The Issaan Development Foundation is governed by the Board of Directors and by the Administration Committee (consisting of all the department heads.) The operations of the IDF are divided into two separate departments: Agriculture and Development. Six other departments serve the entire organization: Data Processing, Domestic Finance (IDF accounting department), International Finance (outside funding), Public Relations (including government and other organizations), Marketing, and Computer Services. The chart below details this organizational structure, and is intentionally inverted from the typical corporate organization chart. Our work here stresses a "bottom up" rather than a "top down" structure -- decision-making authority depends on input and consensus from the people most closely involved with the work, rather than being invested in a central management person or board.
The Administration Committee is composed of the following Department Heads:
Jim Gustafson - International Finance
Nang (Prayoon Duangjapa) - Domestic Finance
Tu (Watcharaporn Jaikla) - Development
Nuujon Singpila - Agriculture
These same people compose the Board of Directors: Jim - President, Tu - Vice-President, Somsak - Secretary, Nang - Treasurer, Nat and Nuujon - members.
The Development Department plans, implements, and supports various village socio-economic development projects. These projects have two primary goals: to improve the living conditions of some of the poorest members of Issaan society, and to see the Gospel worked out in the lives of the project participants as they are taught and encouraged to incorporate Bible-based principles both in their daily lives and in the project activities.
These projects are divided into five separate categories:
Agriculture - cooperative agricultural projects, which include raising fish, pigs, mushrooms, fruit trees, etc.
Forestry - reforestation projects
Water Resources - digging wells to provide dependable water sources for villages and schools.
Health - training villagers in improved health practices.
Home Industry - setting up and assisting village vocational projects: sewing cooperatives, basket-weaving, silk production.
The Agriculture Department operates three separate farms which provide financial support for the work of the IDF, as well as for the Institute of Sustainable Development (ISD) and the overall Thailand Covenant Church. In addition, the farms provide research sites for methods and products to be introduced in village agricultural development projects. The farms are named by the original parcel size (1 rai equals 1600 square meters, or approximately 0.40 acre) and are listed below:
22 rai - (current size is 70 rai) located about 35km north of Udon Thani; research and development of agro-forestry products and processes suitable for locations without abundant year-round water supplies.
52 rai - located between Udon Thani and Kut Chap; is devoted to fruit orchard, mostly mango, sweet tamarind, and noi naa (custard apple or sugar apple).
41 rai - (current size is 53 rai) located near Kut Chap, about 20km west of Udon Thani; the newest facility and the site of the IDF headquarters; initially devoted to hogs, fish (tilapia), and fry, but has been converted to concentrate solely on the production of sex-reversed tilapia fry.
For more information about the people on the Administration Committee, click on the pictures below:
For further information about the Agriculture and Development Departments, click below: