The Punta de Mita Foundation was created to serve the greater region of Punta de Mita, enhancing the quality of life for the people and communities in this area. This is a resident-led, community-based organization dedicated to assisting the communities of Punta de Mita to become good places to live, do business, work and raise families.

Our Foundation provides capital, technical expertise, training and information, to support local leadership, better education and facilitate sustainable economic development.

Our primary means of doing this is through helping existing non-profit organizations or helping to establish new one's that can provide this support. Grant-making will occur semi-annually according to the following categories: education, environment, community development, and public safety.

We are committed to providing funding in a variety of areas, reflecting the diverse interests of our donors and grantees as well as the community based needs of our region:

• Promoting Sustainable Programs and Projects: We focus our resources on those institutions and projects that are likely to produce benefits that endure beyond the period of our funding.

• Community Empowerment: We seek to undertake grantmaking that is transformative in nature which leads to empowerment of individuals, families and communities. We support efforts to help families and neighborhoods thrive as cornerstones of healthy communities.

• Strengthening the Capacity of the Non-profit Sector: Our foundation supports efforts that build the governance, management, financial, and organizational capacities of individual nonprofit agencies and the sector as a whole.

• Inclusiveness, Cultural Understanding and Diversity: We are committed to improving the cultural understanding of Punta de Mita's diverse communities by promoting inclusiveness in our foundation's operations, community based outreach and grant making.

• Transparency & Accountability: We are an ethical foundation, promoting integrity, transparency and accountability in all the work that we do.

• Commitment to Partnership: We seek strategic partners (nonprofit, academic and corporate) that can help further our mission to improve the quality of life in the Punta de Mita region.

• Cooperative Efforts between the Private and Public Sectors: While the Foundation does not typically make grants directly to public agencies, we support efforts that enable non-profit organizations and public agencies to work together to improve the planning, coordination, and delivery of services throughout our region.

• Results Oriented: The foundation strives to maximize the impact of its grantmaking in the region that it serves. Our donors and grantees are important to us, and we commit the time and effort needed to understand and achieve beneficial and measurable results.

Objectives of the Punta de Mita Foundation

General Objectives:

The primary objective of the Punta de Mita Foundation, is to make Punta de Mita a better place for all who spend time here, be it the short-term visitor, the winter snowbird, or those who live here year round. We want it to look good, to offer amenities that we can enjoy with our family and friends, while at the same time bettering the lives of those who live in Nuevo Corral del Risco and Emiliano Zapata.

To do so the Foundation has been built upon three pillars: Supporting non-profit organizations (NPOs) in the area by funding projects that are in alignment with our strategic priorities, undertaking projects that are needed an no other organization is doing, and lobbying the municipal and state governments for infrastructure development in the region.

Our strategic priorities have been defined according to the problems that were brought to our attention by the Smart Growth Report. The report outlined the primary issues and challenges the communities are facing and some of the potential solutions. With a vision of achieving sustainable development in the area, where our actions can reduce social imbalances and the unequal relationship between rich and poor sectors, the Foundation focus its time and resources to fund project under these four main streams:

• Economic development
• Education
• Health
• Clean Environment (Garbage Pick-up and Recycling)

Economic Development:

Emiliano Zapata and Nuevo Corral del Risco are two towns that have become trapped between development and marginalization. The primary employer has been the construction industry, however the downturn that has faced over the last year has impacted the local economy. Wages are quite low with 50% of the heads of the household earning less than $5,000 pesos per month. The second option to improve the local economy is tourism, especially considering the location and proximity to fishing, diving, snorkeling, whale-watching, surfing, etc, but they have lost much of their appeal because of a lack of physiognomy and identity. The loss of beaches as well as a growing number of migrant workers has created "dormitory" towns for construction projects. Many problems arise because of the lack of permanent and well-paid employment. As a result, what is seen is the combination of negative environmental impacts with the social and economic issues. It is necessary to consider the provision of infrastructure, both social and educational, recreational and health, as a basic theme in the planning of development. Without accounting for such a balance in urban planning, the environmental, social and economic aspects of our quality of life will deteriorate.

Education:

The Smart Growth Report showed how education facilities have been lacking for some time, but especially so during the past five years because of the increase in migrant workers who have been bringing their families with them. There are not enough classrooms to service the youth population. It was found that more than 50% of the community has an education level no higher than the primary level. Many children are forced to leave school because they family cannot afford it and they need them to work.

