizations in 2012. From January to December, a total of 6 interns was part of the Internship Program, which is double that of last year. Some of them received university credit for their internship completion; others were offered a permanent job in the hosting organization. The Internship Program was developed with the purpose of attracting skilled, professional volunteers, with the possibility of compromising long term, serving the specific needs of the hosting organizations. EntreMundos requests a symbolic donation for each month of the program, which is divided equally between EntreMundos and the hosting organization, This service includes assistance and support for the volunteer before and during the internship, monthly evaluations, and a certificate of completion. Volunteer Database This service remains a significant part of the Volunteer Program. In 2012, the information of organizations and positions in the database has been updated, resulting in a better quality of service. Some organizations have been removed from the database due to failure to comply with the requirements set by EntreMundos such as updating their information and signing the child protection policies. 87 organizations are currently part of our database. Objectives for 2013 Feedback collected from volunteers and organizations of any volunteer program service remains a high priority in order to improve the program. EntreMundos works particularly on the maintenance of relationships established in our Internship Program, being an essential part of the Volunteer Program. The series of workshops on administration and management of volunteers will be repeated in 2013, as an important element of our Capacity Building Program to assist organizations receiving volunteers.

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Magazine The EntreMundos Magazine: following the path set by our vision and mission, the EntreMundos Magazine has acheived another successful year thanks to the volunteer effort of many individuals and organizations who have reached out to raise awareness on issues such as Human Rights, Development and Grassroots Movement in Guatemala. In every issue the magazine includes the work of over 15 different volunteers between: writers, translators, designers and photographers. This enables us to run a self-sustainable project, with emphasis above on on freedom of speech; with the aim of spreading a message of peace and awareness in a country where the normal media channels are committed to their own economical and political interest.

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During 2012 we published six editions of the magazine. Each issue is based on a specific theme, and that aims to allow different opinions and voices to comment on the The themes of 2012 were: Agua (Water) (january-feb). IndignaciĂłn (Protest)(march-ap) EconomĂ­a (Economy)(may.-june) Comida (Food)(july-august), UtopĂ­a (Utopia) (sept-oct) Literatura (Literature) (nov-dic), Amongst our writers we have had many diverse personalities, and to mention them all would require a great amount of space, But we would like to give a special mention to those who have contributed to at least three issues, their journalistic work is very important to the country, using their wit and intelligence in criticism of the system. 12


Fabiola Arrivillaga, editor of Panela Magazine; Sergio de Le贸n, columist in El Periodico and editor at AP news agency, Mexico; Juan Pensamiento Velasco, columnist in Siglo XXI & Plaza P煤blica; Juan Miguel Arrivillaga, director of Radio ATI ; Erick Maldonado, journalist. Among others, we can also mention authors involved with Amnesty International and the feminist newspaper La Cuerda.

Another significant acheivement of 2012 is the fact that the magazine is attracting participation and assitance from more and more people, especially people wishing to contribute articles. We have always relied on volunteer help with the magazine and this year we were lucky enough to have an intern who worked for three months on the publication.

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Capacity Building Workshops

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Introduction 2012 has been the most successful year to date for our Capacity Building Workshop Programme, whose objective was to strengthen the institutional capacities of NGOs, cooperatives and grassroots groups in Guatemala through the implementation of a series of capacity building workshops. A large number of organisations that work in a wide range of development sectors participated in these workshops, and numerous participated in several of our courses thereby multiplying the impact that our services were able to achieve on the work of their organisations.

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Through our Needs Assessment, which we conducted in January and February of 2012, we were able to identify the capacity building needs of our partner organisations and with this information we put together a series of workshops that could best meet these needs. This series was divided into a total of five courses, which are detailed below: A six, half-day “Diplomado” course in Best Practices in Volunteer Administration: 13th April – 18th May A two-day Fundraising Workshop: 25th May and 8th June A four-day “Diplomado” course in Management of Sustainable Development Projects: 3rd – 31st August A two-day Institutional Strengthening Workshop: 19th and 26th October A two-day Advocacy Workshop: 27th and 28th November We began our series of training workshops with our first “Diplomado” in Best Practices in Volunteer Administration, which took place between April and May. The course totalled 6 sessions of 4 hours each, every Friday for 6 weeks. The contents of course included designing volunteer positions; creating volunteer policies; interviews; volunteer training and supervision; and elaborating a manual for volunteers. The overall objective of the “Diplomado” was to assist the organisations of the participants learn from the best practices in volunteer management, so that those who were already working with volunteers could take advantage of their support to the greatest extent, and that those who were interested in starting a volunteer programme could do so in a strategic and structured manner. 16


