My Nonprofit Reviews

This is an extraordinary non-profit that is changing both lives and communities. I had the privilege of seeing it in action this past February, when we visited four of its school sites and witnessed first-hand the impact Mil Milagros is having on improving the nutrition and hygiene of impoverished children in rural Guatemalan communities. What Mil Milagros and its leaders understand so well is that long-term change can only be effectuated by involving parents, grandparents and the whole community in efforts to improve the quality of life for children. The program takes great care to engage mothers and caregivers not only as participants in health programs, but also as potential leaders of wellness efforts in their own homes and communities. As an Executive Director of a non-profit in Washington, DC, I am very familiar with the best practices that allow a lean organization to have a major impact in its field--and Mil Milagros exemplifies everything that good non-profits should be doing. Since spending time with Mil Milagros Executive Director Margaret Blood and her staff in Guatemala, I have become an active supporter as well as an avid fan of the remarkable work they are doing.

The organization does, indeed, transform lives through theatre education. Great professional training for emerging artists, stellar youth programs, numerous opportunities for people who want the personal as well as artistic benefits of studying theatre (like improved self-confidence, comfort with public speaking, etc.). And a huge outreach mission to make theatre education accessible to all. The organization provides man astounding $80,000+ in scholarship awards each year to kids and teens who couldn't otherwise afford to participate int heir award-winning theatre camps and musical theatre institutes, and offers groundbreaking "Life Stories" programs which help incarcerated youth, seniors in assisted living facilities, homeless women in drug recovery and more create original dramatic works from their real-life experiences. Winner of the Mayor's Arts Award for Innovation in the Arts, named one of the 50 top arts and humanities-based programs serving youth out of school time by The President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, and chosen multiple times by the Catalogue for Philanthropy as one of the Washington area's best community-based charities.

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