SELF HELP INTERNATIONAL
Alleviating hunger by helping people help themselves since 1959
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Alleviating hunger and poverty in Africa and Latin America.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Micro-Credit for Women
Small loans to enable women to start a business. At present, SHI operates micro-credit programs in Ghana and Nicaragua.
School Feeding Program: QPM Porridge for Ghanaian Children
We partner with community schools to start up feeding programs for preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade students. The breakfast provided is protein-rich, critical for brain development in young children. SHI provides training to Ghanaian farmers on how to grow Quality Protein Maize (QPM), a variety of corn that is protein-rich and high yielding. The community is responsible for providing the QPM to the school for the porridge, and SHI provides the cups, spoons, and assistance with building a kitchen to prepare the porridge in a sanitary and hygienic manner.
Clean Water for Nicaraguan Communities
SHI technicians work with community committees for potable water (CAPS) to help install affordable water chlorinator systems that kill bacteria and allow for clean drinking water for entire communities
Where we work
Accreditations
Better Business Bureau National Accreditation 2019
Awards
Robert D. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award 2014
World Food Prize
Affiliations & memberships
Better Business Bureau National Accreditation 2019
External reviews

Videos
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?
Self-Help International's mission is to help people help themselves. Each of our programs is designed with local ownership and sustainability as the end goals.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Each of our programs is intentionally designed by local staff members, and based on community felt needs, to enable sustainable improvement in the livelihoods of program participants. We explicitly reject any and all programs that enable or foster dependency among the population served.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Self-Help International operates offices in the US, Ghana and Nicaragua. All overseas staff members are local hires, and thus have the appropriate cultural sensitivity, indigenous knowledge systems, and a vested interest in the outcome of the programs they manage.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Self-Help International currently operates micro-enterprise programs, children's feeding programs, agricultural development programs (promotion of Quality Protein Maize), and clean water programs. In 2013, Self-Help Ghana opened a Young Adult Training Center, and launched a Young Adult Capacity Building Program to address the very high rate of unemployment among young adults in Ghana. The program will initially train young adults in the following enterprises, and provide start-up loans for those who complete the training program:
a) poultry for meat and eggs
b) turkey for meat and eggs
c) rearing high value small ruminants like rabbits.
d) rearing high value small ruminants like grasscutters
e) mushroom production
f) snail rearing
In subsequent years, the following enterprises would be added to the list of enterprises:
g) bee keeping for honey and other value-added byproducts
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.
SELF HELP INTERNATIONAL
Board of directorsas of 6/30/2020
Dr. Richard Neal
National Marine Fisheries Service
Term: 2014 -
Francis Mueller
Mueller Farms, Inc.
Mary Jane Oakland
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Dennis Preslicka
University of Iowa
Bert Schou
ACRES
Carol Smith
Iowa State University Extension
Nick Taiber
CPM Holdings, Inc.
Keith Swanson
The Swanson Group at Morgan Stanley
Deb Giarusso
Centurion Management
Barbara Hatinger
ACRES
Dorothy Masinde
Iowa State University
Nancy Ross
Iowa City Public Schools
Ann Bell
Mayo Clinic
William Edwards
Iowa State University
Jerry Perkins
Des Moines Register
Paul Curtis
HRCare
Paula O'Brien
KPMG
Board leadership practices
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? 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