Our second workshop, held in May and June, was focused on fundraising strategies for local nonprofit organisations. As a direct result of this workshop, the participated developed logical frameworks for projects that they were currently seeking funding for, and were provided with the skills and knowledge to use these logframes in order to complete and improve their funding applications. After the excellent comments and ratings that we received for our 2011 “Diplomado” in Project Investigation and Design, we decided to hold another Diplomado in august of 2012 in Management of Sustainable Development Projects. This course focused on project planning and management for development projects, with an emphasis on ensuring their sustainability on various fronts. A total of 37 representatives of 30 different organisations participated in this course, and as a direct result 25 project profiles were created by the participants, and various of these profiles were able to obtain funding so that their projects could be implemented. The objective of our workshop in Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Development, which we held in October, was to provide the participants with the necessary tools to analyse their organisations so that they could initiate and implement their own institutional strengthening strategies in order to enhance their organisations´ performance and sustainability. The participants learned about the different dimensions and types of capacities (and the strategies required to strengthen them), and how to assess their organisations attitude and readiness for change. Our final workshop of the year was on advocacy strategies and took place in November. The objectives of this workshop was to deepen the knowledge of the participants on advocacy, its objectives and its strategies; and to provide them with concrete tools in order to plan and implement advocacy strategies, with a focus at the local, municipal and departmental level. In addition to this series of workshops which we held in EntreMundos´ headquarters, we also realised a follow-up workshop with the Asociación Chajulense de Mujeres, for whom we had delivered a series of institutional strengthening workshops during 2011. During this one-day workshop, members from Association discussed the progress that they had made since the last workshop and, together with Walter Hillermann, put together a list of priorities for other aspects which they still needed to strengthen over the upcoming year. Our workshops were attended by an accumulative total of 343 directors and staff members of NGOs, cooperatives and grassroots groups. These beneficiaries represented 79 organisations, with headquarters in 13 of the 22 departments of Guatemala.

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Community Tourism

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Guatemala is a country that posseses a unique natural beauty and an enormous ecological and cultural diversity. Tourism is one of the principal sources of income for the country as a whole, and if correctly managed, can provide an alternative source of income for rural communities previously entirely dependent on agricultura. The groups that start to develop this type of projects very often lack the internanal organizational structure necessary to define their objectives and take effective decisions. These organizations need to identify the necesary methods to manage their natural resourrces in an efficient way, in order to receive stable and controled amounts of visitors and thus generate sustainable income, with the aim of benefiting their community, both economically and environmentally. .

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This capacity building program places an emphasis on training groups in best practice in administration for their projects. At the same time as attracting visitors to their community, steps must be taken by the group to maintain the integrity of their cultura and of course protect the environment. The overall objective of the ‘Best Practice in Community Tourism’ program is to strengthen these non profit and grassroots community groups who are working in the first stages of a community tourism project, with the aim of creating a successful project that will provide a diversity of income to the community. The 2012-2013 program comprised of three subcomponents: 1) A four day ‘Introduction to Community Tourism’ course held in Quetzaltenango for four new groups, 2) Needs assessment and follow up workshops for the six groups who participated in 2011-2012 ‘Introduction to Community Tourism’ course and 3) Follow up workshops for the four participant organizations held in their communities. course and 3) Follow up workshops for the four participant organizations held in their communities. Introduction to Community Tourism Course The four day ‘Introduction to Community Tourism Course’ was an intensive training course designed to introduce two participants feach rom 4 different communities to the general themes of ‘Community Tourism’ and identify areas where their organization needed strengthening. TThe themes covered during the four days included: Tourism/Cultural Tourism/Eco-Tourism Management

promotion and creation of strategic alliances. 20


local run tour operator Spanish language school around Xela.

