Help vulnerable Argentine students finish college

2020 the Unexpected year 

Between December 2019 and February,  we experienced a drop of 21% in our flow of donations because many of our usual local donors were unable to match last year´s accumulated 50% inflation rate. Then the COVID pandemic came and mid-march Argentina declared lockdown.  Corporate donations representing a little over 30% of our income plummeted, conversations that were well underway with new donors were short-circuited, and the fundraising dinner had to be postponed indefinitely. By the end of April, we had half the income we had been counting on.

We then decided to launch our first international fundraising campaign to seek the support of Argentinian expatriates.  The generosity was heartwarming: in just three weeks we raised the equivalent of all of our students´stipend for three months and the donor base increased by 44%, half of them recurrent.

Undeterred by the adversity of the times ahead, we committed ourselves to do everything we could possibly think of to help our students sustain their academic project and to keep staying close and together … even if those words suddenly sound inadequate in times of compulsory social distancing. We set up an academic support program and provided them with constant motivation, support, guidance, and mentoring. 

Like everywhere else, the pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on low-income families: many lost a large part of their income, several students became ill, the switch to virtuality was a huge challenge for a population that doesn´t always have efficient computers and lives in neighborhoods where wifi connection is usually bad. Here, in the southern hemisphere, the first half of the academic year has just finished and we can proudly declare that 81% of Integrar´s students are up to date. 

The pandemic has hit the whole world, but in some places, things are a bit more challenging: Argentina entered the 5th month of total lockdown, the recession is brutal and inflation is expected to be explosive. We understand this is a dire scenario for everyone, individuals, and corporations alike, so we are directing our fundraising effort outside of the country. We are also building a network system to help our graduates get back on their feet once the health crisis is over. 

Like Nelson Mandela, we believe that education is the most powerful tool to change the world and that what is lacking is not talent, but opportunities. It is our privilege to know that many smart and courageous young men and women can fulfill their right to higher education with your help. 

Thank you for your support. Together, we are unstoppable! 

Thank you! 

• Informe_de_Gestin__Fundacin_Integrar.pdf (PDF)