DZI FOUNDATION A COLORADO NON-PROFIT CORPORATION

The dZi Foundation aims to sustainably increase the prosperity and wellbeing of individuals and our partner communities, or 49,000 residents, as a whole through supporting locally-determined projects across a wide range of sectors. These sectors include, but are not limited to, income generation, public infrastructure, health, and cultural preservation. We aim to deepen this methodology, in our fifteen partner communities while also creating new partnerships with additional communities in the Solukhumbu, Bhojpur, and Khotang Districts.

dZi's holistic partnership model puts communities first. This has led to extremely high investment from local residents, and projects that last long after they are completed.

We accomplish this in a number of ways. First, communities select projects each year based on their greatest needs and their shared vision for the future. By trusting in the wisdom of the communities, each project is highly valued and desired by all community members.

After collaboratively selecting projects, dZi provides the communities with technical and financial support so that they can complete these projects skillfully and efficiently. In turn, community members contribute labor and materials to each project. These projects range from improving sanitation by constructing toilets, building critical infrastructure such as bridges and irrigation systems, increasing access to education by constructing earthquake-safe schools and forming PTAs, to increasing income and nutrition through our agricultural programs. While these projects all have a significant impact individually, the sum of these projects is greater than the parts.

The dZi Foundation has worked in Nepal for the last twenty-four years. In that time, we have cultivated trust and deep relationships with our partner communities. We have also helped to form and strengthen local NGO partners in each community, which are representative of the local population. With these NGOs, we implement projects together to ensure local stewardship and sustainability once we leave. Over the last fourteen years, we have a proven track record of developing and refining the Deep Development model, and are known as one of Nepal's leading grassroots development organizations.

We have a strong, committed team of 30 staff working in Nepal, more than half of whom work full-time in our project area. The majority of our staff in Nepal are from our partner communities themselves. Our US support team has a strong fundraising ethic and robust financial and monitoring systems.

To date, we have established strong partnerships with fifteen communities in Eastern Nepal, serving 49,000 people in total.

Together, we have built 42 schools and more than 61 safe drinking water systems. Farmers have collectively earned thousands of dollars of new income from our agriculture programs and are now eating dozens of new types of fruits and vegetables they grew, including tomatoes, kiwis, and broccoli. These are among countless other improvements in the quality of life of the people in our partner communities. In addition to these income and infrastructure-related gains, members of our partner communities have demonstrated reduced incidence of diarrheal disease and increased unity. Multiple villages led initiatives to ban littering and harmful pesticides and chemicals. We have also implemented some of the most comprehensive and effective urine recycling programs in Nepal.

Next, we plan to expand our Deep Development model to neighboring communities in the region to reach even more remote villages with a greater need. We will also dive deeper into our existing partner communities to meet their emerging needs.