Saving the Mexican Forest with the Help of OSC Digital
Founded in 2002, Reforestamos Mexico has put people at the core of its mission to preserve and recover forest areas, and to make Mexico into a country where forests contribute to the economic, social, and environmental health of the nation. Its program, "Better People, Better Forests," empowers local leaders to manage their natural resources sustainably.
The organization works within communities, building educational programs, bringing workshops to schools, training youth in forestry practices, and connecting with rural leaders to further the reach of its environmental campaigns. With only 28 staff members, the organization's desire to empower people to become agents of environmental change in their communities is not only a part of its mission, but also necessary to accomplish it.
Without the community leaders and youth it trains, Reforestamos Mexico wouldn't be able to reach more than 10 Mexican states, have nurseries with more than 14,000 plants, lead successful environmental campaigns, or promote sustainable enterprises. However, training people costs money and requires a high level of efficiency and resources.
This is why Reforestamos Mexico reached out to OSC Digital, a partner of TechSoup Global, in search of donated software to update its Microsoft systems. The software donation not only helped the organization develop IT capabilities while saving time in reporting and recording data, but also saved 13 percent of its training and development budget. The savings enabled the organization to train an additional four young leaders, allowing it to extend its outreach efforts to eight additional communities in rural Mexico.
