It wouldn’t be difficult to argue that Healing Art Missions (HAM) supporters are among the most generous, dedicated, and loyal donors to be found. Some of you have partnered with HAM since the late 1990’s when Dr. Tracee returned from her first trip to Haiti with the idea of directly partnering with the community of Dumay to build a medical clinic with regular access to health care. Many of you discovered HAM through the Haitian art auctions that began in Granville, Ohio as a way to help pay for the medications and medical supplies needed, for which our organization derived our name; Dr. Tracee and her team of volunteers taking suitcases filled with medicine and supplies for the clinic and returning with suitcases filled with beautiful and unique Haitian art to be auctioned off in order to pay for the next round of medications. And many others were introduced to HAM through other volunteers and supporters who understood the value and dedication and saw the great need in Haiti. Support for HAM has always epitomized the concept of grass-roots support.
From our very humble beginning to an organization with an annual operating budget of over $400,000 in 2021, the mission, vision and values of HAM have remained clear and consistent:
• Our mission is to collaborate with rural Haiti, connecting communities to healthcare, education, clean water, and employment.
• The lack of basic resources creates the condition of structural poverty. HAM’s vision is to support Haitians by providing access to these fundamental human rights, helping them to lift their communities out of the cycle of poverty.
• We are committed to fostering the dignity of the individual, respecting the ways of the community, and reflecting the strength of a loving God.
Over the years our organization has grown to meet the expanding needs of the communities in Haiti where we work, and as such we have needed to expand our financial resources to meet the increased demand. Without the support of past, present and future supporters and donors, such expansion would not be possible. Therefore, as leaders of the organization and stewards of your investment in the communities we serve, we must ensure the financial health of HAM and commit to a high level of transparency and accountability. As such, we are pleased to announce that HAM has recently earned a Gold Seal of Transparency from one of the top Nonprofit research organizations, GuideStar.
GuideStar was one of the first central sources of information on U.S. nonprofits and is the world's largest source of information about nonprofit organizations, also serving to verify that a recipient organization is established and that donated funds go where the donor intended. GuideStar’s ratings provide clear, objective, and reliable assessments of both the Financial Health and Accountability & Transparency of charities. Funders can now easily view HAM’s mission and program details, financial information from our IRS 990 forms, leadership and donation information. Based on performance metrics found in GuideStar, existing and potential donors can learn how HAM compares to other charities throughout the country.
Our GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency is simply the latest step in meeting our commitments to both our Haitian communities and to those who support Healing Art Missions through their time, talent and treasure.