San Marcos Foundation

Our mission is to empower underserved indigenous communities through community nutrition, education and agriculture. We operate a ...Learn more

Donate now

A new way to support San Marcos Foundation

Make an impact with a quick-start fundraiser tailored to your next occasion.

See all occasions

From the community

Fundraisers created by supporters like you

View all 6

Daisy Shlakman is fundraising
Support San Marcos Foundation's Vital Work
Be The Good: Support Street Dogs & Elders in Need

This isn’t a big NGO campaign.

There are no grants. No corporations.

Just us—a group of neighbors, friends, and animal lovers doing what we can to make life a little better for the most vulnerable among us: the street dogs and village elders of Hummingbird Valley in Guatemala.

It started with one woman and one question…

Over two years ago, a young woman from the local community came to me. She told me about a group of elders in her neighborhood—some neglected, some living in deep poverty, others without family able to care for them. Her voice cracked with worry as she asked:

“Can we do something?”

We said YES.

That’s how our Elder Feeding Project was born.

Since then, every single month, we’ve delivered nourishing food baskets to the elders in our care. These baskets help close a critical gap in their nutrition and well-being. And they do more than feed the body—they remind these elders that they are seen, valued, and loved.

And the dogs?

They’re part of this story too. If you’ve ever been to Guatemala or watched Erica’s videos, you’ve probably seen them—street dogs with ribs showing, limping, injured, or frightened. These animals didn’t ask to be born into hardship. But they deserve love, care, and dignity too.

So we feed them. We get them vet care when we can.

And we can only do it with your help.

Why this matters

If you love animals…

If you have a soft spot for abuelitas and abuelitos…

If you believe that our elders deserve to age with dignity…

If your life was touched by a grandparent who cared for you…

Then this is your invitation to BeTheGood.

Your donation goes directly to food, supplies, and care for real people and animals in our village. There’s no middleman. Just love in action.

Thank you for helping us care for those who once cared for us.

Thank you for feeding the hungry, seen and unseen.

Thank you for being the good.

With love,

Erica, Daisy & The San Marcos Foundation team
E
C
A
43 supporters
Erica Derrickson is fundraising
Let's Help the Elders & Dogs
Hey friends,

Two years ago I started a charity project with my local Mayan friend, Gloria, to make a difference for those who need it most here in this rural village of Hummingbird Valley—providing food for street dogs and helping elders living in poverty. These are the sweetest souls, and a little goes such a long way here.

I’m raising money to keep this project going and growing. If you’ve ever wanted to be part of something small but mighty, this is it. Every dollar makes a real, tangible difference—whether it’s filling a dog’s belly or giving an elder some much-needed care and dignity.

If you feel inspired to contribute, I’d be so grateful. And if you can’t donate right now, sharing this with your circle would mean the world to me. Let’s spread some love and do some good in the world together.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. Let’s show up for them, because they matter (and what you do does too). ❤️

With so much love,

Erica aka Eva
l
J
K
73 supporters
Erica Derrickson is fundraising
Erica's fund for feeding the elders

Please Support Our Cause: Nourishing the Hearts and Bodies of Hummingbird Valley's Elderly

In the picturesque landscapes of Hummingbird Valley, Guatemala, a silent struggle unfolds.

The gentle whispers of our elders, once pillars of their community, now echo with hunger and frailty.

It's time for us to come together and make a difference.

Our program, 'Amor de Ancianos,' aims to provide sustenance and hope to a group of 13 impoverished elders of Hummingbird Valley.

With each passing day, we witness their struggle to secure a warm meal, their weary bodies burdened by malnutrition. But we refuse to let their spirits wither away.

By supporting Amor de Ancianos you can join us in transforming lives. Not just by putting food on the table, but by letting these elders know in the most tangible way that they are not forgotten and someone out there cares about them, and that they are valued and cherished members of our community.

Your donation helps ensure that these elderly folks in Hummingbird Valley receive a nutritious food basket every month.

Plus, we would love to expand the project to include live chickens and supplies to care for them, so the elders can receive a steady supply of fresh eggs.

Your contribution can make an immediate and profound impact.

Just a small donation can provide a lifeline of sustenance, a beacon of hope for those who need it most.

Together, we can break the cycle of hunger and restore dignity to these remarkable individuals who have given so much to their families and community. Let's come together and create a legacy of compassion.