Follow up workshops with individual groups and communities These follow up workshops were planned and facilitated by EntreMundos staff and external facilitators. Needs assessments were conducted by visiting the communities and assessing their progress and based on the results of those, the themes and contents of the workshops were designed specifically for each group. Themes for the follow up workshops included: Marketing and Promotion Strategy and Planning Creation of Strategic Alliances Needs Analysis and Creation of Strategic Plans Business Plan Creation Marketing online Overall, this programme worked with 8 groups (the reasons for why two groups could not participate is explained in the individual group breakdown), but the overall number of people trained surpassed the objective. Considering the figures for the four days of training in Quetzaltenango plus all of the follow up workshops, 73 people in total were trained. 2012-2013 Community Tourism Groups Grupo Comunitario Q’antel, Cantel, Quetzaltenango Loma Linda, El Palmar, Quetzaltenango Magnolia Miramar, Colomba, Quetzaltenango JUMAPROVI La Unión Reforma, Sibinal, San Marcos Chico Mendes, Cantel, Quetzaltenango Xekukuabaj, San Juan la Laguna, Solola FEDEPMA, San Pedro La Laguna, Solola ADICN, Malacatan, San Marcos 21


IT Skills

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Training Program Our IT Skills Training Programme provides IT training to members of local NGOs, cooperatives and grassroots groups from our computer room at EntreMundos’ headquarters. This programme aspires to assist organisations to develop their IT skills so that they can strengthen their communication and administration, enhance their online visibility, and improve their abilities to seek out and secure funding. 2012 marked an important step forward for our IT Programme as we were able to replace our (very) old computers with 10 brand new computers thanks to funding from our donors. This enabled us to offer a much wider variety of computer courses, without neglecting our vital Beginner’s and Intermediate Level Courses. The courses that we offered in 2012 were: Website Design and Administration (20 weeks); Beginner’s and Intermediate Level; Online Marketing and Fundraising; and Use of Project Management Software (5 weeks each).

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Each of these courses was able to achieve significant successes over the course of the year. The Beginner’s Level Course provided the participants with the skills to be able to use computers for their work for the first time, and they were able to open and use their first email accounts. In the Intermediate Level Course the participants learned how to use advanced features of Microsoft Word and the basic capabilities of Excel and PowerPoint. The Intermediate Level Course was a direct continuation from the Beginner’s Course and many of the participants from the first course progressed to complete the next level in order to further develop their IT abilities. In the Online Marketing and Fundraising Course the participants learned how to develop effective online communication strategies through Facebook and Blogger, and they also set up accounts on Ammado which enabled them to be able to receive donations online for the first time. During our Use of Project Management Software Course the participants developed a project in the programme OpenProj with data from one of their organisation’s own projects and through this process leaned how to use the programme to digitally administer various project management tools (such as Gantt charts, Work and Resource Based Structures, Critical Paths, etc.). Finally, during our 20 week long Website Design Course each participant designed a website for their organisations, representing the first page online for many of the participating organisations. Over the course of 2012, the IT Skills Training Programme was able to strengthen the IT abilities of a total of 44 staff members from 32 development organisations. 24


Database of participant organizations in the 2012 Capacity Building Program (Workshops, IT training & Community Toursm) -Asociación de Desarrollo Agroforestal Integral Sostenible (ADAFIS) Asociación para el desarrollo juvenil y cultural de Cantel ADICLA Asociacion del Desarrollo Integral Casa de los Niños (ACIDN) Asociación para eñ Desarrollo Integral Maya Belejeb Batz (ADIMBA) Asociación de Formación para el Desarrollo Integral AFOPADI Asociacion de Mujeres Chjulense AFYDES ONG AIDG Aldeas Infantiles SOS Guatemala AMI SAN LUCAS Asociación Maya Mam de Investigación y Desarrollo (AMMID) Asociación Ak´Tenamit Asociación Amigas del Sol Asociación Civil Defiende Asociación Comunitaria para el Desarrollo Soloteca "Xocomil" Asociación Coordinadora de Integración Guatemalteca (ACODIGUA) Asociación de Artesanos Aj-quen Asociación de Comunicaciones Cristianas Culturales Asociación de Desarrollo Agrícola y Microempresarial (ADAM) Asociación de Desarrollo Integral Ambiental (ADIAM) ASOCIACION DE DESARROLLO INTEGRAL COMUNITARIO ADIC Asociación de Desarrollo Integral de Agropecuario EL PARAISO (ADIAP) Asociación de Desarrollo Integral del Occidente (ADIPO) Asociación de Desarrollo Integral Tineco - ADIT Asociación de Escritores Mayances de Guatemala Asociación de Mujeres del Altiplano Asociación Estrella del Mar Asociación Huehueteca Ixmucané

