El Sauzal News

Leslie & Bob, savvy donors who visited the Orphanage this last weekend

There’s a very interesting article posted on the Charity Navigator, the Top 10 Best Practices of Savvy Donors.  The practices are:

1. Be proactive in your giving

2. Hang up the phone/eliminate the middleman

3. Be careful of imposters and sound-alike names

4. Confirm 501(c)(3) status

5. Check the charity’s commitment to donor’s rights

6. Obtain copies of its financial records

7. Review executive compensation

8. Start a dialogue to investigate its programmatic results

9. Concentrate your giving

10. Share your intentions and make a long-term commitment

The job of the El Sauzal Foundation, Inc. is to help our donors get the information they need to be savvy.  So let us know what you want…email your questions to Patty.Meadows@elsauzal.org. 

Our kids need your experience

 The El Sauzal Foundation, Inc. is looking for a grant writer. If you are an experienced grant writer, or know of one, please contact Mike Moore, at mailto:investmoore@gmail.com.  We would be delighted to find someone who has a passion for helping children. Experience with obtaining grants for international organizations is a plus.

  Extra! Extra! Read all about it.

I’m delighted to announce that the new Orphanage DVD is now available.  It features a three minute presentation about the work of El Sauzal.  It was created to give people a feel for who El Sauzal is and what they do.

There are several special features on the DVD.  It has the story of Viviana, a girl who came to the Orphanage at age one.  She grew up, graduated college and left at age 26 when she got married.  There are also slideshows with photos of the children, Orphanage and Mexico.

If you would like a copy (for free!), email me at Patty.Meadows@elsauzal.org.  I’d be happy to mail it to you. 

Thanks!

    Floyd Hoffman, Maintenance & Facilities 

Do you dream of making a difference? 

Last night the El Sauzal Foundation, Inc. held its quarterly board meeting.  One of those reporting was Floyd Hoffman, an experienced contractor from Auburn, Washington.  Floyd first visited the Orphanage two years ago.  He stayed a week, designing and building a large garage.  The trip was moving to him; he returned last summer for another week of work.  He had only been in El Sauzal for a day when he approached us with his dream.

He told us how he had been thinking for several years of how to use his building skills.  As he approached retirement, he was wondering how he could invest in the lives of others in a meaningful way.  The first trip to the Orphanage piqued his interest.   Now he was ready to commit.  He volunteered to take on the daunting job of organizing the maintenance and planning of the Orphanage grounds.

In January, Floyd drew up blue prints of the entire Orphanage property.  Now he is contacting visiting groups, organizing them and the work projects they’ll be doing.  He is working with several other skilled men who have previously volunteered at the Orphanage.  Working together with the Orphanage leadership, they have big plans for the grounds.

We can’t wait to see where their dreams take them!

   Floyd and an Orphanage helper 

The El Sauzal Foundation’s treasurer, Roger Christianson, let us know this week:

It’s been a good month! I’m placing a check into the mail tomorrow for $8,000.

It’s always a happy day when your treasurer says it’s been a good month. The Foundation is young, only a little over a year old. We are still ‘learning the ropes’, looking for ways to make it easier for you to connect with the Orphanage. Our job is big but has many rewards. This has been one of our best months.

The thanks go to you, fellow friends and supporters of the Orphanage. It is so exciting and gratifying to be a part of this. Mil gracias for your prayers and generosity!