The West Foundation » Portfolio 2013

Hesperian Health Guides

Hesperian Health Guides was granted a renewal of funding for book development in the amount of $20,000. The 2013 tranche covers production of three books: an updated version of Where There Is No Doctor (the “gold standard” of grassroots healthcare manuals, which addresses general health, first aid and basic safe pregnancy and birthing.), Health Action Guide for Women and Girls (covers gender-based violence, safe motherhood, reproductive health and needs of adolescent girls), and Helping Children Live with HIV (provides information required to diagnose, treat, comfort and advocate for children with HIV). While funding is designated for these books, specific amounts are not assigned in order to provide greater flexibility for the organization as fundraising progresses throughout the fiscal year. Hesperian Health Guides is a nonprofit health information and health education source devoted to supporting individuals and communities in their struggles to realize the right to health. It has developed materials...

MAP International

MAP International was gifted $20,000 for its MAP 361 project, a global logistical information technology program. The organization currently bundles medical donations from hundreds of pharmaceutical companies, packages them in containers and travel packs and ships them to 100 countries each year. The comprehensive computer system upgrade will the organization to achieve greater economies of scale, efficiencies and cost-savings, which will allow the organization to serve an additional 10 million people per year within a five year period. MAP International is a global Christian health organization with 60 years of experience in partnering with people living in conditions of poverty to save lives and develop healthier families and communities. The organization consistently holds a 99% efficiency rating, and responds to the needs of those served by providing medicines, preventing disease, and promoting health to create real hope and lasting change.

Maxwell School, Syracuse University

Maxwell School, Syracuse University is in the midst of a three-year grant for $56,000 to expand the curriculum of its Transnational NGO (TNGO) Leadership Institute, which is housed at the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs. This program is designed to provide leadership training for up-and-coming international NGO professionals seeking to make the transition to top NGO positions through development of their leadership style, expanding competencies and roles, and networking abilities. The new curriculum being developed will focus on governance and management of international NGO coalitions, alliances and other collaborations. Materials will be developed through the faculty of the Maxwell School, long recognized as a frontrunner in the fields of collaboration, conflict management and governance in both the public and private sectors. Additionally, the Institute will utilize NGO practitioners with direct field experience to vet and hone the materials. The long-term goal of the project is to improve the performance of...

MedSend

MedSend is in the midst of a three-year, $41,000 grant to help underwrite the salary for a regional development officer for the state of California. This state is among the top three that support the organization in its efforts to provide more doctors for developing countries by offering to pay down a portion of their medical school debt for each year they are willing to serve in clinics overseas. Additionally, research conducted by the organization indicate that California has a stream of untapped wealth that could be readily accessed for the program given the organizational capacity to do so. The development officer will focus on maintaining regular communications with potential donors, create partnerships with churches, and develop and promote the organization along the entire west coast. MedSend is a Christian organization with a mission is to enable healthcare providers to work where they have been called, unencumbered by educational debt,...

Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX)

Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) was granted $15,000 to sponsor the launch of a demonstration client through its new Common Reporting “MIX Gold” system, the purpose of which is to create a platform for the collection of reporting data that will be usable by funders and other partner organizations while at the same time decreasing the reporting burden on microfinance institutions (MFIs). This innovative technology follows a model similar to taxpayer preparation software; users indicate to which data consumers they wish to file, complete only the fields required by those entities and the software program transmits the date to the correct consumers. Users only enter data once, while the unique needs of each data consumer are easily met. Results from the demonstration will be used to garner subscribers to the system, with the ultimate aim of revolutionizing the means by which grantees and funders communicate and dramatically reducing the time spent...

Nurturing Minds

Nurturing Minds was gifted $15,000 to support its Sega Girls School in Tanzania in developing a career preparedness component for Form IV/11th grade students to ensure students’ ability to reach their goals of leading healthy, financially independent and fulfilling lives after graduation. Monies granted were used for the pilot year of this program to hire a career counselor; identify and develop strategic relations with colleagues, companies/employers, institutions, students, parents and other faculty for potential career tracks; initiating assessment and career development workshops; and Implementing a series of career development field trips. Young women graduating from Sega School will come out of the program with a strong idea of what careers they would like to pursue as well as the skillset needed to develop the resources necessary to achieve their career goals. Nurturing Minds works to educate Tanzanian girls who are poor, marginalized and at-risk of becoming involved in exploitative forms of...

Opportunity International

Opportunity International received $15,000 for its community economic development program in Nicaragua. Monies will be used to provide capital investment for the agricultural development arm of the program, allowing it to expand from 380 farmers to 1,500. Additionally, the program will supply fiscal and technical support to a group of 200 artisan handicrafters, including financing a new artisan individual loan product. The program will also address community leadership and infrastructure by providing funding for community-lead social products such as development of potable water supply, housing repair, and library and school construction. Finally, the program is expanding its technical high school program to add another class of 60 students, requiring the addition of new classrooms to its existing structure. Opportunity International works in 15 countries around the world to eliminate poverty by providing financial solutions and training, thus empowering people living in poverty to transform their lives, their children’s futures and...

Outreach International

Outreach International was granted $19,000 for a comprehensive, capacity-building overhaul of software used in four key areas: development (analyzing donor data; anticipated increase in donations of $300,000 annually), volunteer support (automated database to organize and communicate with 650 volunteers), field operations (development and implementation of a system for relevant and effective measurement of field operations), and fiscal operations (integration of current Raiser’s Edge software with new Fiscal Edge program, which is designed to function with non-profits bookkeeping needs). As a whole, the new software should assist in deepening and broadening the organization’s work, which revolves around strengthening and empowering communities in the Global South through development of indigenous non-governmental organizations. Outreach International is a humanitarian organization with a 30-year track record of working with impoverished people around the world, regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity or gender. Its goal is to lift families out of poverty and help them work...