PLATINUM2022

Amsha Africa Foundation

Empowering the poor to lift themselves out of poverty with dignity

Portland, OR   |  https://www.amshaafrica.org

Mission

We are on a mission to improve basic human rights for poor people in the Global South. In 2023, we aim to: > Educate 20 communities on sustainable agriculture practices, > Economically empower 30 communities on better money management, > Scale community outreach to 3 African countries.

Notes from the nonprofit

Amsha Africa Foundation's main mission is to encourage and facilitate the initiation of community based projects that are acceptable, affordable, sustainable, and aimed at improving the welfare of the communities we work with. We are determined to enhance the living standards and common good of people within some of the world's poorest villages and slums in Africa by reducing chronic social concerns such as hunger, disease, illiteracy, unemployment, substandard housing, and poor sanitation. Our programs over the past years have shown great success and we are looking forward to partner with donors, community groups, and individuals to enhance our vision and mission.

Ruling year info

2009

Executive Director

Mrs. Shali Woodruff

Founder

Tony Abuta

Main address

3300 NW 185th Ave # 230 Suite

Portland, OR 97229 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

26-3259654

NTEE code info

Community, Neighborhood Development, Improvement (S20)

Human Services - Multipurpose and Other N.E.C. (P99)

Environmental Quality, Protection, and Beautification N.E.C. (C99)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.

Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Amsha Africa Foundation is working to promote sustainable agriculture in rural Africa. With unsustainable population growth, shrinking arable land, food shortage, and increase in un-healthy food choices, African population needs an alternative to the traditional way of farming. We have invested in teaching and fine tuning aquaponic solutions to fit the needs of the rural populations. We have ran four pilot programs with our custom-built aquaponic solutions. One in a small single-home setting, another in a medium-sized village, and two in much larger settings; a school and a church. The results of these pilot programs were amazing.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene (WASH) Program

Water, sanitation, and hygiene are all critical to reducing the burden of water-borne diseases.
We work with registered community based groups to find effective sanitation approaches that will contribute to a world where children and families lead healthier, more productive lives.
We aim to develop scalable business models and technologies capable of moving communities we work with from unsustainable to sustainable sanitation services across the sanitation value chain.
We invest in technologies and methods for increasing sustainable access to clean water and hygiene.

Population(s) Served
Adults

We work with our partner organizations in an effort to stop child abuse and neglect and educate communities in Africa.
We support children who are forced to work for their survival and work with schools in income generating activities to support children under situations that would lead to neglect and drop outs.
Our program helps create child protection teams within rural communities and helps create an organization of lawyers that offer free legal services to children whose rights have been violated.
We also participate in research activities on children's right, such as street children.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

We leverage technology to create innovative solutions that enable sustainable agricultural practices. We pioneered self-contained, self-optimized aquaponic solutions that scale up - from small modules that fit in a studio apartment to large units that can feed an entire community. We work with technology organizations to leverage cutting edge solutions to improve agriculture in many parts of the world.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Where we work

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Area of land, in hectares, indirectly controlled by the organization and under sustainable cultivation or sustainable stewardship

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults

Related Program

Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene (WASH) Program

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of consulting projects completed

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults

Related Program

Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene (WASH) Program

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Decreasing

Number of agricultural households the organization assisted in obtaining legally recognized rights to land

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, People of African descent

Related Program

Sustainable Agriculture

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of funding dollars secured for demonstration projects or pilots

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, People of African descent

Related Program

Sustainable Agriculture

Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

AAF's goal is to continue creating child protection teams within rural communities and help create an organization of lawyers that offer free legal services to children whose rights have been violated.

We also have goals for investing in technologies and methods for increasing sustainable access to clean water and hygiene in 5 different sub-Saharan countries and promote sustainable agriculture through aquaponics training and implementation in these countries.

>Be in touch with key stakeholders in the communities that we are working our projects and conduct research to identify what matters most to the people we serve and what's important to them when planning a project.
> Realistic planning - ensure our strategic plan is achievable by being realistic in our goals and get feedback from our volunteers, employees, and community groups before implementing. We don't want to set our strategies for failute.
> Communication - Clearly communicate the expectations and resources available for the strategies in order to achieve the plan. Recognize and celebrate the results once accomplished.
> Select a champion to drive the implementation process. The champion will be an influential board member or community leader who has the respect and attention of other volunteers; a strategic thinker who understands the value of planning, who is directly involved in helping create the plan, and who can positively redirect resistance. This person will be a team motivator, ensuring the investment in planning pays dividends through an organization-wide, systemic approach to implementation.
>Equip the implementer with tools to promote their success.

Amsha Africa Foundation has strong partnerships with local communities and organizations in the countries we work in and has influence and respect to help foster a plan within the community.

Amsha Africa Foundation also has a strong team of dedicated volunteers with years of experience that are capable of driving the implementation process to fruition.

Amsha Africa Foundation has successfully implemented over 85 programs in 12 sub-Saharan countries over the past 9 years and is well capable in meeting the goals of any new project planned using our effective methodology.

AAF's so far this year increased our child protection teams to 8 within rural communities.

We are still working to find pro-bono lawyers in Sub Saharan Africa for our free legal services to children whose rights have been violated. So far, we have just secured 1 this FY.

We have had 8 aquaponics training sessions in Nairobi, Kenya and 12 implemented aquaponic projects so far.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    SMS text surveys, Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Case management notes, Community meetings/Town halls,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded,

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection,

Financials

Amsha Africa Foundation
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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.

Amsha Africa Foundation

Board of directors
as of 12/30/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Mr. Tony Abuta

No Affiliation

Term: 2008 - 2025


Board co-chair

Mrs. Janet Shali

Tony Abuta

No Affiliation

Janet Shali

No Affiliation

Agneta Mkangoma

No Affiliation

Katie Burke

No Affiliation

Monique Young

No Affiliation

Leonie Williams

No Affiliation

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Not applicable
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Not applicable
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 12/29/2022
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Black/African American
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Black/African American
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/19/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.