S E R E S
C E N T E R
social entrepreneurs h i p , r e s i l i e n c e a n d e c o l o g i c a l sus ta i n a b i l i ty
I N V I T AT I O N F O R S O C I A L I M PA C T
“If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us walk together…” . ~ Lilla Watson, Australian Aboriginal elder
S a n J u a n d e l O b i s p o , G u a t e m a l a • p h : 5 0 2 4 2 6 8 6 4 2 9 • e m a i l : c o r r i n a @ p r o j e c t s e r e s . o r g • w w w. p r o j e c t s e r e s . o r g
Supporting ecological resilience and environmental sustainability
Executive Summary Fifty years of development and billions of dollars is falling short. We’re frustrated. We need a new approach.
The SERES Center will provide that new approach. It will create a collaborative space where all kinds of people come together to develop healthy, thriving, resilient communities using costeffective and sustainable solutions. The SERES Center will be a dynamic community center where leadership, learning, and practical solutions to social, environmental, and economic problems come alive. The Need: All around the world, we are witnessing increasing biosphere vulnerability, growing strain on economic, climatic, political and social systems and unprecedented deterioration in air, water and land quality. Thousands of organizations - primarily not-for-profit - have dedicated their work to these issues. Despite good intentions and billions of dollars in funding, we are yet to see the large-scale changes needed to overcome these challenges. Our Difference: No one else in Latin America is offering the kind of experiential and collaborative leadership and empowerment programs in a setting that demonstrates practical examples of sustainable living and livelihoods that the SERES Center will provide. The net outcome is to creatively address the challenges of food sovereignty, environmental degradation, water scarcity, climate change and unsustainable population growth. The SERES Center will offer individuals, NGO’s and other organizations a collaboration space that strengthens community, promotes accountability and drives the rapid adaptation of innovative solutions to these challenges. The SERES Center will generate revenue and overcome traditional NGO barriers to sustainability by offering a variety of training courses and a collaborative hub for members such as NGOs, social entrepreneurs, and educational institutions Our Track Record: Since 2009, SERES has worked directly in partnership with grassroots organizations and local community groups to facilitate a process that engages, educates and empowers people to define and develop their own pathways towards a healthy and resilient future. Using award-winning programs developed in conjunction with OzGREEN (www.ozgreen.org.au), SERES has trained over 500 youth leaders in Guatemala and El Salvador who have implemented many practical, diverse and creative solutions towards achieving thriving sustainable communities.. Our Goal: We will have the SERES Center up and running by 2015, generating revenue for a minimum of 80% of its annual operating budget by its third full year of operation. We have identified a 25-acre site outside of Antigua, Guatemala near the town of El Rodeo. We are currently looking for social impact investors and philanthropists to secure the $850,000USD capital financing needed to purchase the land ($275,000), build the Center ($440,000), and support start-up operating costs ($135,000). We need three principal investors to give $125,000 each by August 2013 to achieve our 2015 target. With that, we can secure the land and begin design and construction of the Center. S E R E S!
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Supporting ecological resilience and environmental sustainability
About SERES SERES pioneers new methods and approaches to old problems that have the power to transform all sectors of society and lead to the creation of sustainable, thriving and holistically healthy communities. We believe there is a pressing need to move beyond the not-for-profit model that is currently the major force trying to tackle society’s most pressing environmental, social and economic problems. To do so requires practical, collaborative solutions to a wide range of interconnected problems. These kinds of solutions require innovation, collaboration, creativity, research and strong leadership, not huge sums of money. Project SERES Project SERES was founded in Guatemala in 2009 by Australian engineer and social entrepreneur Corrina Grace and officially registered as a Guatemalan not-for-profit association in 2012. During an internship in 2007, Corrina witnessed first-hand not only the hardships faced by people living in this bio-culturally rich country, but also the deeper truth about the co-dependance and disempowerment that international foreign aid has created. Disillusioned with the unsustainable nature of the majority of charitable projects and aid operations, Corrina decided to move to Guatemala and start a project that would redefine the existing paradigms and put development firmly back into the hands of the people. Almost 50% of the Guatemalan population is 18 years or under and the public school system does very little in the way of providing education and support to encourage critical thinking, innovation and leadership. Corrina realized that if sustainable development is to be achieved, it is vital that tomorrow’s leaders have the capacity, education and understanding to face the challenges that lie in front of them. Since 2009, this has been Project SERES’ goal: working with this generation to foster transformative leadership, encourage collaboration and empower them so that the projects they initiate and implement today will be sustained for generations to come. To date, Project SERES has trained and worked with over 500 youth leaders and change-makers in Guatemala and El Salvador. Many of these leaders have gone on to become actively engaged in implementing sustainable solutions within their communities, providing strong evidence that empowerment of local change-makers is the most effective way to take development beyond sustainability into a thriving future. As a result of SERES work there have been numerous youth-led environmental, community and educational projects started such as recycling campaigns, reforestation, natural medicine/community gardens and a community radio station. SERES Center Key Resources The SERES Center will offer the following key resources: -
Skilled and experienced facilitators, trainers, teachers and mentors;
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Different micro-climatic areas showcasing sustainable agricultural techniques, nutritious and resilient crops and food plants, sustainable livelihood options and appropriate technology relevant to each region;
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An innovation lab that is part of a global invention network providing a space where participants are invited to discover, dream, design and innovate - harnessing local potential and untapped genius to find technological solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues;
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Supporting ecological resilience and environmental sustainability
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A showcase where existing appropriate technology will be displayed and available for real and critical product testing by the end-user;
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Dormitories and semi-private lodging for up to 50 people including shower and bathroom facilities, a kitchen, community dining area, large salon, and a variety of multi-functional meeting and learning spaces.
