Programs

  • The Pulsera Project

    THE PULSERA PROJECT'S NON-PROFIT SOCIAL ENTERPRISE MODEL IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT ENRICHES LIVES BOTH IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD BY WEAVING PULSERA SALES INTO AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. WE SELL PULSERAS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CENTRAL AMERICANS, BUT WE DO SO WHILE EDUCATING THOUSANDS OF U.S. STUDENTS ABOUT FAIR TRADE, CENTRAL AMERICAN CULTURE, AND A RANGE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES. WE ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO OPEN THEIR HEARTS TO CARE ABOUT OTHERS, BUT WE ALSO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO OPEN THEIR MINDS TO THE AMAZING DIVERSITY OF IDEAS AND PERSPECTIVES IN OUR WORLD. THIS WIN-WIN MODEL IS THE MAGIC OF THE PULSERA PROJECT. SEE SCHEDULE O.AS WE WORKED TO NAVIGATE THE DRAMATIC REPERCUSSIONS OF COVID-19 ON BOTH THE CENTRAL AMERICAN AND U.S. SIDES OF THE PULSERA PROJECT, WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO ENSURE THE SURVIVAL OF THE THREE INTERWOVEN PARTS OF THE PROJECT:1) EMPLOYING NICARAGUAN AND GUATEMALAN PULSERA ARTISANS2) EDUCATING U.S. STUDENTS THROUGH THE SALE OF PULSERAS3) INVESTING PULSERA SALE PROCEEDS IN CENTRAL AMERICAN COMMUNITIESCOVID-19 AND THE PULSERA PROJECT IN THE U.S.A.: THOUGH 2021 CERTAINLY HAD ITS UPS AND DOWNS WITH NEW VARIANTS OF COVID, WE DID OUR BEST TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS TO KEEP THE PROJECT'S MISSION ALIVE. AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE FUNDS ARE RAISED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS, THE EFFECTS CONTINUED TO BE HARD-HITTING FOR US AS THOUSANDS OF SCHOOLS MOVED FORWARD WITH A HYBRID REMOTE-LEARNING MODEL, OR OFTEN WERE NOT IN A POSITION TO FIT A PULSERA SALE INTO AN ALREADY CHAOTIC SCHOOL YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY, 2021 MARKED ANOTHER SUBSTANTIAL DOWNTURN FOR US IN SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS AFTER ALMOST TEN YEARS OF CONSISTENT YEAR-TO-YEAR GROWTH PRE-COVID. ON AVERAGE IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF 2021, FUNDS RAISED WERE DOWN 77% COMPARED TO OUR LAST NORMAL YEAR IN 2019. WE WERE HAPPY TO START SEEING A SUBSTANTIAL REBOUND OF SCHOOLS IN THE FALL SEMESTER, WORKING WITH 267 SCHOOL COMMUNITIES, WHICH WAS OUR MOST ACTIVE SEMESTER SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN. THE INCREDIBLE SUPPORT OF SO MANY SCHOOLS GAVE US THE CHANCE TO START PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE AGAIN, HIRING NEW ARTISANS, AND BEGINNING TO COLLABORATE WITH CENTRAL AMERICAN SOCIAL IMPACT ORGANIZATIONS AGAIN. IN THE U.S. WE CONTINUED TO TAKE STEPS TO KEEP THE PROJECT AFLOAT FINANCIALLY, OPERATING ON A LIMITED BUDGET FOR MOST OF 2021 TO PRESERVE OUR CAPACITY TO HIRE ARTISANS AND ADVANCE THE PROJECT'S MISSION ONCE THE WORST OF THE PANDEMIC SUBSIDED. THIS INCLUDED SALARY CUTS AND TEMPORARILY FURLOUGHING STAFF, BUT THANKS TO THESE SACRIFICES, THE PROJECT IS IN A GREAT POSITION TO JUMPSTART OUR ARTISAN EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM AGAIN. IN 2022, WE PLAN TO PURCHASE 142,000 PULSERAS, PROVIDING FAIR TRADE EMPLOYMENT FOR DOZENS OF ARTISANS IN NICARAGUA & GUATEMALA. WE WERE ALSO FORTUNATE TO BENEFIT FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S PAYCHECK PROTECTION PLAN, RECEIVING A LOAN IN 2021 TO COVER STAFF SALARIES FOR TWO AND A HALF MONTHS. WE ADDITIONALLY CONTINUED TO BENEFIT FROM THE "ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER RELIEF LOAN" FROM 2020 THAT HELPED SUBSIDIZE PROJECT OPERATIONS THROUGHOUT 2021. SCHOOL COLLABORATIONS & EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM: OUR MISSION WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE IF NOT FOR THE VOLUNTEER EFFORTS OF THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ACROSS THE U.S., WHO NOT ONLY CREATE MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT IN CENTRAL AMERICA, BUT ALSO LEARN ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE, SOLIDARITY, FAIR TRADE, AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP THROUGH PULSERA SALES. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF EFFECTIVE VACCINES AGAINST COVID, DOZENS OF ENTERPRISING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS MANAGED TO HOST SALES IN 2021, NAVIGATING SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS. THE PULSERA PROJECT WAS FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH 101 SCHOOLS IN THE SPRING OF 2021, AND 267 SCHOOLS IN THE FALL, REPRESENTING A TOTAL OF 369 SALES, A WELCOME TREND AFTER ONLY 48 SCHOOL SALES IN FALL 2020. THE SCHOOLS THAT HOSTED SALES WHILE NAVIGATING VIRTUAL LEARNING, SCHOOL CLOSURES, MASK REQUIREMENTS, AND MORE, TRULY SAVED THE PROJECT. WITH VIRTUALLY ALL OF OUR REVENUE COMING FROM SCHOOL SALES, THE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO ADAPT AND MAKE THE PROJECT SUCCESSFUL HAVE ENSURED A FUTURE FOR THE PROJECT'S MISSION, BOTH IN THE U.S. AND CENTRAL AMERICA. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR EVERY TEACHER, STUDENT, AND VOLUNTEER WHO BOUGHT OR SOLD A PULSERA DURING THE UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES BROUGHT ON BY COVID.IN TOTAL, THE PULSERA PROJECT HAS NOW COLLABORATED WITH 3,423 SCHOOLS, AND WITH THE HELP OF MANY MULTI-YEAR SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS, 6,115 PULSERA PROJECT SCHOOL EVENTS HAVE BEEN HOSTED BY STUDENTS AND TEACHERS SINCE 2009. COVID-19 AND THE PULSERA PROJECT IN CENTRAL AMERICA:TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS, RESTRICTIONS, NEW WAVES OF INFECTIONS, AND THE CLOSING OF OUR OFFICE IN GRANADA, NICARAGUA MADE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS CHALLENGING THIS YEAR, BUT WE ADJUSTED AND ALWAYS FOUND A WAY TO GET THINGS DONE. CENTRAL AMERICANS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR PERSEVERANCE, SO IN MANY WAYS, ADJUSTING FOR COVID WAS JUST ANOTHER HURDLE IN AN ANCIENT OBSTACLE COURSE. NONETHELESS, WE WOULD HAVE ENJOYED SPENDING MORE FACE TIME WITH THE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS WE LOVE AND RESPECT AND LOOK FORWARD TO DOING MORE OF IT IN THE YEAR TO COME. THE ARTISANS OF CENTRAL AMERICA: WITH THE VETERAN GROUP OF ARTISAN LEADERS THAT STAYED ON IN 2020, THIS YEAR WAS ABOUT THEM GROWING INTO A NEW ROLE WITHIN THE PROJECT. ONE IN WHICH THEY TRANSITION FROM BEING BENEFICIARIES TO BECOMING PROTAGONISTS AND LEADERS OF A SHARED PROJECT. WE SPENT THE FIRST 9 MONTHS OF 2021 HOLDING WORKSHOPS WITH THEM TO DISCUSS THE THEMES AND VALUES THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY