PLATINUM2023

Caravanserai Project

Supporting change makers along their journeys

Palm Springs, CA   |  https://caravanseraiproject.org

Mission

Caravanserai Project strives to provide structure, accountability, supply specialized skills and bring together networks of people to help ideas grow and flourish on their own.

Ruling year info

2017

Principal Officer

Mihai Patru

Main address

P.O. BOX 2486

Palm Springs, CA 92263 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

81-2497638

NTEE code info

International Development, Relief Services (Q30)

IRS filing requirement

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

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Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Caravanserai Project [kar-uh–van–se-ray] strives to provide structure, accountability, supply specialized skills and bring together networks of people to help ideas grow and flourish on their own. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which positions itself as a crucible where ideas and experiences are brought together, exchanged and developed in order to promote social innovation and encourage progress. Our goal is to work both with social innovators and change makers – regardless of the stage they are at (explorers as well as more advanced mission driven entrepreneurs) – and support them along their journeys.

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?

SEED Lab

The Social Entrepreneurship Engagement & Development Lab (SEED Lab) is a 10-month pre-accelerator for early stage social entrepreneurs in Southern California. It aims to tap the deep reservoir of unrecognized talent within marginalized and under-served communities and support their efforts to identify and develop pioneering paths out of inherited problems that have buried and muffled those voices.

The program is designed to support the implementation of visionary ideas into similarly powerful tools to generate social impact, deepen civic engagement, and bring about empowerment and sustainable change. We tackle together various issues related to social entrepreneurship such as clarifying the entrepreneurs’ vision and mission, their branding and messaging strategies, start-up plans, business plans, budgets etc.

The program is open to mission driven non-profit, for profit and hybrid ventures active in wide variety of sectors: health, education, work force training, social justice, food justice, economic empowerment, LGBTQ+, arts and culture etc.

The selection process is highly competitive and includes multiple in-person interviews and a detailed written application form. It involves working directly with every applicant over a period of 3 months.

six on-campus modules (2 days/module)
individual and tailored mentorship and coaching sessions
access to local leaders, captains of various industries and experts
progress monitoring, benchmarks and deliverables
University of California Riverside – Extension Certificate and credits
free participation (donor money)
$15k total program value

Population(s) Served
Adults

In 2021, Caravanserai Project launched its Business Readiness Training Program, a 10-workshop program, small group coaching and showcase sessions, which has been offered in Spanish and/or English. In order to address the needs of the unbanked and underbanked entrepreneurs in the region, Caravanserai Project has adopted a comprehensive approach to financial education that includes four pillars: (1) personal and business financial education, (2) financial therapy to address the entrepreneur’s personal trauma and anxiety related to finance, (3) banking education and developing a personal relation of trust with the banks, (4) access to capital from nonrefundable seed investments and grants to loans. This strategy aims to change the mindset of these entrepreneurs and help them envision and build a mid and long-term pathway towards economic mobility and financial independence.

Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups
Adults

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

Orange County Inland Empire SBDC 2023

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

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

Number of organizations applying for grants

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Other - describing something else

Direction of Success

Increasing

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.

Our mission is
- to tap the deep reservoir of change makers’ talents within marginalized and underserved communities
- to identify and support emerging change makers develop and establish sustainable and impactful organizations
- to empower advanced social entrepreneurs and their organizations and equip them with the right tools for the future
- to mobilize mission driven leaders to build ecosystems and change the world

- support programs for early stage change makers
- masterclasses for advanced CEOs and organizations
- technical assistance program including publications and webinar series
- development of networks of like minded entrepreneurs

Access to a wide range go in-house expertise, resources and networks.

Two cohorts of early stage entrepreneurs and one to join SEED Lab in the fall of 2020
Multiple masterclass sessions on organizational survival and sustainability
Regular webinars, op-ed etc
Launch of a technical assistance program for non profits

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 shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • 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 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

  • 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 share the feedback we received with the people we serve

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

Caravanserai Project
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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.

Caravanserai Project

Board of directors
as of 10/29/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Stephen Bennett

Rhett Wilson

White House Historical Association

Susan Gomez

Inland Empire Community Collective

Armetta Parker

Stephen Bennett

Larry Colton

Christopher "Edwin" Hopkins-Gillispie

Lidl

Craig Dougherty

Foundation for The AIDS Monument

Reverend Lorenzo Lebrija

Virginia Theological Seminary/ TryTank Experimental Lab

Nereyda Rodriguez-Loo

1st Bank

DeeDee Towery

ProActive Business Solutions, Inc

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? 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

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 10/29/2023
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
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Decline to state
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 05/21/2023

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 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.