PLATINUM2023

WATER ENGINEERS FOR THE AMERICAS & AFRICA

Making Connections. Empowering communities. Improving lives.

aka WEFTA   |   Santa Fe, NM   |  https://www.wefta.net

Mission

Our mission is to connect water professionals and partners with communities in developing countries to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene resources for the benefit of the people and the environment.

Notes from the nonprofit

Thank you for reviewing our profile. Please feel free to follow the link to our website for more information and how to contact us with any questions.

Ruling year info

2002

President

Mr. Pete Fant

Secretary

Mr. Lou Harrington

Main address

2945 Rodeo Park Drive East Suite 4

Santa Fe, NM 87505 USA

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EIN

85-0482431

NTEE code info

Management & Technical Assistance (S02)

International Development, Relief Services (Q30)

Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management (C32)

IRS filing requirement

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

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Increase access to WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) resources for rural communities, schools and health care facilities in Latin America and Africa.

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?

WEFTA 2023 Strategic Plan

WEFTA's mission is to connect water professionals and partners with communities in developing countries to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene resources for the benefit of the people and the environment.

Our Core Values guide our decisions and the way we engage our partners, communities, funders, and colleagues.
-Integrity: Maintain high standards of professionalism, ethics, and accountability in all our programs and operations.
-Quality: Certify that our projects and programs maintain the highest standards for the people we serve.
-Respect: Hold positive regard for the dignity of all people.
Safety: Ensure that our staff, volunteers, community participants, and projects are safe in all aspects of the project and program lifecycle.

Our Enduring Vision: Improving lives in the communities where we work through the development of sustainable water and sanitation systems.

Population(s) Served
American Indians
Multiracial people
People of African descent
People of Latin American descent

WEFTA maintains two programs in Panama. The first and oldest program (dating back to 1998) is run by our in-country Circuit Riders Nicholas Arcia and Marcial & Esteban Mendoza. The other program is a collaborative approach with the Peace Corps/Panama WASH program. Both programs utilize WEFTA volunteers who work hand in hand with community members and the local water committee to develop a potable water project that fits the community’s need. All our projects have at least a 25% community contribution – often upwards of 50% where the community provides labor, material, worker food and material transportation.
WEFTA along with the Peace Corps developed a project process called WaterSTAR (Water System Technical Assistance Report) where WEFTA volunteers, WEFTA circuit riders and Peace Corps Volunteers work with water committee members or village decision-makers to identify water supply issues and develop solutions. Whether it is a new system design or a renovation of an older system the team analyzes the critical components using the WaterSTAR process. The components of the WaterSTAR report are: current community water supply situation, supply and demand survey, water committee status and training, hydraulic analysis/vertical profile, hydraulic modeling, materials list, budget, grant application, land tenure, operation & maintenance plan, and a watershed/sourcewater protection plan.
In Panama, WEFTA commits to post-construction follow-up with beneficiary communities 1 year after construction and every three-years after that. Maintaining a consistent empowering relationship with community members keeps the water flowing and community members happy.
We ask our donors to commit to 5 individual community project per year. Projects range from $4K to $12K.

Population(s) Served
Indigenous peoples
Economically disadvantaged people

WEFTA has constructed and improved water supply and wastewater systems for healthcare facilities in Africa and Latin America and currently has multiple projects underway. In collaboration with our partners, Village Health Partnership, Daughters of Charity International Project Services and SAWA, recent water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities projects provide access to safe reliable water and sanitation to over 40,000 people who are served by the healthcare facilities in the communities we work.

In a publication released in June 2020 by Global Water 2020, WEFTA has been recognized as a Trailblazer and Implementer making progress toward water access and security for all people in developing countries.

Population(s) Served
Indigenous peoples
Economically disadvantaged people

WEFTA has worked in Honduras since its founding in 2002. WEFTA identifies communities in need of new water system development or repairs and rehabilitation of existing systems. Residents pay ~50% of project cost and provide 100% of non-qualified labor. WEFTA Circuit Riders provide the communities with training for O&M on the system and water board development. The Circuit Riders return to the communities regularly to check in on system management and ensure that the water board is charging adequate monthly tariffs to operate the system sustainably.

Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
People of Latin American descent

WEFTA purchased a water well drilling rig for its implementing partner in Bolivia, Suma Jayma (http://www.sumajayma.com) in 2013. With the rig, the Suma Jayma team drills wells to an average depth of 60 meters to bring water to needy families in the Altiplano region. Our goal is to drill 20 wells per year, each well serves between 100 and 500 people. Included in our program with Suma Jayma is source water protection planning, water committee training, and household hygiene education.
Each well costs approximately US$12,000.

Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Economically disadvantaged people
Women and girls
People with diseases and illnesses
Families
Indigenous peoples

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

GlobalWater2020 - Trailblazer-Implementer Award 2020

Charity Navigator - 100 out of 100 Encompass Rating 2021

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

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

Program Indicators: # of groups showing ability to manage WASH resources# of projects # of projects visited by WEFTA volunteers# of beneficiaries by age/gender

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

Economically disadvantaged people

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of people receiving safe drinking water from community systems

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

Ethnic and racial groups, Age groups, Health, Social and economic status

Related Program

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Healthcare Facilities Initiative

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Decreasing

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.

Goal 1- Develop sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) resources in disadvantaged communities, schools, and health care facilities (HCFs).
Goal 2- Form lasting strategic partnerships with communities, community groups, host-country agencies and advocacy organizations.
Goal 3- Develop a platform for volunteers to engage with community improvement projects abroad.
Goal 4- Engage donors in project and program support to ensure responsible stewardship of the funding resources.
Goal 5- Ensure our program and project data collection, monitoring, and reporting methods conform with grantor requirements across all regions where we work.
Goal 6- Optimize our internal systems to meet the standards set forth by the National Center for Non-Profit Excellence.

G1.Obj1- Engage community leaders and groups in sustainable WASH capacity and project development.
G1.Obj2- Design and construct WASH infrastructure in disadvantaged communities.
G1.Obj3Improve project stability by providing frequent post-construction follow-up and feedback on WASH projects.
G1.Obj4Improve community access to WASH resources and their capacity to manage those resources.
G2.Obj1Develop in-country partnerships that strengthen WASH project development and post-construction follow-up at the local level.
G2.Obj2Develop a regional WASH network that engages, educates and provides post-construction follow-up to local partners.
G2.Obj3Engage global WASH partners in planning, implementing and follow-through on WASH projects.
G2.Obj4Establish a database of strategic partners that documents actions taken, combined goals and outcomes.
G3.Obj1Engage volunteers to work on specific projects and commit to the conclusion of that project.
G3.Obj2Engage organizations to supply volunteers for projects and/or country programs.
G3.Obj3Maintain a database of committed volunteers that documents Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSA), availability, geographic region and in-kind efforts provided by the volunteer.
G4.Obj1Effectively document donor amounts and outcomes ($ amounts and in-kind donations)"
G4.Obj2Promote in-country work to current and potential donors.
Develop marketing menu for donor engagement.
Maximize cost-effectiveness on implemented projects.

18 year track record of service to rural communities and partners in Latin America and Africa.

Our progress and success is due to our volunteers, stakeholders, partners and donors. We are working toward our goals in a very challenging time (CoVid).

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?

    Community meetings/Town halls,

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

    To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,

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

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,

Financials

WATER ENGINEERS FOR THE AMERICAS & AFRICA
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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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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

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

WATER ENGINEERS FOR THE AMERICAS & AFRICA

Board of directors
as of 02/17/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Mr. Peter Fant

San Ildefonso Services, LLC

Term: 2002 - 2030

Louis Harrington

San Ildefonso Services, LLC

Scott Rogers

Aqua Engineering, Inc.

Jason Gehrig

Tarrant Regional Water District (Dallas/Ft. Worth)

John Lincoln

CH2M Hill (Retired)

Jennifer McDowell

Giving2Grow

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 ? 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? 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 1/18/2022

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
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
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: 01/28/2021

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 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 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.