Annual Highlights

Year 2005

*	The Philippines braved 2005 with many political and economic difficulties. Despite this, many Filipinos in the US have not lost the heart to help their kababayans in the Philippines. The trying times proved to be the catalyst in giving US-based Filipinos the opportunity to share their blessings, both in financial terms and active involvement. In 2005, AF USA received more than $ 580,000 (approximately P 31,320,000) cash donations from 350 donors. Of these, 287 are individuals while 63 are corporations and non-profit organizations.
*	Partner non-profit organizations in the Philippines increased to 113. With more social projects supported, donors had more and better opportunities to provide support and are able to create greater impact among communities around the country.
*	Forged long-term partnerships to help non-profits, both in the United States and in the Philippines, build up their capacities to mobilize funds and enhance support for their respective projects: * Funded by the Ford Foundation, 10 Filipino-American associations from various states underwent Training on Resource Mobilization in San Jose, California. * In the Philippines, the Peace and Equity Foundation gave an additional P 1 million grant to fund the capacity-building training of about 50 non-profit organizations. * Signed an agreement with the University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society in America (UPMASA) to lend assistance in undertaking their charitable activities for the UP College of Medicine and other Philippine-based organizations. * Partnered with Dr. Josefina Jayme-Card, a US-based Filipina, who initiated a scholarship program to benefit young students in the Philippines who cannot afford a college education. The JCAP (Jayme-Card-Ayala-Pathways) Scholarship Program offers scholarships through the Pathways for Higher Education, an educational program of the Ateneo de Manila University. Dr. Card encourages both US-based and local Filipinos to support the program. During the formal Memorandum of Agreement signing with Dr. Card, she initially turned over $74,700 and P77,500 or a total of more than P4 Million to AF USA. The amount, donated by family and friends, can already cover the entire college education of at least 15 scholars.
*	In efforts to promote “Brain Gain”, four Filipino-Americans came back to the Philippines to share their knowledge and expertise among Filipinos. Some conducted series of lectures and workshops for students and teachers in their hometown while others collaborated with professional groups. The “Brain Gain” program taps the vast human resource of millions of Filipinos overseas.
*	Ten young, service-oriented Fil-Ams were chosen to participate in the 2nd Filipino-American Youth Leaders Fellowship Program. The fellows spent 8-weeks immersed with various Philippine-based non-profits, giving them firsthand experience with social issues, chance to rediscover their Filipino roots, strengthen ties with the homeland and opportunity to become advocates of the Philippines in the US.
*	In January, GILAS or Gearing-Up Internet Literacy Access for Students was launched in Cebu City, Philippines at the 3rd Global Filipino Networking Convention. GILAS is a private sector consortium working with the Philippines’ Department of Education to bring Internet connectivity to all 5,500 public secondary schools in the Philippines in 5 years. As of yearend, more than 700 public schools were connected to the Internet. An active fundraising campaign was instrumental in connecting these schools. By yearend, GILAS raised a total of P 22.4 Million ($ 407,272.72) in cash, with US-based donors accounting for $ 114,503. An additional P 49.6 Million ($ 901,818.18) was mobilized in kind by the partner corporations supporting GILAS.

Year 2004

*	In 2004, AF USA received total of $ 378,478 cash donations and $ 97,642 in-kind donations from 237 individual donors and 32 organizational donors.
*	The Ford Foundation project, “Tapping Diaspora Giving: Testing a Mechanism” ended in March. In July, AF USA received another 3-year grant from Ford Foundation on the expansion project worth $500,000.
*	AF USA established partnerships with Red Ribbon Bakeshop, Seafood City, the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment, the Commission on Filipino Overseas and National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) for resource mobilization efforts. Red Ribbon Bakeshop raised donations total of $21,992.56 for ERDA Tech, a technical-vocational school for underprivileged Filipino youth, while NAPC together with NAFFAA generated pledges worth $ 300,000 for various microfinance projects in the Philippines.
*	Another milestone this year was the establishment of an immersion program for young Filipino-Americans. The Filipino-American Youth Leaders Fellowship Program was designed to give 2nd and 3rd generation Fil-Ams the opportunity rediscover their Filipino roots through firsthand work experience with organizations in the Philippines. In this way, the next generation of Fil-Ams will have a deeper understanding and awareness of what it is like being Filipinos in the homeland. Five young and idealistic Fil-ams were chosen as the first batch of fellows who spent 4-weeks with their respective host organizations. The fellowship program was implemented in partnership with the LBC Foundation with funding from Chevron Corporation (then Chevron Texaco).
*	Completed the data gathering for the Asian Development Bank-funded research on Diaspora Knowledge Transfer.
*	AF USA approved 25 grant eligibility applications, increasing total number of Philippine partner organizations to 92.
*	Partnered with a Philippine local radio program entitled “Caritas sa Veritas” where 27 of the partner organizations were featured on a weekly basis. Through this exposure, one of our partner-beneficiaries unexpectedly received a P 500,000 donation from an anonymous donor.
*	AF USA launched a campaign for the victims who were severely affected by the onslaught of spate of typhoons that devastated the Philippine regions in late 2004. The campaign was quite successful, with more than $16,000 donations received from generous donors. The donation was turned over to the Department of Education earmarked for the agency’s Sagip Eskwela Project. The grant helped rehabilitate hundreds of public schools – rebuilding of schools, repair of school facilities to replacement of textbooks and other learning materials.

Year 2000-2002

*	IWith five founding members, Ayala Foundation USA was incorporated on July 28, 2000 in California with the objective of serving as the bridge for US-based Filipinos who are willing to help their fellow Filipinos in the Philippines.
*	AF USA was granted 501 (c) 3 status, giving it the opportunity to mobilize resources in the United States in support of social development projects in the Philippines while providing generous donors tax deductibility incentives for their donations.
*	Initial projects supported were focused on education such as support to the newly established Lewis College that provides quality education to young students of Sorsogon, a computer laboratory for the Malabbac Elementary School in Cagayan Province and assistance to build up the endowment fund of the SCA Leaders Foundation.
*	Partnership with the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA) in AF USA’s advocacy efforts among US-based Filipinos. AF USA was actually launched during a NAFFAA convention in 2000.
*	AF USA started to set-up mechanisms for various donation options.