US-Based Nonprofit Becomes a $120,000 Google Grant Recipient

Dec. 15, 2009 - PRLog -- Spokane, WA, —Roots and Wings International, a non-profit organization that creates educational opportunities for indigenous youth in rural Guatemala, recently became the recipient of a $120,000 Google Grant.

The Google Grants program empowers non-profit organizations to achieve their goals by helping them promote their websites via advertising on Google. Google AdWords ads appear when users search on Google and when you click on one of the ads, you are brought to the website being advertised.

For instance, when you search for “Guatemala education,” Roots and Wings International would be one of the ads that appears on the right side of your screen.

Organizations that receive a Google Grant are awarded an in-kind online advertising account which can be used in a variety of ways, including general outreach, fundraising activities, and recruitment of volunteers. Google Grants participants have found much success with the program. For example, the US Fund for UNICEF's e-commerce site, Shop UNICEF, experienced a 43 percent increase in sales over the previous year, while CoachArt – supporting children with life-threatening illnesses through art and athletics programs – has seen a 60 to 70 percent increase in volunteers.

Roots and Wings International will use the grant money to further promote their programs in Guatemala. Our work is rooted in recognizing the importance of culturally responsive education that empowers students to connect their cultural identity with sustainable social and economic development. Working in the mountains of the Boca Coast, we serve over a dozen communities but focus our efforts in the region surrounding our office to ensure students have access to our counseling services in their native language, K'iche', and are able to participate in our monthly development meetings.

Guatemala is a unique Latin American country in that it has a majority indigenous population.  Indigenous groups make up 60% of the country, yet suffer disproportionately from the extremely low human development indicators found there.  Guatemala has the highest rate of malnutrition in Latin America and the 6th highest rate of malnutrition in the world.  There is a huge deficit of education. Sixty percent of the country does not graduate from the 6th grade and rural communities suffer from up to 70% illiteracy.  Roots & Wings International believes that investing in education has the potential to make a significant impact in the lives of those living in rural indigenous communities. The grant from Google will allow us to promote the cause and the organization, and to provide many more services to Guatemalan children in the coming year.

For more information, contact Erik Swanson by phone at 202.747.4946 or via email at erikwswanson@yahoo.com.

# # #

Roots & Wings International provides university scholarships and elementary school tutoring services to Guatemalan youths living on a household income of less than $2 per day. 95% of all donations go into our program costs.