Doing More With Less
The sale of used clothes collected in the U.S. pays for school supplies like texts, notebooks, and pencils.
Since our programs are specifically designed to support local institutions and programs already in place, most Foundation initiatives involve little or no capital equipment or start-up costs.
We don't spend money creating new systems or building new infrastructure.
Instead, we leverage the existing medical and educational infrastructure already available in-country. As much as possible, we ride piggy-back on what already exists, and put our resources into contributing what is needed to deliver additional services effectively. Often, a small increment of support is all that it takes to generate a big result.
We use Social Marketing. To the extent possible, all services are offered at subsidized prices accessible to our clients. We recuperate a small margin of our expenses, and the client values the service with a deserved sense of self-esteem. But no one is turned away. The poorest of the poor are given the logistical and financial help necessary to successfully use our services. Our goal is to reach a maximum of people and give them the opportunity to improve their lives.
Over the years, our services have become tuned to the pulse of the communities we work in. We invest minimally in outreach because there is little need for it. We offer what people need and they respond by eagerly sharing information about our services with others by word-of-mouth. Government and private agencies also regularly refer to us now. More people come to us for help than we can possibly satisfy at our currently funded service levels.
In 2010, almost 92% of all dollars received went directly into our service programs. Over the past ten years, an average of nearly 94% of our budget has gone directly into the field, and this will continue to be our goal!
A Model of Collaboration
Our delivery model is based on efficiency and fiscal restraint. We work with a committed group of Venezuelans and a small number of volunteers and interns from the United States.
- All Officers and Board Members donate their services and do not take compensation of any kind.
- Volunteers from the United States pay their own way.
- All paid staff are Venezuelans: We are now a significant employer of Venezuelans, offering productive work in socially critical areas.
- We receive substantial material donations, including medical supplies and office space.
Sister Foundations Working Side by Side
Money raised by the Turimiquire Foundation is disbursed by Fundación ServYr, the Venezuelan non-profit foundation we established in 1997 for the specific purpose of executing our programs.
For more information on how we allocate money, click here: Big Impact at a Small Cost
