Matrona Foundation

“No board meetings were held in 2020. This was due to COVID restrictions and our inability to achieve quorum using on-line technology. Because our revenue quadrupled in 2020 due to the popularity of our on-line Birthkeepers Cohort program, we saw the need for a governing body capable of steering the organizing through this time of unprecedented growth. To achieve that, the 2020 board of directors elected by email a new slate of directors and board meetings are now held on ZOOM. The new board plans to revise bylaws and develop specific oversight documents (COI, etc.) in 2022.”

“There are no committees”

“The 2021 board was emailed a copy of this return. It was discussed at the November 12, 2021 board meeting.”

“All documents are available by request to the headmistress or administrator by email. This can be found under "contact" on our website. The 990 filing for each year is available at the IRS website and our incorporation documents are available at the website of the NC Secretary of State.”

“We have a new program called the Open Hearts Fund. There is no new activity but our consistent support of Beti Flores and the birthing center and clinic in Chiapas Mexico has been folded into this official program. We intend to support Beti and the village of Partysana for at least the next 5 years. This program is also the umbrella for our domestic small grant giving. There is no set amount allocated for the individual grants. They are approved on a case by case basis. The Birthkeepers Cohort is a new program in structure, delivery method and name but not in content. It conveys the Matrona's distilled wisdom from decades of teaching to doulas, aspiring midwives and the community.”

“The Holistic Doula Program now includes all of the in-person seminars and programs. Currently we only offer the Birth Doula and Post-partum Doula programs but if we revive any of our past in-person programs or create new ones, they will be managed under this heading. Scholarships totaling $28,000 (for Birthkeepers and Holistic Doula combined) were granted in 2020 but not categorized as expenses. The tuition was basically discounted. Next year, these will be managed under the Open Hearts Fund. We will begin paying royalties on all birth wisdom curricula and will allocate the scholarships through that fund.”

“A high proportion of our program expenses is paid to independent contractors. $32,722 total "other expenses" for line 11g includes: ($9,500) Teaching and mentoring of the Birthkeepers Cohort, ($20,500) Videography for Birthkeepers and Holistic Doula. ($2,722) Web presence management and social media.”