Asociación Juvenil de Desarrollo Sostenible "Kaj Ulew" Asociación La Libertad Alas Asociación Mantenadora de la Casa del Niño Asociacion Nuevo Bullaj, Magnolia Miramar Asociación para el Desarrollo Integral Chiquirichapa Asociacion para el Desarrollo Integral de Loma Linda (ASODILL) Asociación Pro Desarrollo Integral de la Mujer (ALANEL) Asociación Pro-Agua del Pueblo Asociación Rxiin Tnamet Asociación Viviendo Para Servir ASOMOVIDINQ ASPAS Coordinadora de Asociaciones de Desarrollo Integral del Sur Occidente De Guatemala Caras Alegres Casa Cristiana Comunión Asociación Asociación para la Promoción y el Desarrollo de la Comunidad - CEIBA Centro de Desarrollo Humano Centro Qawinaq Chico Mendes CODECOT CODEJUVE Huehuetenango Colegio Seminario San José Comaguati Comité de Mujeres de Xeabaj II Comunidad Nueva Alianza Cooperación para el Desarrollo Rural de Occidente, CDRO El Buen Sembrador El Infinito Cultura Permanente Escuela de la Calle ESNT Fraternidad de Presbiteriales Mayas FEDEPMA FUNDACEN Fundación Ixtatan Fundacion Richard Solorzano Fundación Tradiciones Mayas

FUNDAL FUNDAP Granja Permacultura Ixchel Habitat para la Humanidad Heifer Project Intl Instituto Nacional de Educación Diversificada Instituto para el Desarrollo Economico Social de America Central IDESAC JUMAPROVI Kakol Kiej Mancomunidad de Municipios Mankatitlán Mayab Winaq Mesa de Competitividad de Cantel Municipalidad de Genova Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos Nueva Acropolis Nuevos Horizontes Pastoral de la Primera Infancia Pastoral de la Tierra Arquidiósesis de los Altos Pastoral social de la aquidioceis de los altos Pop Wuj / Todos Juntos Primeros Pasos Proyecto Miriam Proyecto Tierra Verde Qachuu Aloom Q’antel Rais - Red Alternativa de Intercambio Solidario Red K’at Nab’l Red Nacional para la Defensa de la Soberania Alimentaria en Guatemala Semilla Nueva Servicios Jurídicos y Sociales SERJUS Sociedad Civil Para El Desarrollo de Colomba (SCIDECO) Trama Textiles Union de Agricultores Minifundistas Xekuku-abaj

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The Planet Wheeler Foundation was established in 2008 by Maureen and Tony Wheeler, founders of Lonely Planet Publications. Planet Wheeler is based in Melbourne, Australia and currently funds over 60 projects in the developing world. While they focus on South East Asia, East Africa and South America they currently provide support to NGOs in 30 different countries. Their purpose is to support practical and effective projects which make a difference in the alleviation of poverty. Planet Wheeler has been partnering EntreMundos since 2006 most notably on our Community Capacity Building Workshop Program which was launched in 2007. For more information about the organization please visit www.planetwheeler.org

