Today we want to tell a story that isn’t about a single community program or a single fundraising event. It’s about friendship—the kind that grows between non-profit organizations in Ecuador that choose, year after year, to show up for one another.
Building a Network of Non-Profit Allies Since 2013
Since the Hearts of Gold Foundation was founded in Cuenca in 2013, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside more than 50 organizations across Ecuador. Some of these non-profit alliances were brief—a shared community project, a single NGO training session, a moment of mutual support. Others have grown into something much deeper: real friendships between organizations that trust each other completely.
From our very first years in Cuenca, three organizations have walked this road with us: NOVA, CETAP Lucy, and Fundación El Arenal. We’ve always felt proud of these strategic alliances, and proud of what a small foundation in Cuenca can accomplish when it collaborates instead of trying to do everything alone.
What an NGO Alliance Looks Like in Practice
Working together has never meant simply being friendly on social media or attending the same local events. With NOVA, CETAP Lucy, and Fundación El Arenal, alliance has meant sharing knowledge, non-profit training, capacity-building advice, and services openly, without keeping score.
When one of us learned something useful, we passed it along. When one of us needed a service the others could offer, we offered it. When one of us faced a challenge we’d already solved, we shared the solution. This is what it looks like when nonprofits in Ecuador stop competing for the same small pool of resources and start building a sustainable impact together.
Through Hardship, Side by Side
Not every chapter of this story has been easy. Together, we’ve faced tight budgets and uncertain years. Together, we’ve solved problems and worked through crises alongside the families and individuals our organizations serve, because a crisis for one beneficiary community was never treated as someone else’s problem to handle alone.
When the pandemic arrived and tested every organization’s strength, we joined forces and stood by each other as a team. We encouraged one another through the hardest months, knowing that we could always count on the support of our alliance network and, more importantly, on our friendship. Over these years, we’ve hugged, laughed, and cried together. That is what more than a decade of real community partnership looks like.
A Special Goodbye: Honoring Maribel from Fundación El Arenal
This past Friday, September 11th, we gathered for a very special reason: our dear friend Maribel, Executive Director of Fundación El Arenal, said goodbye to her role.
Fundación El Arenal will continue its vital work serving the Cuenca community, but Maribel is stepping down as director. Together, we looked back on the memories we’ve shared. We embraced, and we thanked her for everything she has given to the non-profit sector.
For 11 years, Maribel walked hand in hand with Hearts of Gold. It has been an honor to know a woman who gave so much of herself to Fundación El Arenal. Her passion, her commitment, and her love for social work and the community will stay with us always.
And while she is closing this chapter as director, Maribel isn’t leaving our story. She’ll continue on as an unconditional friend to NOVA, CETAP Lucy, and Hearts of Gold—someone we know we can still call, still lean on, and still celebrate with. We look forward to introducing you to Fundación El Arenal’s new director very soon.
Thank You, Maribel
Today, we simply want to wish our dear friend Maribel every success ahead, and to thank her for all these years of working side by side. Thank you for your noble and generous heart of gold, dear Maribel.
To NOVA, CETAP Lucy, and Fundación El Arenal—and to every one of the more than 50 organizations who have partnered with the Hearts of Gold Foundation since 2013—thank you for proving that nonprofits can build each other up instead of standing alone. Here’s to many more years of standing together!