Your support will bring nourishment, joy, and renewed strength to these beautiful souls. Donate now and let the melody of compassion echo through Hummingbird Valley - and down the corridors of your heart and mind - reminding us all of the power we hold to change lives.

Go Team Love! ❤️
D
T
A
55 supporters
Daisy Shlakman is fundraising
San Marcos Sterilization Clinic Oct 28, 2022
Want to join me in making a difference in the world?

We are raising money for the next serialization clinic. We are working at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, where we have a huge overpopulation of street dogs. Families here live on a few dollars a day. The cost of each operation is $50 and it is not affordable to the indineous population of this land. We hope to operate up to 30 animals in one day with a team of vets. The clinic will be held on Oct, 28, 2022.

If we exceed our financial goal all extra money will go towards dog vaccinations and dog food for our street feed project.
A
S
T
72 supporters
Daisy Shlakman is fundraising
Tzununa Sterilization Clinic Jan. 7 2023
Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit San Marcos Foundation, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

We are hosting our first Sterilization clinic in 2023 in our location in Tzununa. On January 7 2023.

We are working to reduce the overpopulation problem of dogs and cats in the rural areas of Lake Atitlan. An animal costs $50 for sterilization, flea treatment and parasite treatment. Please sponsor a dog or cat if you feel inspired to give back to these innocent animals.

Illustration of helping hands

Give $20 and be a founding donor
K
M
T
47 supporters
Daisy Shlakman is fundraising
Tzununa clinic July 12, 2022
Hello friends of the animals. This is our page to raise funds to support the dogs and cats of a small village in Guatemala called Tzununa (also known as “Hummingbird Valley”). Your kind donations will help us fund a spay and neuter clinic to help control the rising numbers of streets animals, as well as purchase medicine and dog food to help care for the existing population. This is a much needed service here as the majority of the indigenous humans are living in extreme poverty and do not have the means to provide these basic services to the animals. But thanks to kind people like you, these animals can receive the care they need.

Each operation cost $50 which is a weeks wages for Indigenous Mayan people.

Thank you for your generous donations to this cause - it makes a big difference in the lives of these precious creatures.
B
S
J
60 supporters

About San Marcos Foundation

Our mission is to empower underserved indigenous communities through community nutrition, education and agriculture. We operate a school breakfast program Un Huevo al Dia, which provided 55,000 eggs to 385 students in 2018. In 2019, we plan to provide 250,000 eggs to 2,100 students across four public elementary schools. We are constructing the Gallinero San Marcos community hen farm in order to provide eggs for our nutrition programs . The farm will create jobs for local women and eventually transition to an employee-owned co-op. We also coordinated installation and covered costs for internet at the local public middle school (2017) and elementary school in San Marcos (2018).

2108 GOLF COURSE DRRESTON, VA 20191

Find San Marcos Foundation at

Causes

Community and economic development

Established

2024

Tax ID

82-2900294

NTEE code

Community Improvement, Capacity Building N.E.C.

San Marcos Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 82-2900294. Donations are tax-deductible. Select content is provided by GuideStar.

Affiliated with San Marcos Foundation?

Claim this page to track donations, access key insights, and get a verified badge

Claim page

Recent Donations

Dorinda Becker-Sandvig donated to Support San Marcos Foundation's Vital Work
$506 d
Sally Hall donated to Support San Marcos Foundation's Vital Work
$506 d
Maureen Coleman donated to Support San Marcos Foundation's Vital Work
$107 d
Tammy Clark donated to Support San Marcos Foundation's Vital Work
$507 d
Amanda Edgbert donated to Support San Marcos Foundation's Vital Work
$257 d
Shari Schrader donated to Support San Marcos Foundation's Vital Work
$508 d
Amber Haines donated to Support San Marcos Foundation's Vital Work
$109 d
Grace Houston donated to Support San Marcos Foundation's Vital Work
$2510 d
Holly Hutchinson Hutchinson donated to Support San Marcos Foundation's Vital Work
$10010 d
Melissa Goldstein donated to Support San Marcos Foundation's Vital Work
$2210 d

San Marcos Foundation

A new way to support San Marcos Foundation

Support San Marcos Foundation's Vital Work

Let's Help the Elders & Dogs

Erica's fund for feeding the elders

San Marcos Sterilization Clinic Oct 28, 2022

Tzununa Sterilization Clinic Jan. 7 2023

Tzununa clinic July 12, 2022