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A cross-cultural, collaborative office and work space that draws together entrepreneurs, leaders, social change-agents and change-makers and encourages innovation, creativity and collaboration;
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A gathering place that fosters the development of inter-cultural and inter-generational networks, friendships and partnerships.
The estimated construction cost for the SERES Center is $440,000USD. The SERES Center The SERES Center will provide a dynamic, sustainable eco-village that promotes community-led solutions to community-identified problems through transformative leadership and inspired action. The Center itself will offer a cross-cultural, collaborative and highly innovative workspace, where people, ideas and resources come together as equals.. The design and construction of the SERES Center will adhere to the following principles: -
Be built with sustainable resources and renewable technologies using international green-building guidelines;
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Use every opportunity for building, technology, farming and community-development as a learning and teaching - a classroom in every tree, building and light bulb;
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Encourage innovation and creativity of the community;
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Be a model of resilience and sustainability that can be replicated in any community.
SERES Center Location After a due-diligence process to review a number of potential locations, a preferred site for the SERES Center has been chosen. The property is 25-acres with three distinct areas, adjacent a native food forest. The property has a connection to municipality electricity and water, and has been planted with more than 5,000 hardwood trees that are between 5-10 years old. These trees will provide a sustainable long-term (+20 years) income source for the project. The site is located near the town of El Rodeo, approximately 42km on the CA-1 from Guatemala City and 23km on the Route-14 from the popular tourist destination of Antigua on wellmaintained, paved highway. The region is well known for its fertility, and has a climate that is conducive to a year-round growing season making it an ideal fit for the agricultural components of the Center. It’s proximity to the well-known La Reunion Golf Resort also provides an option for investors, philanthropists and other people wishing to visit the SERES Center but requiring alternative accommodation arrangements. The asking price of the land is $250,000USD.
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Business Model: Investment & Innovation for Social Impact Pioneering an Innovative Approach SERES’ has been a catalyst for innovative, community-led and owned sustainable development. With these results, it has become more and more evident that SERES is pioneering a new way of thinking, redefining the development paradigm and transforming a generation of disempowered and at-risk youth into a movement of empowered change-makers. We believe that this approach is the key to achieving large-scale sustainable social change. SERES’ target market has been youth and young adults in Guatemala and El Salvador. However in the last 12 months, we have received an increasing number of invitations to both share and facilitate this model of transformative educational experience. These invitations have come from communities in North America and other parts of Latin America, private school and university students, and young entrepreneurs. This interest, combined with ongoing stakeholder consultation and results in the field, have led to the emergence of the SERES Center - providing a way to scale up and across and provide a unique service that is investing in social innovation, entrepreneurship and transformative leadership. Value Proposition The SERES Center will offer a product and service model that provides an affordable, essential service to create wide-spread social impact. Its objective is to improve the effectiveness of individuals and organizations, creating a learning community of change-makers working to tackle pressing issues and move beyond sustainability into a healthy, thriving future. Through our research and work over the last 4 years, we have determined that the Center should offer: -
Leadership and empowerment programs that encourage self-confidence, accountability, and an entrepreneurial spirit;
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Skilled facilitators and mentors who model and imbue transformative leadership;
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An interactive and participative involvement in all operations of the SERES Center for everyone;
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Integrated, holistic experiential educational programs that unite traditional knowledge systems with the latest scientific discoveries and innovations.
Capturing a Niche Market SERES has identified an opportunity that lies at the nexus of traditional not-for-profits, social entrepreneurs, forbenefit organizations and “the people”. In their own way, each one of these elements is becoming increasingly interested in the search for sustainability to tackle society’s most pressing concerns. Seeing the opportunity in this commonality, the SERES Center will extend an open invitation to all these sectors to come together and step beyond sustainability and into the emerging future. Guatemala is a country of stark juxtaposition: the gateway between Latin America and North America, Guatemala is rich in terms of culture and biodiversity, and has a world-class information and telecommunications infrastructure. It has the highest concentration of NGOs in Central America and is well known for its sobering statistics on poverty, malnutrition, violence, health and the environment. Both raw and ripe, Guatemala offers an incredible combination of culture, class, need and opportunity that will provide a solid testing ground and birthplace for new ventures and ideas. S E R E S!
