Trailblazer Foundation

“Robert youngberg is the secretary/treasurer of the organization, and is the father-in-law of erin youngberg who is the vice president of the organization. Scott coats and christi coats are key employees of the organization. They are also the parents of erin (coats) youngberg, the vice president of the organization.”

“During a regular board of directors teleconference meeting held in the spring of 2015, the board meets to review the form 990. Members of the board are provided with copies of the form 990 for their review. The form 990 is filed after being reviewed by the board.”

“During board meetings, inquiry is made as to whether any sort of conflict of interest has come up since the last board meeting.”

“The trailblazer foundation makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and form 990 available to the public upon request. Interested parties can call (307) 203-2542 or write to the trailblazer foundation at po box 3694, jackson, wy 83001 and request copies of these documents.”

“Process to determine compensation of other officers or key employees key employees of the organization include the founders scott coats & chris coats. The board of directors determined that the trailblazer foundation budget was sufficient enough to support the executive director's compensation in 2008. The board requested a job description and employment offer letter from the executives. Upon their review of these documents, the board action was approved to compensate the executive directors with an amount that would allow a very modest living expense for both scott, primarily in cambodia and for chris, primarily in the u.s. The board continues to support the compensation for the executive director and project director. Key employees annual 2014 compensation is as follows: scott coats $ 14,400 chris coats 19,920”

“Accounting method is modified accrual”

“History trailblazer foundation, was incorporated as a 501(c)3 in 2004. Since then, the foundation has run highly successful programs in villages of rural cambodia. These programs are guided by the trailblazer foundation's mission: by providing training and appropriate technology, we empower rural villagers to create self sustaining programs. Our focus includes water projects, school construction, and community based development in order to foster healthy families, sufficient food, and sustainable incomes. We strive to preserve the cultural integrity of the villages we work in by using a participatory model of community based development. This model allows the villagers to identify their needs and empowers them to work in partnership with us to find sustainable solutions to their most pressing needs. Trailblazer foundation first visited sras village in the province of siem reap cambodia in 2004. At that time sras village was identified as one of the poorest villages in the district of angkor thom. The people of sras had no access to potable water; 79% of men and 92% of women were illiterate; only 15 children out of 600 had ever attended school; and diseases like malaria, dysentery, and dengue fever claimed the lives of 1 out of 7 children before the age of five years old. Sras village had received no international aid and the villagers had little hope for rising above the world bank poverty definition of "the poorest of the poor." using a model of participatory community based development, chris and scott coats, the founders of trailblazer foundation, began working in partnership with villagers in the angkor thom district region to improve their living conditions and achieve sustainable economic development. In the past nine years trailblazers work has resulted in access to clean water through the installation of over 646 wells with over 3,000 bio-sand water filters, providing access to water for up to 11,682 people, provided potable water to over 100,000 individuals, construction of five government primary school buildings and two libraries for a primary / junior-high school complex, access to vocational training opportunities, and 16 village-run self-sustaining banks that manage 77 active micro-loans. Eight years after inception, funds are still working. Although from year to year the number of villages with active loans and total capital amounts vary. Trailblazer foundation fostered this sustainable economic independence among the people of angkor thom district and as of today, hundreds of families have risen two full poverty levels. According to the world bank's poverty indicators, they are now just "poor" but with their new skills and water resources they can continue to sustainably improve their lives. These residents have been empowered to live sustainably without a continuing influx of international aid. Organizational overview trailblazer foundation is headquartered in jackson, wy, usa. During the year, co-founders, chris and scott coats each worked an average of 40 hours per week for the organization for a small salary. Tf's home office was staffed by one part-time office manager. Trailblazer cambodia organization (tco) was registered as an indigenous ngo in 2008 with the cambodian ministry of interior. Local cambodians fill the two management positions and serve as the main point of contact in cambodia. Professional development opportunities are provided for management staff that assumed full responsibility for the tco office and provide a long-term presence in the region. Implementation strategies in 2012 tco separated from trailblazer foundation and became its own indigenous ngo. They now manage their own non-profit. The skills they learned while working with trailblazer foundation enabled and gave them the confidence to start their own business, which is part of trailblazer's mission: to provide opportunites for self-employment and economic independence. This is another trailblazer story of success indeveloping se”

“History (continued) a list of affiliates and organizations we collaberated with in 2014 are: - naga biofuels (our trucks and cement mixer run on biofuel) - cws (church world service) training on water testing; - rotary clubs in the united states, norway, taiwan, singapore and cambodia; - rotary international; - global medic from canada for medical support - friends without a border for dental support; - ie3 global internships, oregon university system; - resource equality - international (re-i); - tag wealth, tag finance and 1% for solar units; - cambodian ministry of education youth and sport; - cambodian ministry of rural development; - cambodian department of rural water supply; - cambodian ministry of agriculture; school construction and operation: in 2014 the construction of one primary school occurred in tatrav village, accomodating an additional 365 students. - distributed 57 pairs of flip flops to primary school students in romdoul village, reul commune, puok district. - distributed 32 bicycles to students in romdoul village, reul commune, puok district. - provided 56 school uniforms to students in romdoul village, reul commune, puok district. In 2013, along with operation of the school, 328 pairs of flip flops were distributed to primary school students in angkor thom district; 24 bicycles were distributed to students in angkor thom district; and 44 school and soccer uniforms were distributed to students in angkor thom district. In 2011, construction of a school library for the primary and secondary level school complex in svay chek village was completed. The total cost for the construction of the library was $18,242. The library serves the svay chek commune primary and secondary schools, for which students from several villages in the area attend. The library size is: 9 x 16 meters, 1 room is smaller for the teacher's office, the other room will be the library. There was a total of 834 primary students (17 classes between grades 1-6) of which 428 are female; and there was a total of 214 jr. High level students (4 classes between grades 7-9) of which 119 are female. The curriculum and books were supplied by the cambodian ministry of education and/or other educational related government offices. The building of a library was identified as a priority by the local community and at the 2009 angkor thom district integrated annual workshop. Additionally, mr. Phal sovann, the director in charge of all primary education for the entire commune, approached trailblazer foundation and asked if we would build this library to serve the students of the 4-5 villages in the area. It is hoped that eventually this library will also be used to conduct classes in english and computer. In 2010, trailblazer foundation, in partnership with angkor thom district, built a 3 classroom kindergarten school in phlong village, leang dai commune. This kindergarten can accommodate 90 students in each session and will provide care and basic education, better preparing these children for higher levels of education. The kindergarten was a district initiative to promote women development by having a facility where women could safely take their children and attend vocational training at the women's development center [wdc] across the road. The wdc was a ministry of woman affairs project to provide vocational training for the women from the four surrounding villages: phlong, leang dai, doun ov, and tra peang svay. Women from these villages now have the ability to participate in training on mat and silk weaving, sewing, basket making, cooking, rug making, and other handicraft items. The number of students who inially attended the kindergarten was 60 [35 female or 59%, 25 male]. During 2011, preparations for the construction of a school library for the primary and secondary level school complex in svay chek village were started. Ta trav village had an old wooden school building which was becoming termite ridden and timbers were beginning to collapse from the”