As per today, The Corcovado Foundation has raised $2611 USD thru Global Giving and $2000 more through other sources. Every dollar that the Corcovado Foundation raises for FACOSA (Osa Supprot Community Fund), the Interamerican Foundation (IAF) matches 1 to 1. The communities that receive the funding also need to make a matching contribution in kind. Therefore, a donation to FACOSA will have the capacity of benefiting the communities for 4 times the amount.
The goal of the Osa Community Support Fund (FACOSA) is to provide small funding to local communities in order to help them improve their quality of living and answer some of their most basic needs such as clean water access and providing a minimum income for local families. The non-reimbursable donations to local community groups are used for community improvement such as building, drinking water systems, community centers, and health centers. FACOSA provides micro funding to local communities in Osa Peninsula.
The Osa Peninsula is rich in wildlife, sparsely populated, and, until recently, very difficult to access. Towering rainforests line undeveloped beaches and untouched coves, making this region one of the most beautiful, and biodiversity important, places anywhere on earth. The communities, however, are amongst the poorest in Costa Rica, with land tenure problems and little or no access to financing. Therefore the possibilities for accessing funding for their projects are very remote.
The Corcovado Foundation already disbursed around $12,000 USD to 5 different projects in 3 different communities; providing materials to build the aqueduct of La Tarde Community, the communal center in El Progreso Community, a computer room in El Progreso's school and a group productive project in the town of Rancho Quemado, including a piggery, a poultry house, a sugarcane mill and a bakery. We hope to improve the quality of the lives of individuals in these communities.FACOSA has also helped with the development of local groups by providing computers, websites (www.tortugasmarinaselprogreso.org) and other related activities
We have invited communities to present projects to the Corcovado Foundation starting June 2013 for up to $3000 USD. With the donations received from caring and generous people at Globalgiving and other funding raised by our organization, plus the 100% match from IAF, we will soon be able to finance three or four small projects in communities in Osa.
The goal of the Osa Community Support Fund (FACOSA) is to provide small funding to local communities in order to help them improve their quality of living and answer some of their most basic needs such as clean water access and providing a minimum income for local families.
There are currently many more excellent projects in desperate need of funding, but the not-for-profit Corcovado Foundation needs to raise a further $12,000 USD in order to continue this work.
100% of the money received from Globalgiving and other sources go dirrectly to the communities. Tha Corcovado Foundation does not collect an administration fee for this purpose. Help us make a difference in the poor communities in Osa!
Links:
2013 marks a very important moment in the history of the Sea Turtle Conservation Program in Drake Bay. After eight years of working in partnership with the Corcovado Foundation, the community of conservationists in Drake Bay will take control of the program for themselves in December. It’s a very exciting moment for everyone but there is still much work to do, and we will rely upon private donations more than ever in order to equip the local staff with all of the infrastructure and materials that they will need in the future. Let’s give this hard-working community the very best shot at making their program work for years to come!
With the right infrastructure in place the program will continue to provide local jobs and attract ecotourism and talented volunteers to the area. Best of all, the program will continue to protect the population of nesting sea turtles from the threat of illegal poaching, while offering a socio-economic alternative for poor families within the community.
This season the staff and volunteers from the Foundation will be giving up their time to provide a series of special workshops and classes, and will help the local conservationist association (ACOTPRO) to improve their website and develop their own volunteer program. The training will also include workshops on data management, accounting, grant writing and volunteer coordination, and the program will continue to provide free English and computing classes for the community. With the employment of a dedicated local Coordinator, Accountant and Research Assistant during 2013, it is hoped that by the end of the season the association will be running the day-to-day operations of the sea turtle program, under the supervision of the Corcovado Foundation.
There are many ways in which you can donate to the program this year:
Make a general donation clicking on the ‘donation’ button on our GlobalGiving page.
