Esna Village Network

What Esna Village Network does

ESNA Village Network (El Salvador North America Village Network) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, with operational activity in rural El Salvador. The organization partners disadvantaged Salvadoran communities — currently Las Trincheras (Caluco), the Caluco municipality (Sonsonate), Berlin (Usulutan), and rural villages across El Salvador — with North American groups to deliver infrastructure, education, health, and economic-development programs. Service offerings span construction of schools, early-childhood centers, water wells and distribution systems, composting latrines and eco-stoves, women's cooperatives, scholarships, and medical delegations. Quantified impact includes Caluco's 42-position improvement on the national poverty map and Ministry of Education recognition of the Las Trincheras early-childhood center.

The organization operates three principal revenue streams: tax-deductible individual and corporate donations, a Sustaining Membership program with recurring monthly or quarterly giving, and fees from service-learning trips and delegations. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: ESNA recruits high schools, colleges, churches, Rotary Clubs, Rotary-equivalent civic groups, and medical teams to travel to El Salvador, supplemented by word-of-mouth referrals from past travelers and digital channels including the esnavillages.org website, blog, Facebook, and Instagram. There is no proprietary technology platform; donor processing runs on Donor Perfect and the website is WordPress-hosted.

ESNA is staffed by 5 people and governed by a 7-member board including Executive Director Bill Fischer (retired from Xerox, 2006), El Salvador Director Alvaro Carias, Project Director Guillermo Fernando Sensente, CFO Larry Hartsook (retired CFO of Meredith Corporation), Strategy Director Eddie Ellis (Harvard Executive Management, 2004), Director Randy Fair, and Secretary Scott Valentine. The organization is independently funded — no parent company, private equity, or venture capital has been disclosed — and aligns its objectives with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

Name

Esna Village Network

Legal name

ESNA Village Network

Website

https://esnavillages.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ESNA Village Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that partners rural Salvadoran communities with North American donors and volunteer groups to deliver education, health, water, and economic-development programs in four community projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Nonprofit Community Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGALAC

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

Keywords

• Community development services
• International nonprofit aid
• Service learning travel
• Rural education programs
• Sustainable development partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: ESNA generates revenue through individual and group fundraising, corporate contributions, and individual donations. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, all contributions are tax-deductible.
2. Sustaining Membership Program: Monthly or quarterly contributions from sustaining members that provide recurring revenue to execute community development work in El Salvador. Members receive quarterly personalized updates and progress reports.
3. Service Learning Trip Fees: Fees associated with organizing and coordinating service-learning trips and delegations to El Salvador, including logistics, translation services, and in-country coordination.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ESNA Village Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects rural El Salvador communities with North American partners through sustainable development partnerships. Its core offerings include organized service-learning trips for groups, a sustaining membership donation program, and long-term community development projects in education (schools, early childhood centers, computer labs, scholarships), health (medical delegations, health clinics, eco-stoves), clean water (wells, distribution systems, composting latrines), and economic development (women's cooperatives).

Product overview

ESNA Village Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a community development organization rather than a technology product company. Its primary offering is a service-learning travel program that connects North American groups with rural Salvadoran communities. The organization facilitates multi-year partnerships implementing infrastructure projects including Early Childhood Development Centers, primary schools, clean water systems, sanitation facilities, and economic development programs. Key programs include the Sustaining Membership donation program, scholarship initiatives, women's cooperatives, and eco-stove distribution. All programs focus on education, health, economic development, and long-term self-sustainability in rural El Salvador villages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Service-Learning Travel Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Caluco moved from 4th poorest municipality in El Salvador to 46th on the poverty map
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity International: Habitat for Humanity is a large global nonprofit that builds affordable housing and runs volunteer home-building trips internationally, including in Latin America. Less niche than ESNA but comparable in pairing volunteer travel with community-based construction.
• World Vision International: World Vision is a large faith-based humanitarian organization running community development, child sponsorship, and disaster relief programs globally. Broader in scope than ESNA but shares the community development and donor-funded program model.
• Compassion International: Compassion International is a large child sponsorship and community development nonprofit operating in El Salvador and many other countries. Share ESNA's donor-funded, community-led development orientation in El Salvador.

Direct peers

• United Planet: United Planet runs short and long-term volunteer trips and global community partnerships. Comparable to ESNA as a service-learning-focused nonprofit connecting North American volunteers to international development.
• Glasswing International: Glasswing International is a regional nonprofit running community health, education, and workforce programs across Central America, including El Salvador. Operates in the same geography and program categories as ESNA.
• Global Brigades: Global Brigades organizes service-learning trips for universities and high schools to partner communities in Latin America and Africa, combining volunteer travel with community development. Directly comparable to ESNA's model of linking North American groups to rural development projects abroad.
• Cross-Cultural Solutions: Cross-Cultural Solutions organizes volunteer trips abroad focused on community development, education, and health. Comparable to ESNA in pairing international volunteer travel with grassroots development outcomes.
• Manna Project International: Manna Project places volunteers in Latin American communities to run education, health, and economic development programs. Comparable to ESNA as a small, community-led service-learning and development nonprofit.
• Amigos de las Américas: Amigos de las Américas runs youth volunteer programs in Latin America focused on community health and education. Closely comparable to ESNA's volunteer service-learning model serving North American high school and college students.

Emerging players

• Lasallian Volunteers: Lasallian Volunteers places faith-based volunteers in service projects focused on education and community development in Latin America. Comparable to ESNA's faith-adjacent volunteer network and education-focused mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ESNA-Village-Network-114656785229495
• Instagraminstagram.com/esna_elsalvador/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/esna-village-network

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Esna Village Network