Donelle Manton

Since starting the Tres Islas Orphanage Fund 23 years ago, Donelle Manton has been working every waking minute to serve the children of orphanages in Mazatlan, Mexico. She spends her evenings, weekends and vacation time tirelessly emailing, writing newspaper articles, budgeting, fund raising and visiting the orphaned children in Mazatlan, Mexico.

What began twenty-three years ago as a one-person effort to help the children in Mexico’s orphanages has blossomed into a thriving nonprofit organization, actively serving five orphanages with over 100 children and engaging donors and volunteers from across North America.

Over 100 donors contribute annually to support the Tres Islas Orphanage Fund’s endeavors. Of these, 20-40 travel to Mazatlan during a Spring Mission Week where they perform building upgrades, spend time with the children and their caregivers and get to know other donors.

At inception, Donelle insisted the Tres Islas Orphanage Fund be unique, in that 100% of all donations go toward the betterment of the children with nothing ever taken out for administration, salaries, or other expenses. The operating expenses are paid for out-of-pocket – her pocket.
Today, the Tres Islas Orphanage Fund serves approximately 123 children in five orphanages full-time. Since answering the call, the Fund’s total purchases for food, school supplies, shoes, uniforms, backpacks, advanced education, medical needs, appliances, health, safety and welfare improvements for the children in Mazatlan’s orphanages totals over $332,500! More than providing funds for these orphans, Donelle and the volunteers and donors she has cultivated have made a lifetime investment in the children of Mazatlan, Mexico. It’s an investment that will powerfully alter the lives of the children at the five orphanages they serve.