Friends of the Third World Inc
Digging at the Roots of Poverty
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The poverty cycle, both internationally and domestically tends to be cyclical - with input from charities and nongovernmental organizations only making temporary progress.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Fair Trade Plus Aiding Low Income Families in 80 countries
Friends partners with volunteer-run Fair Trade Gift Shops in Bloomington, Illinois, Peoria, Illinois, Fort Wayne, Indiana, & Sierra Vista, Arizona. In addition the National Resource Center in Fort Wayne offers job training for local handicapped & unemployed people in printing, computer, retail sales, bookkeeping & building repair. We organize educational events such as Fair Trade Day, International Children's & participate in others. We have a mail order food (coffee, tea, nuts, etc.) & handicraft project, as well as support projects such as medical supplies for clinics in Central America, abused women's job training in India or Native American land recovery & organic farming in Minnesota. We accept full time interns
in several locations for a minimum of two months,
and encourage individuals to volunteer wherever they are located.
Poder Joven Foundation
In 1999 Poder Joven opened its first community center, named Casa Karah, in the neighborhood of Barrio Triste and enrolled 15 children. Today Casa Karah serves 65 children regularly. Most of these children live with their families in small rooms (10 feet x 15 feet or smaller) with no windows and one or two old mattresses on the floor. Two to three-story buildings contain multiples of these small rooms (called “units”) and offer shared toilets, showers, and a common kitchen area, all in very precarious conditions.
A second Center, named Casa Maren, opened in 2006 in a Neighborhood called Brisas del Jardín, which today hosts 75 children on a daily basis. Brisas del Jardínis is an illegal settlement of over 500 impoverished families of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) who have fled from armed conflict in rural areas. Their living spaces are unsafe structurally, and overcrowded. Landslides are common during the rainy season, sweeping away homes and causing injuries and deaths,
Where we work
External reviews

Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
To encourage partnerships of average citizens that allow low income groups producing product to work toward self-reliance thru ethical and democratic market places.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
- Provide technical assistance to low income products to form producer cooperatives
- To provide technical assistance to groups of volunteers who will offer products based on ethical principles
- To act as first buyers for fair trade producers who will then expand to market thru other fair trade marketers
- To educate the general public concerning ethical, producer oriented purchasing
- To seek producer partners in areas of economic, natural or human societal destruction
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We are not financially able to build a marketing network, but our experience in international and domestic antipoverty work has enabled
us to create cooperative efforts that have helped formalize an international and national fair trade marketing association.
(International Federation for Fair Trade and Fair Trade Federation (North America).
We have done this thru inspiring thousands of volunteer hours, organizing 7 national conferences toward forming the fair trade network,
and being the first to market certain products such as coffee from certain producers in Central America.
We are currently working to include domestic low income producer organizations in the international fair trade network.
We have also purchased and paid for a building in downtown Ft.Wayne, Indiana which serves as our headquarters, provided work
experience to over 3,000 low income adults, and helped 25 independent nonprofit fair trade stores begin.
We are currently working to develop a plan beyond 50 years
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have helped form the North American Fair Trade Federation which now have 300 business members.
We have helped start 25 nonprofit,volunteer run fair trade retail stores
We have trained 3000 low income adults in work related skills
We have developed partnerships with 80 producer cooperatives in 35 countries.
We hope to institutionalize our domestic training program and provide domestic cooperative producers will become successful.
We hope to formalize our resources available from Ft.Wayne to provide ongoing support to our unique antipoverty efforts.
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Friends of the Third World Inc
Board of directorsas of 11/05/2018
Mr. David Laisure
James F. Goetsch
Nancy Long
Marian R. Waltz
Howard Traxmor
CURTIS CARY
ROBIN GRIMM
VINCENT VARGO
TERRY DORAN
DELORES IRWIN