Our History

 

In 2006, two Marines (Andrew Sullivan and Brenton Hutson) were working alongside Iraqi Police officers to develop programs helping to rebuild communities in and around Fallujah which had been torn apart by the ongoing war.  At the same time, two social entrepreneurs (Ryan and Amanda Phillips) were working in the most remote areas of northeastern India as they sought to heal a community damaged by corruption and poverty.  In these endeavors, all four witnessed the awesome power of communities mobilized into action through empowerment, education, and encouragement.

 

Through a combination of serendipitous luck and a passion fueled by the positive change they had experienced, Andrew, Brenton, Ryan, and Amanda came together and founded ECTA (Empowering Communities to Transcend Adversity) so that communities around the world could benefit from the actions of those who wish to impact positive change upon the world.

 

Since then ECTA has helped to support 6 Project Members representing more than 15 programs spanning over three continents.  Throughout ECTA’s history, we have made a habit of breaking away from ineffective tradition in favor of searching out what works. We have adopted practices and policies which have proven worthy of consideration and adoption on a wider scale. Our cause is simply to “do good,” and our project members have done just that. Devastating barriers that non-profits face early on such as lack of resources or a limited knowledge base, difficulty with understanding legal responsibilities, or frustration that their vision will never become reality are addressed as ECTA utilizes a “hub” model; one in which administrative functions are pooled together to allow for each project to (focus their efforts on what matters most ) stabilize faster, have access to information, and receive encouragement from each other. At ECTA, we know our projects but we also know our people.   It’s what sets us apart and empowers community leaders to, “Be the change…”