Legal Status
As an organization, Avivara is actually made up of two interconnected, yet legally independent entities: Avivara, which is a non-profit charitable corporation in the State of Washington, (USA) and a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity registered with the United States Internal Revenue Service, and Asociacion Avivara, which is a registered tax-exempt non-governmental organization (NGO) incorporated in the Republic of Guatemala.
Each of these legal entities has its own Board of Directors that provides oversight for the development of organizational policy and budget, and ensures that each organization meets the legal and reporting requirements in their respective countries. In both instances, the Boards are composed of volunteers who receive no compensation for their time and effort in supporting and guiding the organization.
Functions
The primary function of Avivara in the United States is to raise and collect funds for the educational programs being implemented and administered in Guatemala.
The primary function of Asociacion Avivara in Guatemala is to distribute and administer school grants and student scholarships, and develop and direct the After School Learning Centers and Service and Study Abroad Program.
Administrative Staffing
In the United States, Avivara does not maintain a paid administrative staff. The Treasurer of the Avivara Board of Directors, Thomas Friedman, is primarily responsible for receiving and depositing contributions, which he does on a volunteer basis.
In Guatemala, Asociacion Avivara has an administrative team with three members. The positions within that team are a Director of Programs (a full-time paid staff position), an Associate Director for Volunteer Coordination & Teacher Development (a full-time volunteer position), and a Executive Director & Financial Administrator (also a full-time volunteer position.)
As the Director of Programs, Gustavo Valle is responsible for the overall development and management of Avivara's educational programs in Guatemala. In that capacity he establishes and maintains frequent contact with the Guatemalan school communities that receive grants, the students who receive scholarships, and the staffs of our After School Learning Centers.
The second member of the administrative team in Guatemala is Ann Austin. Her primary responsibilities as Associate Director for Volunteer Coordination & Teacher Development involve supporting the volunteers who work in our various programs, developing training programs for teachers and our After School Centers staff, as well as handling many of the logistical details related to our Service and Study Abroad Program.
The third administrative team member is Gary Teale. He is the Executive Director and Financial Administrator for the organization and is responsible for the review and approval of all disbursements in Guatemala, the maintenance of all accounting records (contributions, expenses, etc.) in both the U.S. and Guatemala, and the preparation of all financial reports for both organizations. His additional duties include managing our website and providing technology support to the other members of the team.
All three members of our Guatemalan administrative team participate in the process for determining grants to schools and scholarships to students. Using a criteria-based process, their experience in education, and their best professional judgment, they have the primary responsibility for allocating monies contributed to Avivara.
Professional Services Relationships
In Guatemala, Asocacion Avivara also maintains professional contractual relationships with legal counsel and a licensed public accounting firm to ensure compliance with Guatemalan law and labor regulations.
