the nonprofit ecosystem in Lakeside
By Patrick O’Heffernan
While attending the LCS Annual Membership Meeting this week (by Zoom from the Semanario Laguna offices) I could not help being impressed by the almost unbelievable amount of activity the organization generates with its 300 volunteers, small staff and very energetic board. It operates or hosts over a 100 programs, including the Todos English program of expat volunteers here at Semanario Laguna who translate all of our Spanish stories into English each week.
Of course, LCS is only one of the many NPO’s (non-profits) in Lakeside. Lakeside Foodbank, Lakeside Little Theater, Niños Incapacitados , Cruz Roja, SOS Chapala DOG Rescue, Bare Stage and Bravo Theater, and many more. The Foundation for Lake Chapala Charities list 25 affiliated non profit organizations, but of course, there are many more that are not affiliated, and even some that are not registered as NPO’s, but still do great work without the imprimatur.
Nationally, the Mexican government reported 5,339 NPOs in the country 2003, but the Inter Press Service (IPS) has suggested that 10,000 NGOs actually exist in México. Mexican non-profits do everything from provide emergency food to families, to rescue dogs and horses, to provide shelter for battered women, to fight for human rights, to help poor families with medical care. In other words, they do everything needed in the country
That is what I call el espíritu de puedo ayudarte – ”the spirit of can I help you”. It is built into the culture.
But organized non-profits on a large scale are not built into Mexico’s history. A 2015 study by the Hauser Institute at the Harvard Kennedy School pointed out that the history of nonprofits in Mexico is relatively recent. Up until the 1880’s philanthropy was almost unknown outside of the Catholic Church. In the early 20th century secular organizations emerged to provide aid to the poor. These civil society organizations grew rapidly under the PRI, becoming almost synonymous with the political party.
But in the 1960s through the 1980’s, the independent non profit sector exploded, propelled by the 1968 student revolution, growing calls for social movements that addressed public needs, and finally the Mexico city earthquake in 1985. The ascent of the PAN party in 2000 opened up new space for nonprofits and they rushed into it.
Here in Lakeside, old timers tell me (since there is no Harvard study)that Neil James and the influx of Expats from the US with 501 (c)(3) (US nonprofit tax exemption) experience kicked off what has become a dense ecosystem of NPOs here.
One aspect of the NPO ecosystem in Lakeside that is important and possible somewhat unique is that it is a force that brings the Mexican and Extrañero communities together. At one level it is Expats working within Mexican communities to help, but at another, very wide level, it is joint Mexican-Expat boards and staffs solving problems together. And the nonprofit sector encourages conscious efforts to reach out, like the Mexican Advisory Board at LCS or Laguna’s Todos English translation team of Expats ( not a non-profit, we hope, but wonderful outreach).
I worked for many decades in and through non profits in the US and even founded a couple. In my experience, the presence of NPO’s in a community is a sign of economic strength, a healthy society, and the kind of heart that makes us good human beings. If you are part of a NPO, thank you; if not; join one. It will make you feel better and help us all. And you will love being part of the ecosystem of el espíritu de puedo ayudarte
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