DRIVEN THE PROJECT, THE OBJECTIVE BEING TO ACQUAINT THEMSELVES WITH AND PARTAKE IN THE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL JOURNEY THAT GUIDES THE PROJECT'S VISION. STARTING IN THE FINAL MONTHS OF 2021, OUR EFFORTS HAVE SHIFTED TO REBUILDING OUR ARTISAN COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION TO THE ARTISAN LEADERS, WE'RE CURRENTLY TRAINING 35 NEW ARTISANS THROUGH A WORK-STUDY PILOT, AND WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF EXPANDING OUR PARTNERSHIPS IN GUATEMALA, WITH A MIX OF OLD PARTNERS AND SOME NEW ARTISAN COOPERATIVES. BY MID-2022 WE HOPE TO BE BACK TO WORKING WITH 160+ ARTISANS AND REINVIGORATED BY THE WORK WE LOVE. WHERE SALE FUNDS GO:OCCASIONALLY STUDENTS OR TEACHERS ASK IF ALL PULSERA SALE PROCEEDS GO DIRECTLY TO THE ARTISANS. THE PULSERA PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO BENEFIT THREE GROUPS: ARTISANS, ARTISAN COMMUNITIES, AND U.S. STUDENTS. ARTISANS EARN INCOME AND BENEFITS, CENTRAL AMERICAN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE GRANTS TO FUND THEIR WORK, AND U.S. STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FUNDED BY THE PROJECT. IT IS A POINT OF PRIDE FOR ARTISANS THAT THEIR WORK BENEFITS NOT ONLY THEMSELVES, BUT ALSO THEIR EXTENDED COMMUNITIES AND U.S. STUDENTS. U.S. PULSERA SALES IN 2021: U.S. AND CENTRAL AMERICAN STAFF DEVOTE MUCH OF THEIR TIME TO U.S. STUDENT EDUCATION, ARTISAN WELL-BEING, AND OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, BUT AS A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WE KNOW THAT OUR MISSION DEPENDS ON PULSERA SALES. IN 2021, THE PULSERA PROJECT RECEIVED $232,211 FROM PRODUCT SALES AND $1,378 FROM DONATIONS, A TOTAL OF $233,589, WHICH INCLUDES MONEY FROM SALES THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2020 BUT WHERE PAYMENT WAS NOT RECEIVED UNTIL 2021. OF PARTICULAR NOTE IS THAT DUE TO THE SCHOOL YEAR'S SLOW START THANKS TO COVID'S CONTINUED IMPACT, $216,384 OF THOSE FUNDS WERE NOT RECEIVED UNTIL THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2021; RECEIVING A MAJORITY OF OUR FUNDS THIS LATE IN THE YEAR MEANS THAT MONEY HAS BEEN SET ASIDE FOR INVESTMENTS & ARTISAN PROGRAMS IN 2022.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2021 – Dec 31, 2021
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $282K

  • Program 1 [2024]

    THE PULSERA PROJECT'S SOCIAL ENTERPRISE MODEL IS UNIQUE BECAUSE OUR PROJECT IS BASED ON SOLIDARITY AND MUTUAL BENEFIT -U.S. STUDENTS HELP CREATE OPPORTUNITY IN CENTRAL AMERICA THROUGH PULSERA SALES WHILE ALSO LEARNING ABOUT THE ARTISANS AND COMMUNITIES WHOM THEIR SALES BENEFIT. BY WEAVING PULSERA SALES INTO AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM WE CAN PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CENTRAL AMERICANS WHILE ALSO EDUCATING THOUSANDS OF U.S. STUDENTS ABOUT FAIR TRADE, CENTRAL AMERICAN CULTURE, AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP.***** SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATION *****THE PROJECT MISSION:THE PULSERA PROJECT CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON DEVELOPING OUR THREE CORE COMPONENTS:1) CREATING MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT FOR CENTRAL AMERICANS2) EDUCATING U.S. STUDENTS THROUGH PULSERA SALES3) INVESTING PROCEEDS IN CENTRAL AMERICAN COMMUNITIESTHE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR WAS ONE OF UPS AND DOWNS FOR THE PROJECT -WE WORKED WITH MORE RETURNING SCHOOLS THAN EVER, STARTED EXCITING NEW COLLABORATIONS IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE U.S., AND DEEPENED THE CONNECTIONS WE HAVE WITH THE ARTISANS AND COMMUNITIES WE WORK WITH. THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF THOUSANDS OF TEACHER AND STUDENT VOLUNTEERS, THE PROJECT'S MISSION CONTINUES. THIS YEAR ALSO BROUGHT ITS SHARE OF CHALLENGES - IN THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR, MANY SCHOOLS HAD DIFFICULTY SELLING AS MANY PULSERAS AS THEY HAD IN PRIOR YEARS. THIS IMPACTED OUR FINANCES, SINCE VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE PULSERA PROJECT'S INCOME COMES DIRECTLY FROM PULSERA SALES. THE ARTISANS OF GUATEMALA & NICARAGUA:IT HAS BEEN ANOTHER WONDERFUL YEAR DEVELOPING MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH PULSERA PROJECT ARTISANS. PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, WE HAD LONG STANDING FRIENDSHIPS WITH ARTISANS, SOME AS LONG AS 10+ YEARS. OVER THE YEARS, WE SAW THEM MATURE, BECOME PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS, AND WE ACCOMPANIED MANY OF THEM THROUGH LIFE'S JOYS AND CHALLENGES. WHILE THE PROJECT HAS NOW TRANSITIONED TO MOSTLY WORKING WITH ARTISANS IN GUATEMALA RATHER THAN NICARAGUA, THE NUMBER OF ARTISANS HAS GROWN TO AN ALL-TIME HIGH OF 217 PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED A TOTAL OF $235,375 IN INCOME AND BENEFITS SUCH AS HOUSING PROJECTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, WRITING WORKSHOPS, SEED CAPITAL, EMERGENCY SUPPORT, ETC. IN 2023-24.SCHOOL COLLABORATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN THE U.S.:IN THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR WE MADE SOME BIG CHANGES TO THE PULSERA SALE PROGRAM - WE LOWERED THE PRICE OF PULSERAS BACK TO $5 AND SET OUR SIGHTS ON IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF PULSERA SALES THROUGH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS & TEACHERS SUCH AS AN IMPROVED CASHLESS SALES SYSTEM, A NEW PULSERA 101 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT UNIT, ADDITIONAL PROMOTIONAL RESOURCES, A PRINTED "READER" IN COLLABORATION WITH PUENTES, NEW EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS, AND MORE. WE WERE ALSO GRATEFUL TO LAUNCH NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND EXPAND ON EXISTING ONES, JOINING JNCL-NCLIS AS A MEMBER TO PROMOTE LANGUAGE ADVOCACY, PARTNERING WITH SIGMA DELTA PI - THE LARGEST HONOR SOCIETY FOR COLLEGE LEVEL SPANISH LEARNERS, AS WELL AS EXPANDING OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH AATSP, THE NATIONAL SPANISH EXAM, AND VISTA HIGHER LEARNING TO OFFER SPONSORED SPOTS ON OUR ANNUAL TEACHER TRIP TO GUATEMALA.OVER THE COURSE OF THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR, WE WERE FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH A TOTAL OF 826 SCHOOLS, EACH PULSERA SALE A LABOR OF LOVE BROUGHT TO LIFE BY THE ENTHUSIASM AND HARD WORK OF THE CLASSES, CLUBS, AND SCHOOL COMMUNITIES THAT DEDICATE THEIR TIME TO THE PROJECT. IN TOTAL, THE PULSERA PROJECT HAS NOW COLLABORATED WITH 3,880 SCHOOLS IN ALL 50 STATES, AND WITH THE HELP OF MANY MULTI-YEAR SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS, 