WE ARE HOPING FOR YOUR SUPPORT

CE Solutions relies on the generosity of others to continue our work. Our current monthly operating costs (excluding investments in new product/resources for entrepreneurs/educators)  are approximately $5,000. If you are interested we would be more than happy to provide you with all current budget breakdowns and projected expenditures.

How are your donations used?

• $1.50 pays for the cost of a pair of reading glasses
• $40 pays for the cost of a water filter (we are presently seeking more economical providers)
• $75 pays for the cost of a wood burning stove
• Approx. $200 is equal to the monthly salary of a teacher in the Centro Explorativo
• Approx. $300 is equal to the monthly salary of a new volunteer/trainer
• $333 covers the rent for the Centro Explorativo in Nebaj
• $400 covers the rent for our main office in Antigua, Guatemala
• Approx. $1,400 covers the monthly operational expenses of the Centro Explorativo

Note: CE Solutions leaders Greg Van Kirk and George Glickley do not receive a salary for their work. Leadership will only draw a stipend/salary when at least nine months of total operational costs are in reserve.

If you would like to support us in our work please send a tax deductible contribution payable by check to Community Enterprise Solutions addressed to:

Greg Van Kirk
Community Enterprise Solutions
38 Lake Trail West
Morristown, NJ 07960

or...

Use your credit card to send a SECURE donation through Pay Pal using the link below

All donations are tax-deductible. Community Enterprise Solutions—A Non-Profit N. J. Corporation is a 501 (c) (3) Corporation. Tax ID: 55-0866578

If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you are interested in helping to raise funds for your own organization or for CE Solutions, while supporting Guatemalan small business women working with New Life Cards, please click on the link below...A heartfelt thank you in advance for your consideration and support.

How does Community Enterprise Solutions "multiply the gift"? Read below a news story from 2006 which demonstrates the “multiplier effect”... Let's focus on the rural entrepreneurship MicroConsignment model and look at two businesses. Let’s first look at the wood burning stove business. In the Ixil Region three entrepreneurs sell these stoves and build them on-site for $80 each. The family who buys the stove makes six equal monthly payments with no interest. Based on September sales of 21 stoves the entrepreneurs netted $203. In addition, as the average family spends $30 a month on wood before purchasing the stove (they cook campfire style on the ground)  and saves at least 50% in wood consumption with the stove, the stoves save $15 per month per family. Thus during the payback period the stove pays for itself ($15 saved in monthly wood consumption minus $15 dollars paid for the stove). And given that the stove should last at least five years, each family will save roughly $810 in total fuel wood purchases ($90 saved in the first year and $180 saved in the subsequent four years). Adding it all together, the total direct economic benefit of the September stove activity is $17,213. (Entrepreneur earnings of $203 plus 21 families saving $810 each).  This is just one month! And for perspective, as you will read below, the entrepreneurs who sell reading glasses charge $5 per pair of glasses. This $17, 213 equates to enough purchasing power to buy 3, 443 pairs of glasses. A 12 oz. bottle of water costs 35 cents in a village. This equals 49,180 bottles of water. The impact is enormous. And the key here from an organizational perspective is that funds donated rotate. As the client pays for the stove, the cost of materials that CE Solutions “fronts” through MicroConsignment is returned and used to facilitate future stove purchases. As such, donations are used over and over again for as long as the business is in existence. This is not relief work, but rather truly sustainable development work. Second, let's look at the women entrepreneurs or Vision Advisors who give exams and sell eye glasses. In September we supported 50 women who speak six different native languages. Thirty five of these were active in the field and fifteen were in training conducted by our staff. These women sold 343 pairs of glasses (248 reading glasses) for $5 each. Of this $5 they net roughly $1.25 and return the rest to be used for further glasses purchases, advertising, and equipment purchases etc. They also sold 387 other products including eye drops, cases and cords. The Vision Advisors' total net earnings in September were $676. If we assume that, of the 248 reading glass purchasers,  half will now gain a conservative one months' productivity over the course of their use of the glasses (they can see and thus work up close again!) and the average monthly wage in rural Guatemala is $50 (averaging men and women), this equals a total economic benefit of $6,200 ($50 multiplied by 248/2). Thus the total direct economic benefit of the September glasses sales business is $6,876 ($676 in entrepreneur earnings plus $6,200 in glasses purchasers’ economic benefit). So, amazingly, with just these two CE Solutions initiatives the economic benefit totals $24,107 based on one month’s activities. And using this as an average month (actually entrepreneur and sales numbers are higher and are increasing), the total annual direct economic benefit would be $289, 284.00 annually. This far exceeds CE Solutions’ annual operating budget. And we have not even factored in here the health benefits and hope for a better future provided through these initiatives.

 

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