For more than 25 years, Synergos has worked with local partners to help overcome poverty in Mexico. In May of 2014, Instituto Synergos Mexico was legally incorporated with local tax-deductible nonprofit status.
We thank our supporters and partners as we celebrate the successful first year of Instituto Synergos México. Highlights include:
- Development of a Bridging Leadership curriculum. “Bridging leadership” is the ability to build shared ownership, perspective and solutions to a complex or difficult social problem. The curriculum will first be used in Monterrey offering workshops, learning journeys and space to apply learnings. In the future, it will serve as the basis for training both inside and outside Mexico.
- First Purpose Retreat held in Guanajuato with participants including both philanthropists and civil society leaders. Synergos retreats aim to help participants better connect to their sense of purpose, enabling them to become more effective leaders in their ongoing work. With Peggy Dulany as facilitator, this marked the first time we have held a stand-alone retreat outside the United States. With funding from the Goldhirsh Foundation, we are exploring how to bring this offering to changemakers in other parts of Mexico and around the world.
- Convening a high school and youth employment network - with philanthropists, corporate foundations, nonprofit organizations and think tanks - supported by the Lodestar Foundation. Interviews, data and mapping-out potential partners resulted in a report available online. Next June the network will have its second annual gathering.
- Development of proposals for training on leadership and multistakeholder engagement in response to requests from three Mexico-based companies.
Instituto Synergos México is overseen by four board members: Ricardo Betancourt, Mayra Hernández, the Synergos Institute represented by Peggy Dulany, and Mónica Tapia, Synergos' Director, Mexico. Ms. Hernández and Mr. Betancourt are key funders of our work, and our office space is donated in part by Ignacio Soto Borja.
May 2015