Partner With Us
Riecken Community Libraries engages and collaborates with numerous organizations and corporations as partners to leverage programs or resources for deployment through our library network. These partners are instrumental to the funding of work that we do and building awareness for our successes and our on-going need.
We are proud of our partner relationships and appreciate their support for the on-going needs of our libraries. Partnerships have been integral to our efforts. For example, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Global Libraries Initiative provides a four-year institutional support grant, helping to develop the library association and programming costs.
Another great partnership has been through USAID with the Honduras Ministry of Education (MIDEH) in which funding is provided for some Riecken libraries to serve as complements to formal reading and math curriculum of the surrounding schools.
To continue to provide the kind of programming, technology, training and growth that the communities we work in need – and deserve – we invite ideas from donors, partners, investors and friends as we work to maximize the impact of our libraries.
Bill Gates, Sr. enjoys a site visit on behalf of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Global Libraries Initiative at the Riecken Library in Tatumbla, Francisco Morazán, Honduras
Current Partners
USAID/ASHA
The American Schools and Hospitals Abroad program is a part of the United States Agency for International Development that supports schools, libraries, and hospitals built overseas by U.S. citizens. Riecken has worked with ASHA since 2016 in the durable commodity purchase of technology equipment, books, furniture, and library repairs and construction.
BFB Foundation
BFB Foundation has worked with the Riecken Foundation on individual projects to strengthen women’s leadership skills. Starting in 2013, BFB/Riecken launched a broader women’s leadership program in five communities in Guatemala. The programs provide financial literacy training and funding for concrete women-led development projects. All projects are based out of the local Riecken Library.
Friends of Riecken
Each year Riecken Foundation board members and their contacts make significant contributions to support core costs and technology programming.
The Peterson Foundation
The Peterson Foundation works with Riecken libraries since 2015 to promote the effective and creative use of technology and reader programs to promote leadership and girls’ rights.
Some Past Partners
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
In 2012 the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided a multi-year institutional grant to the Riecken Foundation to help strengthen foundation systems and goals.
Inherit: Passed to Present
Inherit worked with five Riecken Libraries in Guatemala to strengthen cultural identity. Youth groups in each community use GPS devices and technology to map sacred and cultural sites. These maps are published and posted on the internet.
Interamerican Bank (IDB)
The Crece Conmigo project enhanced the ability of parents and caregivers of children to improve behavior and modify inappropriate habits in child maternal health and nutrition. By promoting best practices in early childhood development, hygiene and nutrition, the activities benefited more than150,000 people, including nearly 30,000 children under the age of five and more than 9,000 mothers and caregivers.
International Foundation
The International Foundation supported librarian training throughout the Riecken Library network. Specifically the International Foundation helped rural librarians learn about technology and its effective and creative uses.
John Brown Family Foundation
The John Brown Family Foundation provided funding to Riecken Community Libraries technology programs to help reduce the digital divide in rural Guatemala and to help establish systems to monitor and measure effective use of technology tools.
SG Foundation
The SG Foundation generously supported technology programs in Honduras. The SG Foundation grants helped provide educational programming and technology to Honduran youth via the Riecken libraries, in support of urban programs in difficult situations in Honduras.
Strachan Foundation
The Strachan Foundation worked with Riecken Community Libraries to help reduce the digital divide and to improve educational technology programs in rural Honduras. The programs helped develop technology skills in youth, teachers and local parents. The Strachan Foundation also worked with youth and building leadership skills using technology.
USAID/AIR
The United States Agency for International Development with projects from various areas of the Honduran Ministry of Education worked with together with the Riecken Community Libraries to improve the quality of education in Honduras. The joint programs promoted reading and writing for pleasure in schools from programs based in the community libraries.
If you would like to partner with us, please send email to info@rieckenlibraries.org with “Partnership Information” in the subject line.