Summary and Organisational Background 

EcoBalance Inc.  is a registered non-governmental organisation based and operating in the Commonwealth of Dominica.  The organisation mainly comprises women and youth farmers and agro-processors and has been operating from 2011.  EcoBalance Inc.’s membership has grown since commencing with eight (8) persons and has expanded its activities to include providing support to various grassroots organisations.  

Mission – NGO Sustainability

Since its inception EcoBalance Inc.  has focused on raising awareness on education in the environmental and organizational sectors and providing support to other NGOs to enhance their capacity and service delivery.  The organisation is especially keen on ensuring the sustainability of NGOs representing vulnerable groups and farmers, farmers and agro-processors. To date EcoBalance Inc. has provided institutional support and conducted capacity building workshops, among NGOs, which have focused on the following areas:

• Capacity development in financial management; 
• Baseline data collection;
• Business plan development;
• Conducting surveys;
• Project implementation; and 
• Project and proposal writing for NGOs and other grassroots organisations.

Mission – Environmental Sustainability 

Central to the organization’s mandate is the furtherance of principles which focus on sustainability. Its stated mission is “To be the go-to entity for organizations, providing support and improving capacities, while creating a sustainable environment.”

EcoBalance Inc. is keen to empower local communities by enhancing their environmental knowledge, through providing access to information on climate change and the challenges which this poses to small communities.  Primarily, its work has gained greater significance due to the challenges caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017, which resulted in landslide, loss of property and community displacement in Dominica.  The organization has undertaken training across local communities, including farmers and agro-processors, to provide them with the necessary tools and knowledge to be able to adapt and build resilience to reduce the impacts of climate change, specifically to navigate the impacts of severe weather.  Eco-Balance Inc. is keen to build empowered and resilient communities, through strong CSOs/NGOs which are able to respond to the needs of their constituents and specifically ensure the livelihoods of farming communities whilst utilizing climate smart strategies and participatory methodologies.

Governance

The Organization is Managed by its board of directors, having been first organized in January 2010 and officially registered in 2011.  Eco Balance Inc. possesses a strong governance structure, which features an unpaid voluntary Board of professionals, who are keen on social development.  The organizational chart for the organization is shown in Figure 1