2019-08-27T13:29:03-07:00 2018-12-31 CORLISS & SOLOMON PLLC 242 CHARLOTTE ST SUITE 1 ASHEVILLE NC 288011434 990 2018-01-01 271493841 Groundswell International Inc GROU 2028329352 1875 Connecticut Ave NW 10th Floor Washington DC 200096046 Steve Brescia Executive Director 2028329352 2019-08-27 true Stephen C Corliss P01333317 8282360206 2019-08-27 68.115.150.214 2019-08-27 13:28:56 PD P 2587FEA3B0B9E2351183E2B41A8ACC9C55D5F4CB 19C04C626763188D0587BF44A8570314E89B73C0 2018 2019-02-21 02:37:17Z Steve Brescia 1875 Connecticut Ave NW 10th Floor Washington DC 200096046 2304362 false X groundswellinternational.org X 2009 DC Groundswell International strengthens rural communities to build healthy farming and food systems from the ground up. 10 10 9 9 0 0 1863767 2301013 826 2495 293 317 537 1864886 2304362 1066246 1205306 0 530321 546565 0 290681 234587 250901 1831154 2002772 33732 301590 841989 1127166 103531 88862 738458 1038304 Groundswell International strengthens rural communities to build healthy farming and food systems from the ground up. false false 1611153 1205306 2495 Groundswell's programs address the root causes of food insecurity, economic vulnerability, and social marginalization with a practical, "learning by doing" approach that builds participants' confidence while meeting their basic needs. When people see the changes they are bringing about, it empowers them, and soon they become the lead actors in improving their own lives. We work closely with local partner organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, and West Africa. While each regional program design responds to its unique people and context, Groundswell's core program services focus on: -Building the capacity of those who participate in our programs to analyze their situation, identify existing problems, examine the various alternatives to overcome these problems, and then choose, plan, and implement the best solutions. -Improving food production using ecological farming techniques to increase yields, adapt to climate change and make small farmers more resilient to other external shocks, while also restoring the natural resource base upon which they depend. -Generating better rural livelihood opportunities through: savings and credit groups that give marginalized people access to capital for their productive pursuits; micro-enterprises that diversify and increase incomes; strengthen local market linkages. -Emphasizing the empowerment of women and other marginalized people. In 2018, Groundswell and partners worked with more than 63,000 smallholder farmers to improve their production, resilience and wellbeing in Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mali, Nepal, and Senegal. Our work improved the lives of over 388,000 beneficiaries (over 90,000 people directly and 296,000 indirectly) in tangible (food production, income, nutrition, land regeneration) and intangible (organizational strengthening, esteem, voice) ways. We initiated the planning phase of a new program in Mexico to strengthen farmer seed systems for improved food production and climate resilience in the last quarter of 2018. West Africa -- In 2018 we continued to work with our partners ANSD in Burkina Faso; CIKOD in Ghana; Sahel Eco in Mali; and Agrecol in Senegal. Across these four countries, we support programs with various sources of funding that focused on a common set of strategies. These include strengthen community-based farmers and women's organizations to experiment with and promote agroecological farming practices; strengthen women's savings and credit groups; and enabling citizens to engage more effectively in contributing to rural development plans and budgets of local municipalities and districts. A set of effective agroecological strategies are tested by farmers and spread through farmer to farmer teaching networks. These include contour barriers and micro water catchments (zai and half-moons) to improve soil and water conservation; improve composting techniques; and farmer managed natural regeneration (FMNR) of trees for improved agroforestry farming systems. Our programs emphasize women's empowerment by increasing their access to productive resources, training opportunities, and voice in decision making. We support innovation to strengthen the linkages between improved agroecological production and family nutrition. Complementary activities included strengthening community-managed grain banks for improved food security, as well as supporting 30 communities each in Ghana and Burkina Faso to improve access to water through construction of wells and bore holes. Across these four countries our programs are engaging over 52,000 smallholder farmers directly in improving their farming; benefitting over 252,000 people (over 62,000 directly and 189,000 indirectly); and regenerating over 69,000 hectares (or 170,502 acres) of land. Latin America and the Caribbean -- In 2018 we worked with partners PDL in Haiti; Vecinos