Buena Onda

Non profit organization

(+502) 4865-4335

In a group or as a solo volunteer or intern, Buena Onda connects you with local, community-driven organizations dedicated to creating a positive impact and responsible development in Guatemala.

Target populations:

Women, Men, Girls, Boys, Indigenous peoples, Elderly, Disabled, Animals, Youth

Focus areas:

Volunteer/Sustainable travel

Key service areas:

Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, Chimaltenango, Petén, Sololá

Organizational contacts & locations

Contacts

Scott Garrison

Founder

(+502) 4865-4335

scott@buenaondavolunteers.org

Andrea Quiñonez

In-Country Director

andrea@buenaondavolunteers.org

Locations

Antigua Guatemala,

Sacatepéquez,

03001

Mission, vision & values

Mission

At Buena Onda, we connect grassroots organizations in Guatemala to a global network of dedicated volunteers, fostering collaborations that help drive innovation, nurture best practices, and build an equitable, sustainable future for the communities they serve. Our volunteers contribute their skills and hard work to the cause of responsible development — and, in turn, come away enriched by their experience. Our organizational partners benefit from a network of knowledgeable volunteers and professional resources. Together, we empower individuals, organizations, and communities to meet their objectives through collaboration and shared learning.

Vision

Our vision is an equitable future for all Guatemalans, where local organizations are empowered to find and implement sustainable solutions to critical community challenges.

Values

We value respect, patience, communication, and flexibility.

Products, services, and programs

Services

Buena Onda offers services to international volunteers as well as local organizations:

Our primary service is the purposeful and responsible placement to any volunteer, intern, or group who is interested in making the most positive impact they can with a local community. We also offer logistical help and in-country support to all of our volunteers and interns.
For local organizations, we offer support through volunteers and targeted resources. Buena Onda is a network of organizations and our service provides a platform for our partners to succeed together.

Programs

Buena Onda offers programs and placement for individual volunteers, interns, gap year participants, and volunteer groups.

Organizational detail

Founded:

2015

Number of employees:

0-10

Funding:

Private donations, Private grants, Participant fees and dues, Fundraising

Primary issue(s) / need(s) addressed

Buena Onda is unique because, rather than one focus, we are a network of community-driven partnerships. Therefore, our area of focus is as diverse as our partners, meaning that whatever you are looking for in your project, we can help you get there.

Impact, adaptations & objectives

Impact to date

We do not have exact numbers of how many Guatemalans have benefitted from our interactions, but we have had hundreds of volunteers through the years. These volunteers have participated in a wide range of activities that have served entire communities at any time. Because Buena Onda is so inclusive with our network of project partners, we don’t have a specific target population other than Guatemala in general.

Impact measuring

To date, qualitative data collection. We are developing a database to collect more data as Buena Onda grows.

Organizational adaptations:

Size and/or structure, Key offerings, Mission, vision and/or values, Funding model

Organizational adaptation details

Size and structure

Buena Onda has grown in the number of employees and also now has a Board of Directors

Key offerings

Buena Onda has added programs for interns and professional development programs, as well as new offerings for local participants

Mission, vision and/or values

Our mission was recently updated to reflect our growth and structural change

Funding model

We have instituted a new model of membership dues and updated our volunteer fees.

Short term objectives

Growth

Reach more nonprofit partners across every region of Guatemala, as well as volunteers across the world.

Quality

Formalize our data collection to continuously improve our service to our partners and volunteers, based on qualitative and quantitative feedback.

Impact

Monitor and evaluate closely the goals and outcomes of our partnerships, as related to direct community interaction and with volunteer experiences.

Long term objectives

Growth

Build a country-wide Guatemalan team for Buena Onda, with coodinators in every region of the country to oversee programming and relationships.

Quality

To be the go-to organization for responsible, culturally-sensitive development, internationally recognized for our service to and support of local communities as well as international volunteers.

Impact

To demonstrate through monitoring and evaluation that the Buena Onda network brings together communities all across the country, no matter how remote, to strengthen local initiatives and to show with data that our volunteers and resources have contributed to a better future for all Guatemalans.

Buena Onda

Table of contents

Organizational contacts & locations

Mission, vision & values

Products, services, and programs

Organizational detail

Impact, adaptations & objectives

Languages

Buena Onda

Table of contents

Organizational contacts & locations

Mission, vision & values

Products, services, and programs

Organizational detail

Impact, adaptations & objectives

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Focus area

Target populations

Key service areas