The Foundation obtain founding to provide 4 new classrooms to two different schools. Two were built at the Kinder Garden of Emiliano Zapata and benefited the 90 children that attend. The other two were built on the Primary School of Emiliano Zapata with a total population of 245 students.

Besides infrastructure, the report also showed the poor quality of education children in the area are receiving. The Foundation has been supporting programs to improve the quality of education through other organizations, it is a long-term commitment.

Health:

Public health and social services only reach 33% of the population in the area, it is necessary to invest in building a better health clinic that can care for the size of the population, in the meantime, the Foundation funded a health and hygiene project project that took place at the five public schools in the area: Corral del Risco (Kinder Garden and Primary School) and Emiliano Zapata (Kinder Garden, Primary and Middle School) and consists of three different components to impact the health and hygienic conditions for children:

Restrooms remodeling. Renovating and remodeling all restrooms at public schools in the area was a priority. Water pumps, electricity, toilets, sinks and accessories were fixed or restored according to the needs of the schools.

Maintenance. Providing basic cleaning supplies and staff to keep the facilities clean was the second step. The sustainability of the project relied on cleanliness in the restrooms. Ongoing supplies and support staff dedicated to maintaining the restroom facilities are being provided.

Education. Parental educational meetings as well were given as were hygiene classes to children, where the importance of establishing routines and maintaining good hygiene practices were highlighted. Signs for bathrooms were done in English and Spanish in order to educate and remind the kids to flush the toilet, wash their hands and not to waste water.

Clean Environment:

Currently there is a new garbage pick up system working in the two towns. This is administrated and managed by the municipal-contracted company GIRSA. This pilot program has many advantages and disadvantages. The different local non-profits are also involved in trash clean up programs as well as recycling. Recycling has helped remove waste from the town and decrease the volume of trash going to the municipal dump. Keeping the streets clean and preventing waste from entering the riverbeds and ocean are primary environmental concerns of the region, especially if it is to remain a tourist attraction.

Another problem was trash along the highway to Punta de Mita, volunteer efforts have took place trying to diminish the polution in the environment by the accumulation of trash in both sides of the highway. The Foundation is leading the project to ensure 3 times a week the trash gets removed and it is used for recycling purposes. A better looking highway is now a reality.

Punta de Mita Foundation Structure:

The Foundation consists of a Board of Directors with twelve members, five of which also serve on the Executive Board. There is an Advisory Board, consisting of individuals who can provide extensive expertise which will meet less frequently than the regular board. An Executive Director, along with an assistant, make up the administrative staff for the Foundation.

Volunteers:

An integral and important part of any non-profit organization are volunteers. The Punta de Mita Foundation and its partner NPOs can always use more people to assist with their endeavors. There are many ways to help out. If you are interested, please contact our office.

How You Can Help Punta de Mita Foundation

Your support is very important for us! We can provide tax-deductible receipts for donations in Canada, USA and Mexico.

Canadian Tax Deductible Receipt

Please contact our Executive Director regarding the instructions to get a Canadian deductible receipt for donations: miguel@puntademitafoundation.org.

Mexican Tax Deductible Receipt

Please wire funds or make a check payable to: Fundacion Punta de Mita, A. C.

Bank: Banamex, SWIFT CODE: BNMXMXMM
Account in Dollars: 09849002101 CLABE 002375098490021017
Account in Pesos: 09840115760 CLABE: 002375098401157608
Address: Casa Mita/Fundaci�n Punta de Mita
Carr. Federal 200 Km 18.05, Punta Mita, Nayarit, Mex. 63734

If for any reason you have difficulty or if you have questions or concerns, please contact us at miguel@puntademitafoundation.org.

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Donors whose generosity turned them into "Friends of the Foundation"

Curtis Boisfontaine
Charles & Valerie Ewell
William & Gail Farquharson
James Figge
Peter & Elizabeth Fuller
Stan & Janey Grad
Anne & John Marion
Peter & Claire Newton
Catherine Schmidt
Bill & Sharon Siebens
Federick Warren
Juan Carlos & Carla Yamin
The Corroon Foundation
The Dahl Family Foundation
The Precourt Family Foundation
The Stratton Family

A special acknowledgment to our "Corporate Sponsors of the Year"

• DINE
• Eurowindows
• Four Seasons
• Stone Contractors