Mercedes Parra Foundation
Promoting sustainable economic development!
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Mercedes Parra Foundation aims to promote gender equity through sustainable economic development for women, organizations, and groups. The foundation targets five dimensions of female empowerment and opportunity, including economic participation, opportunity, political empowerment, educational attainment, and health and well-being. The foundation has three major initiatives: Agrofem, the Micro-Grant Program, and Operation Santa Clau, and two additional programs, the Women's Leadership Circle and Junk to Jewels project.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Women's Leadership Cirlce
This initiative is aimed at supporting women by providing an immersive and intensive exploration of self-awareness and transformative leadership. This program welcomes women from all walks of life who want to change the trajectory of their lives and careers.
Our workshops are facilitated by dynamic women in various fields. Plus, we offer a variety of unique and fun social and networking opportunities, including virtual events, that are designed to stimulate conversation and build genuine connections.
Junk to Jewels
This project is aimed at solving two problems, providing an economic opportunity for women from the marginalized Raizal community in San Andres Island, Colombia, and reducing the environmental degradation caused by the tremendous mounds of debris along the island's shoreline. Through the Junk to Jewels project, women will learn to make and market jewelry and handbags made from the upcycled debris. We have also created a business incubator to give them all the support and supplemental training they need along the way.
Operation Santa Clau
The Operation Santa Clau initiative provides clothes, books, and toys to families in need on the Island of San Andres, Colombia, which are delivered annually, during the months of June and December.
AgroFem
Agrofem is our initiative to support female agriculturalist in developing countries transition from subsistence to market-oriented farming.
The MFP Micro-Grant Program
The MPF Micro-Grant Program awards small grants between $100 - $500 to help support the humanitarian efforts led by women.
Where we work
External reviews

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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of training workshops
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Women's Leadership Cirlce
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
During the pandemic, we noticedced an uptake in these workshops. We attribute this to them being online and accessbile to more people.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
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?
1. Increase the number of women benefiting from Agrofem by 30% by 2020 through increased outreach and partnerships.
Award 50% of Micro Grants to support women-led humanitarian efforts in developing countries by 2020.
2. Expand Operation Santa Clau to reach 100 families in need by 2020.
3. Increase enrollment in the Women's Leadership Circle by 20% each year by 2020.
4. Generate $10,000 in revenue from the Junk to Jewels project by 2020 through increased marketing and sales efforts.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
-Develop targeted marketing campaigns for each initiative to increase awareness and engagement from the community.
-Partner with local organizations and businesses to expand the reach and impact of initiatives.
-Provide training and resources to individuals and communities to ensure the successful implementation of programs.
-Conduct regular evaluations to measure the effectiveness of each initiative and make necessary adjustments.
-Host events and workshops to educate and engage the community in the foundation's mission.
-Seek funding opportunities and partnerships to support the growth and sustainability of programs.
-Utilize social media and other digital platforms to increase visibility and engagement.
-Collaborate with other foundations and organizations with similar goals to share resources and best practices.
-Create opportunities for feedback and input from program participants and community members.
-Continuously assess and adapt initiatives to meet the evolving needs of the community.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Mercedes Parra Foundation has the capabilities to meet its goals thanks to its board, which has extensive experience in advocacy, business, and leadership. Additionally, the foundation benefits from a diverse pool of global interns and volunteers.
The Mercedes Parra Foundation's board not only brings a wealth of experience to the table, but also a deep commitment to the foundation's mission. With expertise in advocacy, business, and leadership, the board is well-equipped to guide the foundation in its efforts to make a positive impact on the world.
In addition to the board's leadership, the Mercedes Parra Foundation is fortunate to have a diverse group of interns and volunteers from around the world. These individuals bring unique perspectives and skill sets to the foundation, helping to broaden its reach and impact. With this collective expertise, the foundation is well-positioned to achieve its ambitious goals.
Some key benefits that the foundation derives from its interns and volunteers include:
- Access to new ideas and approaches
- Increased cultural awareness and sensitivity
- The ability to expand its reach and impact through the efforts of a larger team
- The opportunity to build lasting relationships with talented individuals who may go on to become future leaders in their own right
Overall, the Mercedes Parra Foundation's board and team of interns and volunteers serve as a powerful force for positive change. Their collective efforts and dedication to the foundation's mission are truly inspiring.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
-The Mercedes Parra Foundation has made a significant impact by successfully securing donations from private donors through innovative social media and email campaigns.
-Through the organization's two national conferences, over 3800 women have received valuable leadership development and training, empowering them to make a positive impact in their communities.
-The Women's Leadership Circle Program, with over 1300 participants, has been a tremendous success, providing valuable workshops and resources to women seeking to improve their leadership skills.
-The foundation's partnerships with brands like Colgate and Lyft have enabled the organization to provide crucial resources for women and children in Colombia and Haiti, making a meaningful difference in the lives of those in need.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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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
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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
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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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.
Mercedes Parra Foundation
Board of directorsas of 07/12/2023
Ms. Mercedes Diane Griffin Forbes
Diane Griffin Enterprises, LLC
Ms. Claudin Forbes
Seneca Gates
Claudia Rountree
Doug Snyder
Julius Powell
Adwoa Aidoo
Earl Griffin
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
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? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
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
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data