Buy something specific from the list of materials required for 2013, or specify in what area of the program you would like your donation to be invested: Conservation, Community or Camp (see image). Simply make a donation using GlobalGiving and send an email to robert@corcovadofoundation.org to state your preference.
Adopt a turtle at the Corcovado Foundation Sea Turtle Conservation Program by following this link:
http://www.corcovadofoundation.org/adopt-a-turtle.html
Become a volunteer at the Corcovado Foundation Sea Turtle Conservation Program by following this link:
http://www.corcovadofoundation.org/program-sea-turtle-conservation.html
Donate by US Mobile Phone
Text GIVE 7861 to 80088 to donate $10 to Seaturtle Conservation and Environmental Education. Message and data rates may apply. Only works for US mobile phones.
TXT MSG from our lawyers: Your donation will be made to the GlobalGiving Foundation-Seaturtle Conservation and Environmental Education project. Charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your prepaid balance. All purchases must be authorized by the account holder. You must reply YES to the confirmation message. You must be 18 years of age or have parental permission to participate. Text STOP to 80088 to stop all communication. Text HELP to 80088 for help. Message and data rates may apply. Full Terms: www.mGive.org/T. Privacy Policy: goto.gg/privacy.
Many thanks for you generous support!
Best wishes from the Corcovado Foundation
FACOSA (Osa Community Support Fund) - Corcovado Foundation
In our day-to-day lives in developed countries we seem to spend huge amounts of money on everyday consumables, not to mention all of those bills we pay each month for electricity, gas, phones, internet, and car insurance. It can sometimes seem like our money doesn’t go very far in the developed world, but the situation is quite different in the villages of rural Latin America. A seemingly small donation can completely transform a community and, when responsibly invested in the right projects, can help to empower poor local people to take control of their economic future.
In 2012 the Corcovado Foundation established a microfinance scheme called FACOSA (Osa Community Support Fund) using funding provided by the Inter American Foundation (IAF). This initiative is designed to identify the projects that promise to make the biggest impact to communities, and award grants designed to catalyze sustainable development within the Osa Peninsula. These project proposals could be to build new infrastructure, to improve sanitation or protect the environment, or they could be designed to nurture small profit-making initiatives and create local jobs through responsible ecotourism. These awards offer an alternative source of income for local people, and help to dissuade them from extracting their natural resources to earn a living.
In 2012, FACOSA awarded $15,000 USD for the construction of an aqueduct in La Tarde, the completion of the Community Center building in El Progreso, a community project in Rancho Quemado, the purchase of computers for a school, and a website and computer for the local Turtle Conservation Association (ACOTPRO). These projects have not only transformed the lives of hundreds of villagers, but they have also helped to educate local people in how to design projects, write grant proposals, manage accounts, and deliver their goals on time. These invaluable skills will enable local people to compete for funding from other sources in the future, not just FACOSA, and will help to foment responsible community enterprises that benefit the entire region.
There are currently many more excellent projects in desperate need of funding, but the not-for-profit Corcovado Foundation needs to raise a further $12,000 USD in order to continue with the scheme. The good news is that the Inter American Foundation has up to $18,000 USD additional to donate to this fund and will match any donation made to FACOSA on the globalgiving site. Even a small donation can really make a big impact, so please dig deep and help to protect the precious gift that is the Osa Peninsula!
Thank you!
Text GIVE 10748 to 80088 to donate $10 to Osa Community Support Fund. Message and data rates may apply. Only works for US mobile phones.
TXT MSG from our lawyers: At this time, GlobalGiving text-to-give only works on major mobile phone carriers in the United States. Texting GIVE 10748 to 80088 makes a $10.00 donation to GlobalGiving Foundation. Charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your prepaid balance. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. Must be 18 years of age or have parental permission to participate. Message and Data Rates May Apply. Text STOP to 80088 to STOP. Text HELP to 80088 for HELP. Full Terms: www.mGive.org/T. Privacy Policy: goto.gg/privacy.
