Organizations Filed Purposes:
NICARAGUA INITIATIVE FOR COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT, INC. (REFERRED TO AS NICA) IS A (CON SCH O) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT NGO. WE ARE COMMITTED TO ELEVATING RURAL COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT NICARAGUA BY DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO COMPLICATED ISSUES. WE AVOID GIVING HANDOUTS, AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS THAT GIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO LOCALS TO CREATE CHANGE IN THEIR LIVES AND COMMUNITIES.
CREA IS OUR EDUCATION PROGRAM, WHICH OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES TO PRIMARY STUDENTS IN READING AND MATH USING IPADS, ANDROID TABLETS, AND CHROME COMPUTERS, AUDIOVISUAL EQUIPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. WE ALSO TEACH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS COMPUTER SKILLS AND HOW TO USE GOOGLE PRODUCTS TO FACILITATE MORE WRITING AND CRITICAL THINKING OPPORTUNITIES. FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, WE OFFER THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIP FOR ECONOMIC OR ACADEMIC APPROACH.THIS PROGRAM DIRECTLY BENEFITS 350 STUDENTS EACH YEAR. WE PROVIDE MANY OTHER BENEFITS TO THE SCHOOL LIKE TRANSPORTATION FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, TO AND FROM SCHOOL TO 35 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS (CON SCH O) EACH DAY, INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR, AND SPONSOR EVENTS LIKE GRADUATIONS.IN 2019 WE IMPLEMENTED THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KEISER UNIVERSITY (AN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY BASE IN NICARAGUA), THE COURSES TAKE PLACE IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER "THE NET" INAUGURATED IN JULY 2019. THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT WAS FUNDED BY NICA FUNDS AND ALL THE CREA PROGRAMS TAKE PLACE NOW IN NICA'S COMMUNITY CENTER. THE ENGLISH PROGRAM IS DIVIDED IN 2 GROUPS AND DIRECTLY BENEFITS 30 STUDENTS EVERY 15 MONTHS. IN 2020, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THE ENGLISH PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KEISER UNIVERSITY, OPERATED FOR 5 MONTHS. ONCE IT WAS SAFE TO REOPEN, WE CONTINUED THE PROGRAM AT THE NET IN AN OUTDOOR SPACE.
SOMOS EL CAMBIO PROGRAM (SEC) IS A WORK PROGRAM THAT OFFERS COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES TO TEENAGERS AND ADULTS. THIS IS THE FIRST PROGRAM WE ESTABLISHED TO ADDRESS THE OVERWHELMING NEED OF LOCALS TO MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS LIKE FOOD, WATER AND SHELTER. THIS PROGRAM DIRECTLY BENEFITS 750 RESIDENTS EACH YEAR, AND INDIRECTLY BENEFITS 2,000 RESIDENTS EACH YEAR AND THE 1000S OF TOURISTS WHO VISIT THE AREA EACH YEAR (PAUSED DURING THE PANDEMIC). THERE WAS A HUGE LITTER PROBLEM, SO INSTEAD OF JUST GIVING OUT BASIC NEEDS, WE SET UP A PROGRAM WHERE LOCALS COULD CREATE CONSCIENCE AND CARE ABOUT THEIR OWN COMMUNITY FOR THEIR NEEDS BY CLEANING UP LITTER IN EXCHANGE FOR 78 HOURS OF PART TIME WORK CLEANING STREETS, BEACHES, WATERWAYS, AND THE HEALTH CENTER OVER 13 WEEKS. ONCE THEY ACCOMPLISH THE COMMUNITY HOURS (CON SCH O) SERVICES, THEY RECEIVE A BENEFIT IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, FOOD OR EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES. HUNDREDS OF HOMES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED AND MORE THAN A DOZEN HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED FROM THE GROUND UP OVER THE YEARS. THIS PROGRAM EXPANDED IN 2020 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC TO MEET THE OVERWHELMING NEED FOR FOOD, PPP AND CLEANING SUPPLIES DURING THE MONTHS WHEN RESIDENTS COULD NOT WORK.
CARACOLA CAFE IS AN INTERNET CAFE THAT SELLS TACOS AND SMOOTHIES. WE PROVIDED THE START UP MONEY, AND THE CAFE HAS PAID IT ALL BACK. THE PROFITS WILL HELP PAY FOR THE APP SUBSCRIPTION COSTS FOR THE CREA PROGRAM AND FOOD COSTS FOR THE FOOD PROGRAM. THE CAFE HAS CREATED 6 JOBS IN TOWN. THE CAFE HAS BEEN TOTALLY SELF SUSTAINABLE AFTER INITIAL START UP INVESTMENT WAS MADE. IN 2019 THE CAFE MOVED TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER FACILITIES. THE NET INCLUDES A KITCHEN FACILITY AND RESTAURANT AREA FOR CARACOLE CAFE OPERATIONS.
Executives Listed on Filing
Total Salary includes financial earnings, benefits, and all related organization earnings listed on tax filing
| Name | Title | Hours Per Week | Total Salary |
|---|
| Aaron Grunfeld | DIRECTOR, SECRETARY | 5 | $0 |
| Chris Marlett | DIRECTOR, TREASURER | 10 | $0 |
| Terri Marlett | DIRECTOR, EXECUTIVE DIRECT | 20 | $0 |
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public 990 form dataset) from:
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