2021 in Review

Friends of Paraguay 2021 in Review

The Highlights

New Website

• Received grant from National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) to support transition to the NPCA website platform (SilkStart)
• New revenue sources permitted by shift 
  • Membership Tiers
    • 90 @ $15
    • 26 @ $50
    • 7 @ $100
    • 1 @ $250
  • Website Donation Page - raised $2,430 (122% of goal)

Grants 

• 350% increase in applications for grant funding from 2020.
• 100% increase in # of grants awarded (4) and in $ funded ($2,000) from 2020.
• Friends of Paraguay was pleased to award four new $500 grants in November 2021, for a total of $2,000 in grant funding. 
  • $500 to Asociación Eco Pantanal Bahía Negra to support youth training on environmental issues in an environmentally sensitive, Indigenous community
  • $500 to OPADES to support environmental education of park rangers at Ybycuí National Park
  • $500 to Fundación Outreach Paraguay to support teachers who are
  • working to expand literacy in a community near Yuty
  • $500 to Volunteer Fire Station in Itapúa to support construction of a one-room “station” and to provide training to fire fighters in an area affected by wildfires

Membership

• 20% Increase in Membership 
  • December 2020 - 103 active members
  • December 2021 - 124 active members
• Membership survey in August 2021

Governance

• Held successful elections in January 2021
• Implemented Conflict of Interest Policy for board members
• Successful Annual Meeting in December 2021

Ten Virtual Happy Hours

• January - Mboja’o
• February - Peace Corps Paraguay 
• March - Peace Corps Paraguay Environment Sector and Para La Tierra
• April - Rostros del Rio
• May - Peace Corps Paraguay Health Sector
• June - Peace Corps Paraguay Training Center
• July - Peace Corps Paraguay Agriculture Sector
• August - Peace Corps Paraguay Community Economic Development Sector
• September - Paraguayan Harp Concert with Nicolas Carter

e-Ñandutí Newsletter

• Twelve informative monthly newsletters, including board member spotlights, notices about upcoming events, stories from Paraguay, and other resources

The Details

In January 2021, the board announced elections, with vacancies for Vice President, Secretary, and six general board member positions. After receiving self-nominations, the board held elections in February 2021 and successfully filled all vacancies. Additionally, one candidate who self-nominated reached out upon not seeing their name on the ballot. Their self-nomination ended up in a spam folder. After considering various options, the board elected to include the candidate on the board for a one-year term. Three board members returned to complete the second year of their two-year terms. Friends of Paraguay also hosted a virtual happy hour with Paraguayan social enterprise Mboja’o (and recorded a happy hour for the first time!). 

On February 12, Friends of Paraguay hosted a virtual event with Peace Corps Paraguay and Peace Corps HQ’s Office of the Third Goal, which served as a pilot for similar events between other affiliate groups and Peace Corps posts. Over 200 RPCVs, Peace Corps staff, and others associated with Peace Corps Paraguay attended, including Paraguay’s ambassador to the U.S. and the U.S. embassy in Paraguay’s chargé d'affaires. After an orientation and welcome of new board members in February, the new board held its first meeting on February 16, 2021. The board discussed goals for the year, benefits and potential challenges associated with adopting NPCA’s website platform SilkStart, and a six-month series of virtual events with Peace Corps Paraguay. 

In March 2021, the Treasurer filed Friends of Paraguay’s corporate renewal with Washington, DC. The renewal is good through March 2023. Friends of Paraguay hosted two virtual happy hours, one with Peace Corps Paraguay’s Environment Sector and the other with the Paraguayan NGO Para la Tierra. At the March board meeting, the board voted to pursue the adoption of SilkStart pending a grant from NPCA to support adoption costs and establish the budget for the year. 

Friends of Paraguay hosted a virtual happy hour with the RPCV team behind Rostros del Rio in April 2021. After receiving a grant from NPCA, the board moved forward with migrating Friends of Paraguay from its previous website to a SilkStart website integrated with NPCA. After discussing a budget for the year in April, the board voted on its 2021 budget. 

In May 2021, the board voted to launch the new SilkStart website, including membership levels ranging from $15 to $500. Friends of Paraguay hosted a virtual happy hour with Peace Corps Paraguay’s Health Sector; the new website was announced during the event.

The Friends of Paraguay board was able to take advantage of SilkStart features by June 2021: members joined using the different membership tiers, and attendees who RSVPed for the virtual happy hour with Peace Corps Paraguay’s Training Center received automated emails with Zoom information! The event with the Training Center was well-attended and included a virtual tour! The board voted in favor of launching a fundraising page on the website with a goal of $2,000 (another feature possible because of the new website!). 

In July 2021, the grants committee met to discuss the 2021 grants cycle. The committee decided to revise evaluation criteria in light of the previous year’s grant cycle and evaluation process. The board troubleshooted issues with the fundraising page before launching it publicly. The board voted in favor of sending a survey to members and in favor of two $25 gift cards from Artezanz as giveaways for two respondents. The Peace Corps Paraguay Agriculture Sector hosted a virtual happy hour with Friends of Paraguay. 

The fundraising page went live on the website in August 2021. The governance committee met to prepare for 2022 elections and proposed a change to the bylaws regarding the timing of the annual meeting. Friends of Paraguay hosted a virtual happy hour with Peace Corps Paraguay’s Community Economic Development Sector, bringing an end to the series of events with Peace Corps Paraguay (six in total!). The board shared a survey with members. 

In September 2021, the board voted to award up to four grants for amounts up to $500 (a 100% increase from 2020). The board planned to get the word out about the upcoming grant cycle and reviewed member survey results. Additionally, the board voted in favor of incorporating a conflict of interest form for board members, including the bylaw change in the 2022 election ballot, and shifting elections to elect all general board members (with the board then electing officers at its first organization meeting). The board also discussed and voted in favor of partnering with Rostros del Rio to fundraise for their documentary and hosted a virtual happy hour with harpist Nicolas Carter. 

The board continued to get the word out about its grant availability in October, including advertising via Paraguayan radio! All members of the grants committee submitted their conflict of interest forms ahead of the closing date of the grant application period. The board voted in favor of signing on to the National Peace Corps Association’s Letter to President Joe Biden. The board voted to hold its 2021 annual meeting on December 4, 2021. 

In November 2021, the grants committee met to review the nine applications received (significant increase from past years, outreach worked!) and ultimately reached a consensus on the four recipient organizations. The board voted to accept the committee’s recommendations. The board prepared for the annual meeting and for the January 2022 election. The fundraiser with Rostros del Rio ended, and Rostros del Rio received just over $3,000 in donations. 

The board hosted a successful annual meeting on December 4, 2021. The Treasurer ensured grant funds reached all grantees. As part of the partnership with Rostros del Rio, members were able to attend a pre-screening of the documentary in December 2021. The board also prepared for the January 2022 election.   

Board Members

President: Maggie Reuter
Vice President: Rebecca Kidd
Treasurer: Robert Burnett
Secretary: Stacy Shutts 
Grants Coordinator: Thomas Morris 
Communications and Social Media Coordinators: Kerry Snyder and Jacob Young
General board members: Steven Berk, Curt Davis, Nora Ivory, David Lauzon, Kate Raftery, Justin Sturm

Contact Information

president@friendsofparaguay.org; admin@friendsofparaguay.org; communications@friendsofparaguay.org; www.friendsofparaguay.org 

2021 Financial Report

Membership Map

Note: this represents members that have chosen to disclose their location via their NPCA profile