7,633 PULSERA PROJECT SCHOOL EVENTS HAVE BEEN HOSTED BY STUDENTS AND TEACHERS SINCE 2009.IN THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR, TEACHERS AND STUDENT VOLUNTEERS RAISED A TOTAL OF $663,038 THROUGH PULSERA SALES IN 826 SCHOOLS, WHICH INCLUDES MONEY FROM SALES THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2022-2023 BUT WHERE PAYMENT WAS NOT RECEIVED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR. ONLINE AND CONFERENCE PULSERA SALES TOTALED $28,580. THE PULSERA PROJECT ADDITIONALLY RECEIVED $4,178 IN DONATIONS IN 2023-24.ONE OF OUR FAVORITE COLLABORATIONS IS OUR ANNUAL JULY TEACHER TRIP TO GUATEMALA. WE BROUGHT AN AMAZING GROUP OF EDUCATORS TO SEE THE ARTISAN GROUPS, SOCIAL IMPACT PARTNERS, AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES AT THE HEART OF THE PROJECT'S WORK IN CENTRAL AMERICA, ALL AGAINST THE BEAUTIFUL BACKDROPS OF LAKE ATITLAN AND ANTIGUA WHERE MANY OF OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ARE LOCATED. SOCIAL IMPACT IN CENTRAL AMERICA:THIS YEAR THE PROJECT SPENT $389,452 ON OUR EMPLOYMENT AND IMPACT GRANT PROGRAMS IN CENTRAL AMERICA, INCLUDING $84,180 IN ARTISAN BENEFITS AND GRANTS TO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ACHIEVING IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY WORK. FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE COVID, WE REVIVED OUR LONG-STANDING HOUSING PROGRAM WITH NEW ARTISANS IN GUATEMALA. A GROUP OF 15 ARTISANS FROM THE COJOLYA COLLECTIVE IN SANTIAGO DE ATITLAN RECEIVED FUNDING FROM AN $18,000 GRANT TO MAKE ADDITIONS, IMPROVEMENTS, OR REPAIRS TO THEIR FAMILY'S HOME - ONE OF THE MOST IMMEDIATE AND IMPACTFUL WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO A FAMILY'S WELL-BEING AND STABILITY. BEYOND OUR FAIR TRADE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM, FUNDS WERE USED FOR IMPACT GRANTS TO OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ADISA, AJ QUEN, ARTEXCO, ASOGEN, ASOMUJERDI, COJOLYA, CREAMOS, ICAS, IMAP, RAIZ CHE, AND WARICHA. THESE GROUPS DO ESSENTIAL WORK FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES, CONSTITUTING A RANGE OF PROJECTS INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND PERMACULTURE, WOMEN'S RIGHTS ADVOCACY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER SERVICES, YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS, DISABILITY ACCESS & ADVOCACY, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND MORE. ADELANTE IN THE COMING YEAR:AS WE LOOK BACK ON THE LAST FEW YEARS, ONE LESSON STANDS ABOVE THEM ALL - THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THAT HELP US WEATHER THE STORMS. THOUGH WE CAN SOMETIMES FACE SEEMINGLY INSURMOUNTABLE OBSTACLES, AS OUR TEACHER AND ARTISAN FRIENDS CAN ATTEST, THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION AND SOLIDARITY THAT HAS DRIVEN THIS PROJECT FORWARD CONTINUES TO BENEFIT COUNTLESS INDIVIDUALS ACROSS BORDERS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CENTRAL AMERICA.WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT HAVE SUSTAINED US FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO STRENGTHENING THOSE TIES OF FRIENDSHIP AS WE FORGE NEW ONES IN THE YEAR AHEAD.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2023 – Jun 30, 2024
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $609.6K