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Supporting ecological resilience and environmental sustainability
Customer Segments The SERES Center has a business-to-business target market that is segmented as follows: -
Local (Central America) youth and young adults;
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NGO's with need for local leadership development;
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University students and social entrepreneurs looking for a test-ground and opportunity to build real relationships with communities in the field;
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Organizations and individuals looking to strengthen their internal leadership and management team.
Market Analysis Market research, ongoing stakeholder consultation, customer surveys and our own internal knowledge of Guatemala shows that the SERES Center and its programs target a niche in the market with the potential for very large social and environmental returns. The SERES differentiator is that we are a cross-sector catalyst to empowerment. SERES is not just offering solutions, but enabling people to own and further develop those solutions by connecting, networking, facilitating. While there are a number of organizations working in one or two core educational or technological streams similar to SERES, no-one else is using the innovative empowerment model in the kind of experiential, collaborative and creative learning space that the SERES Center will offer. The SERES Center will act as a hub for existing organizations and projects, giving them increased exposure for their technologies and products, and enhanced opportunities to work with communities to create capable leaders who can work in partnership for more sustainable and cost-effective long-term results. Investment for Ongoing Social Impact The SERES Center will significantly diversify SERES target market, however it will remain committed to providing programs to empower local youth and young adults. In the first few years of operation, these programs will be partially subsidized by the SERES Center. By 2020, our goal is that the excess revenue generated by the SERES Center will meet 70% of all SERES’ non-revenue generating programs. Remaining costs for these non-revenue generating programs will come from donors.
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Financing Strategy Our financial projections indicate that the SERES Center will achieve financial self-sufficiency after its third year of operation (target 2018). To achieve this, we require a total of $850,000USD in financial capital investment over the next 5 years as shown below. A more detailed breakdown of the budget is available on request. EXPENDITURE (USD)
YEAR
INCOME (USD)
Year 1 (2014) Land Purchase
250,000
0
Land Acquisition Costs
25,000
0
Operational Costs
35,000
0
Construction
200,000
0
Construction
180,000
0
Operational Costs
35,000
0
Construction
60,000
0
Operational Costs
50,000
10,000
99,000
74,000
148,000
148,000
247,000
297,000 (1)
1,329,000
232000
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4 Operational Costs Year 5 Operational Costs Year 6 Operational Costs TOTAL Notes: (1) Excess revenue generated by the SERES Center from Year 6 will be used to support continuing delivery of Seres non-revenue generating programs. Social Investors To achieve our 5 year milestone, we are looking for social investors with the strength of vision who can see the large-scale social and environmental returns that this project offers over the long-term. As a minimum, we need three principal investors to give $125,000 each by August 2013 so that we can purchase the land and start construction in order to meet our target for completion of the Center by 2015. Cost Structure The large proportion of costs for the center are fixed on-going costs such as salaries, maintenance and overhead costs. Having the center fully occupied for at least 80% of the year, with a variety of programs will S E R E S!
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provide the optimal economy of scope and scale to allow the center to begin generating revenue and growing its social arm. Revenue Streams We have been in ongoing discussions with potential partners that are interested in using the SERES Center and will be a major component in providing financial sustainability to the project. These include: -
Other NGOs and social entrepreneurs looking to rent collaborative office space;
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Two secondary education institutions from North America interested in establishing an experiential learning and exchange program through the Center;
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A Guatemalan appropriate technology NGO interested in establishing an appropriate technology school;
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An international invention team that is focused on solving the technology needs of emerging markets and is interested in supporting an innovation laboratory in Central America;
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Facilitators and trainers looking to offer personal development courses such as permaculture and sustainable building.
We are also considering other options for diversifying revenue streams including establishing the SERES Center as a membership-based organization, leasing/usage fees, cash-cropping and long-term investments such as the hardwood plantation.
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Supporting ecological resilience and environmental sustainability
Contact Information If you would like to discuss this opportunity for investment in further detail, please contact one of the people below.
Corrina Grace
Sherry Miller
Executive Director, Asociación SERES
President, Asociación SERES
Email: corrina@projectseres.org
Email: sherry@projectseres.org
Phone (Guatemala): +502 4268 6429
Phone (Guatemala): +502 5316 5330
Rowan Peck
Karla Giovanna Girón
Chairperson, Asociación SERES
SERES Board Member
Email: rowan@projectseres.org
Email: karla.giron@kaj-kaab.com
Phone (Australia): +61 421 774 739
Phone (Guatemala): +502 4219 9219
José Toriello
Polly Grace
SERES Board Member
SERES Board Member
Email: josetoriello@gmail.com
Email: pollyjgrace@yahoo.com.au
Phone (Guatemala): +502 5202 4918
Phone (Australia): +61 420 766 922
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