The Inter-American Health Alliance (IAHA) is a U.S.-based 501(c) 3 non-profit that was started by volunteers to support development operations in Guatemala. IAHA acts as EntreMundos’ US fiscal sponsor and takes no percentage of grants processed through them for this service. IAHA also manages individual donations made through our website. It is entirely volunteer-run, which means that the maximum amount of funds raised go directly to EntreMundos in Guatemala. IAHA's status as a tax-exempt organization also allows U.S. donors to receive a tax discount on their donation to EntreMundos. IAHA also works closely with other charitable U.S.-based groups and universities to develop sustainable relationships that can help support the work of EntreMundos. For more information about the organization, please visit www.interamericanhealth.org 26


EntreMundos staff Staff for 2012: Director: Jocelyn Bates Development and Capacity Building Program Coordinator: Chris Alford Volunteer Programs Coordinator (January - July): Laurel Carlton Volunteer Programs Coordinator (July-Dic): Michele Josemans Magazine Editor: Valeria Ayerdi Capacity Building Program Assistant: Yessica Pastor IT teachers: Yensi Diaz, Sergio De Leon, Julio Amezquita Publicity Coordinator (Magazine) : Chris Alford Accountant: Aldy Cajas Cajas Magazine Intern: Melissa Vlach Board of Directors 2012-2013: President and Legal Representative : Thomas Lingenfelter Vice President: Lucas Vidgen Treasurer: Manuel Sanchez Diaz Secretary: Glenda Lopez Ximin Vocal: Yovani Cux Staff for 2013: Director: Jocelyn Bates Development and Capacity Building Program Coordinator: Chris Alford Volunteer Programs Coordinator: Michele Josemans Magazine Editor: Valeria Ayerdi Capacity Building Program Assistant: Yessica Pastor Community Tourism Program Coordinator: Patricia Rabinales IT teachers: Yensi Diaz, Sergio De Leon Community Service Learning Trip Guide: Francisco Cojulun Accountant: Aldy Cajas Cajas

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Condensed Financial Information until December 31st, 2012 2012

2011

2010

2009

OPERATING REVENUE Foundations

Q318,384.40

Q279,272.37 Q87,948.42 Q188,961.02

General Donations & In Kind Support

Q98,340.26

Q184,638.65 Q62,939.66 Q55,378.41

Donations from Volunteers

Q161,228.57

Magazine Revenues

N/A

N/A

N/A

Q29,102.50

Q34,319.00 Q40,955.00 Q35,521.00

Q607,055.73

Q498,230.02 Q191,843.08 Q279,860.43

Q309,564.50

Q321,790.57 Q98,182.68 Q163,875.56

Volunteer Programme

Q64,339.20

Q41,467.05 Q44,056.89 Q10,808.29

Magazine

Q56,197.00

Q47,528.85 Q50,508.25 Q45,350.00

Total Programme Expenses Administrative, Fundraising and General Expenses

Q430,100.70

Q410,786.47 Q192,747.82 Q220,033.85

Q38,996.08

Q36,863.18 Q20,913.25 Q20, 779.00

Total Operating Expenses

Q469,096.78

Q447,649.65 Q213,661.07 Q240,812.85

Q137,958.95

Q50,580.37 (Q21,817.99) Q39,047.58

Total Operating Revenue

OPERATING EXPENSES & CHANGES IN NET ASSETS Programme Expenses Capacity Building Programme

Operating Revenue Over Operating Expenses Non-Operating Activity Total Operating Revenue

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Q607,055.73

Q498,230.02 Q191,843.08 Q279,860.43

Q137,958.95

Q50,580.39 (Q21,817.99) Q39,047.58

& Non-Operating Activity Increase / (Decrease) in Net Financial Assets

Figures above are shown in Quetzaltes, the currency of Guatemala (GTQs) with the following exchange rates (as of 31st December 2012) 1 Euroâ‚Ź = GTQ 10.18 1 USD$ = GTQ 7.778 28


How We Used Our Funds 2012

8%

Total Programme Expenses Administrative, Fundraising and General Expenses 92%

Sources of our Support and Revenue 2012

5%

Foundations

27% 52%

General Donations & In Kind Support Donations from Volunteers

16%

Magazine Revenues

Programme Expenses Compared

13% Capacity Building Programme

15%

Volunteer Programme 72% Magazine

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