Welcome to our first 2019 newsletter (link to previous issue)! We are delighted you decided to read it and welcome your feedback on how we can improve it.
Believe in Belize is an all volunteer, non-profit organization with the sole purpose of helping with the development of Belize. In particular, our goal is to:
- Become a premier internet destination for anyone seeking information about Belize.
- Implement projects and services to help people in Belize.
The end of 2018 marked the end of our first year in existence. This newsletter summarizes our first year and lays the foundation for what we plan to accomplish in 2019.
2018 Highlights
- Launched Believe in Belize (https://believeinbelize.org/page/about-us). Incorporated in Maryland, USA as a non-profit & applied to the IRS for 501c3 status.
- Launched our Website https://believeinbelize.org/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/believeinbelize.org/.
- Launched a project to provide computers to schools in Belize (https://believeinbelize.org/stories/project-205-computers-for-schools-in-belize). One portion was completed in November while the rest will be completed in the Spring of 2019.
- Launched a project to provide two ambulances in Placencia, Belize (https://believeinbelize.org/stories/project-2-ambulances-to-placencia). We are currently in fundraising phase for this project. The ambulances will be delivered during the summer of 2019.
- We completed a pilot project on Bicycle Reflectors (https://believeinbelize.org/stories/project-bicycle-reflectors-(pilot)-part-2). The success of this project led us to create a permanent service for distributing bicycle reflectors (https://believeinbelize.org/stories/service-bicycle-reflectors).
- Our operational budget for 2018 was US $1,600 (https://believeinbelize.org/Stories/2018-operational-budget-for-believe-in-belize-us-1600). Our actual cost came in at about $1,400. The difference was due to having two antivirus subscriptions instead of the planned ten subscriptions.
- We implemented multiple funding options:
- Advertising (https://believeinbelize.org/stories/advertise). This is the main source of funding for our operations so if you are a business owner please consider advertising on our website.
- Donations, including US Tax deductible (https://believeinbelize.org/stories/how-to-donate-to-believe-in-belize).
- Partnerships
- Medical Equipment and Supplies Abroad Foundation, Inc. (https://believeinbelize.org/Stories/partnership-between-believe-in-belize-and-mesa).
- Major Donors. See the computers project as an example https://believeinbelize.org/stories/project-205-computers-for-schools-in-belize.
- World Computer Exchange (https://believeinbelize.org/Stories/partnership-between-believe-in-belize-and-world-computer-exchange).
- Affinity Programs
2019 Vision
2019 will mark the beginning of a systematic development of Believe in Belize as an organization. We will be organized along five different programs: Education, Health, Community Development, Common Resources, Partners, and Operations. Each program will consist of Initiatives, and each initiative will consist of Projects and/or Services. For a table showing the relationships between Programs, Initiatives, Projects & Services please see this link https://believeinbelize.org/stories/our-current-programs. To implement our programs we will expand our partnerships and recruit talented individuals willing to volunteer and help us grow (https://believeinbelize.org/stories/why-join-believe-in-belize). We anticipate our operational budget to be US $600 - $1,000. We intend on raising these funds through advertising (https://believeinbelize.org/stories/advertise). As to our programs, we will rely 100% on the funding options we developed in 2018 and will continue to expand throughout 2019.
How can YOU help?
- To grow, we need visibility. We need the following:
- Sign up for this newsletter if you have not already done so, and share it with people you know and encourage them to do the same.
- Visit our Facebook page and choose to “Follow Us”.
- Visit our homepage and communicate with us through different means that we provide on different pages.
- To fund projects and services, we need financial donations through different means:
- By reading about our specific projects and services and their specific ways to donate.
- We have a general donation page that allows for US tax deductible and non-deductible donations.
- We need businesses to advertise on our website to help cover our operating expenses.
- To implement our projects and services we need many volunteers, worldwide. Experience is not the most critical factor since we will train you as applicable. Your willingness to help is the most essential qualification we are looking for. Please join us!
Spotlight on a Believer in Belize
 | Every newsletter will spotlight a person who demonstrates considerable dedication to help with the development of Belize. | |
 | Will Mosby (http://streetcents.org/bio/) became a believer in Belize the first time he visited it in 2018. Besides running his own Information Technology company and a non-profit in Texas, he managed to join the mission to deploy our computers for schools in Belize during the Fall (Project: 205 Computers for Schools in Belize). He is also planning, at his own expense, to take frequent trips to Belize to help schools maintain their computers. Will is a member of the Rotary E-Club of One World (https://oneworldrotary.org/). He lives the Rotary motto “Service Above Self”. |