In Q1 2022, Shared Interest received a one-time grant for $10,000 in unrestricted funding. The proposed grant would support the updating of our five-year strategic plan to reflect two major events: first, the impact of Covid-19, and second, our recent leadership transition. These changes have resulted in new organizational needs and created exciting opportunities to scale their impact.

In Q1 2022, Upaya Social Ventures received a one-time grant for $10k to focus on Covid recovery as we ramp up services to our partner companies and resume jobholder

in-person surveys. As we discussed on the phone, throughout the pandemic we have been committed to supporting all our partners and their jobholders in weathering this crisis. The West Foundation’s support in 2020 enabled us to do that. We respectfully request funding for Upaya to continue building on our efforts to stabilize our partners and jobholders so that they have a strong foundation on which to face the unpredictable impact of Covid-19.

In Q1 2022, Hesperian Health Guides received a one-time grant for $15,000 in unrestricted funding to support and expand their work to create new multilingual health resources for people worldwide. Hesperian’s content, delivered as print materials, digital resources, and mobile apps, helps people take greater control over their own health and organize for equal access to health and healthcare. Renewed funding will enable Hesperian to create and distribute much-needed health guides and tools that offer individuals and communities the knowledge they need to take action for the mental and physical health of women and girls; to protect people’s bodies and surroundings from the effects of environmental degradation; to support vulnerable populations in need of up-to-date information about COVID-19; and to improve the health of people living in resource-poor communities worldwide.

In Q1 2022, Smiles Forever received a one-time grant for $10,000 in unrestricted funding for continued work in developing a dental system for Bolivia, one of the world’s poorest countries. The organization’s strategy for this is based on the idea of prevention over restoration, leading to better oral and general health. Specifically, the program trains Bolivian dental technicians to treat patients with SDF (Silver Diamine Fluoride), which arrests tooth decay while rebuilding the tooth structure. SDF is also used to protect “virgin teeth” from cavities. Additionally, technicians are taught to utilize a SMART FILLING technique that makes the treated tooth stronger and has the added benefit of being more aesthetically pleasing than the previously used materials. All work is completed without local anesthetic or drilling of the tooth.

In Q1 2022, blueEnergy received a one-time grant for $10,000 to support its overall vision and mission. In Nicaragua, blueEnergy is launching a multi-year initiative to deliver improved access to safe drinking water and increased nutritional and food security for women heads-of-households, as well as the disabled and the elderly. They are also expanding their “Climate Smart Schools” initiative, partnering with grade schools in the region to strengthen their climate change resilience through water and hygiene infrastructure, soil, and food-producing garden bed improvements. To further blueEnergy’s long-term sustainability in Nicaragua they are working to secure their campus, which houses their model center, offices, and production shop in the city of Bluefields. In Ethiopia, they are focusing on providing solar-powered water pumping systems and efficient cookstoves for better water access, health, and nutrition.