Honduras in Honduras; Qachuu Aloom in Guatemala; and EkoRural in Ecuador We have supported these organizations in the context of our regional program to strengthen sustainable local food systems, improve agroecological production, strengthen local seed systems, and complementary organizational capacity building and livelihoods strategies. In Haiti this includes strengthening three peasant associations; strengthening farmer-to-farmer networks that expand agroecological production to over 9,000 model farmers; supporting community seed banks, grain banks and savings and credit cooperatives; and strengthening 13 new farmer managed microenterprises to process local agriculture produce for sale to local consumers. Likewise, in Guatemala, Honduras and Ecuador, we collaborate with partners to strengthen rural farmer and women's associations; agroecological experimentation and farmer-to- farmer extension; improved local seed systems; savings and credit schemes; and innovative strategies to strengthen local market linkages. Across these four countries our programs in 2018 engaged over 10,000 smallholder farmers directly in improving their farming; benefitting over 135,000 people (over 27,000 directly and 105,000 indirectly); and regenerating over 3,490 hectares (or 8,623 acres) of land. As noted above, we also initiated the planning phase of a new program in Mexico to strengthen farmer seed systems for improved food production and climate resilience in the last quarter of 2018. South Asia: -- In 2018 we worked with our partner BBP-Pariwar in Nepal. We emphasized work with Dalit (untouchable caste) women by strengthening 14 savings and credit groups with 325 members; providing training in agroecological farming practices to improve production and food security; and providing goats as important asset to 127 rural women, who will pass on the animals' offspring to other women in the future to spread benefits. In Nepal our programs in 2018 engaged 325 smallholder farmers directly in improving their farming; benefitting over 1,405 people (including 1,080 indirect beneficiaries.) 1611153 true true false false false false false false false true true false false true false true true false false true true true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 6 0 9 true false false false false false false false false false false X 10 10 false false false false false false false true true false false true true true true true true true true false X X Rhonda Devan 2028329352 1875 Connecticut Ave NW 10th Floor Washington DC 20009 Eileen Oldag Chair 2.00 X X 0 0 0 Vance Russell Vice Chair 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Mark Stone Treasurer 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Ross Borja Secretary 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Bernard Guri Int'l Council Rep. 0.50 X 0 0 0 Muthusami Kumaran Board Member 0.50 X 0 0 0 Perry Clutts Board Member 0.50 X 0 0 0 Margaret Malloy Board Member 0.50 X 0 0 0 Jan Middendorf Board Member 0.50 X 0 0 0 D Merrill Ewert Board Member 0.50 X 0 0 0 Steve Brescia Executive Director 50.00 X 123640 0 0 123640 0 0 1 false false false 99893 2201120 2301013 Services 541900 2495 0 0 2495 317 0 317 Other Income 900099 537 0 0 537 537 2304362 2495 0 854 1205306 1205306 125448 73195 25652 26601 383421 167654 40499 175268 37696 16058 5596 16042 2290 545 1275 470 7550 2517 2517 2516 37167 32000 2396 2771 755 252 252 251 22237 7162 2731 12344 22166 2316 2255 17595 18216 7340 5022 5854 80103 65957 5854 8292 2593 2411 0 182 821 274 273 274 4009 3385 77 547 Translation 3244 3244 0 0 Human Resources 17832 9391 3307 5134 Program Support Fees 645 645 0 0 Fundraising Fees 28484 10032 2424 16028 2789 1469 808 512 2002772 1611153 100938 290681 598936 975694 0 0 205251 112386 8469 12932 11874 11874 821 0 2243 2166 26269 23988 841989 1127166 45472 21829 43675 67033 14384 0 103531 88862 X 160685 168946 577423 868758 350 600 738458 1038304 841989 1127166 301590 -1744 X false true X true false X 0 1592635 1372882 1930233 1863767 2301013 9060530 0 0 1592635 1372882 1930233 1863767 2301013 9060530 3272168 5788362 329 20 134 293 317 1093 0 0 2122 0 537 2659 9064282 34843 0.63860 0.57720 X 0 0 0 Pt II Ln 10 Other Income Part II, Line 10 Description: Other Income 2014: 0. 2015: 2122. 2016: 0. 2018: 537. 24544 250 -1034 1148 349 22263 22856 3165 1124 353 24544 22641 1619 1094 310 22856 23017 0 -76 300 22641 21776 100 1441 300 23017 0.97300 0.02700 true false 0 0 11874 11874 0 0 Endowment at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation 22263 Security Deposit 1725 23988 X 2320876 -1744 18258 16514 2304362 2304362 2021030 18258 18258 2002772 2002772 Pt X, Line 2 Groundswell is exempt from federal income taxes under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Under the Code, however, income from certain activities not related to an organization's tax-exempt purpose may be subject to taxation as unrelated business income. The organization had no income from unrelated business activities in 2018 and was, therefore, not required to file Federal Form 990-T (Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return). The organization believes that it has appropriate support for all tax positions taken, and as such, does not have any uncertain tax positions that are material to the financial statements. Pt V, Line 4 To build a fund that will eventually supplement operating support. true Central America 0 4 Program Services Agricultural 72419 Central America 0 4 Regional Grants Agricultural 291670 South America 0 1 Program Services Agricultural 20669 South America 0 1 Regional Grants Agricultural 123750 Sub-Saharan Africa 0 3 Program Services Agricultural 193225 Sub-Saharan Africa 0 3 Regional Grants Agricultural 738309 South Asia 0 0 Program Services Agricultural 16583 South Asia 0 0 Regional Grants Agricultural 51577 0 16 0 16 1508202 1508202 Central America Haiti Program 182975 Wire Central America Honduras Program 108695 Wire South America Ecuador Program 57850 Wire South America Guatemala Program 65900 Wire Sub-Saharan Africa Burkina Faso Program 350792 Wire Sub-Saharan Africa Ghana Program 285989 Wire Sub-Saharan Africa Mali Program 35322 Wire Sub-Saharan Africa Senegal Program 66206 Wire South Asia Nepal Program 51577 Wire 9 false false false false false false Pt I Line 2 Procedures for monitoring the use of grant funds outside the U.S. Groundswell engages in extensive pre-grant due diligence of any organization to which it disburses money. For foreign organizations, Groundswell requires that the organization be a legally registered charitable non-profit organization within its country. The information required to be provided by potential grantees includes financials for the current and previous years, governing documents, details about the board of directors, and descriptions of programs and activities. These requirements are in addition to rather than in lieu of a project funding proposal. Once the decision is made to make a grant to a foreign organization, Groundswell requires a written cooperation agreement between the grantee and Groundswell, which outlines each organization's duties and responsibilities, including the grantee's responsibility to request prior written approval from Groundswell before making substantial modifications to the project and/or budget. When the agreement is signed by the grantee, a transfer is made either from Groundswell headquarters or by direct transfer from the donor to a local bank account in the country where the grantee intends to implement activities outlined in its project proposal. During the grant period, Groundswell maintains regular and frequent contact with grantees, including through e-mail, phone and occasional field visits. Groundswell also requires regular progress and final narrative and financial reports. When reports are received, management and staff compare actual expenses to the approved budgeted expense, and, as necessary, seek additional explanation for any significant variations not already documented in the narrative report. Groundswell encourages all grantees to undertake annual audits of their overall operations, and Groundswell reserves the right to require an independent audit at its expense at any time during the project or program it is funding. This authority is set forth explicitly in the cooperation agreement entered into with each grantee. Finally, a Groundswell staff member conducts a site visit at least once during the term of all projects or programs undertaken with Groundswell funding. Pt VI, Line 11b The 990 is prepared by independent accountants, reviewed by management, presented to the Board for review, proposed revisions and final approval. Pt VI, Line 12c Annually conflict of interest statements are required to be signed by each Board member. The statements affirm that the policy has been read & either that no conflict of interest exists or discloses any such conflict. Pt VI, Line 15a In the annual budgeting process, the Board approves a budget line for each salaried employee. Thereafter, individual salaries and salary increases for employees are determined by the Executive Director (the organization's title for the lead staff person). The Board of Directors sets the Executive Director's salary after a performance review & a check of comparable salary information for nonprofit organizations with similar budgets. Pt VI, Line 15b Groundswell International carried out a salary review with external assistance and salary comparisons for 2017. Pt VI, Line 18 The Form 990 is available on the GuideStar Exchange website and Groundswell's website. The Form 1023 is available upon request. Pt VI, Line 19 The organization's financial statements & conflict of interest policy are available upon request. Its governing documents are available upon request. Form 990, Part IX, Line 24e Other Expenses 2789. 1469. 808. 512.