IESC Announces Frank Pace Award Winner, Nancy Glaser
Volunteers have been a critical part of IESC’s mission since 1964. The Frank Pace Award, named after one of IESC’s founders, is given each year to a volunteer expert, or team of experts, who performed the most outstanding assignment in the previous year. This year’s recipient is Nancy Glaser, who volunteered with IESC in Tanzania, making a lasting impact on the communities IESC serves.
During a previous volunteer assignment in August 2024, Ms. Glaser worked with Nyabusakama AMCOS, a cooperative in Geita, Tanzania, to help strengthen its ability to raise capital and mobilize resources. This work revealed a deeper, systemic challenge: many farmers in the region could not afford AMCOS membership due to chronically low crop yields and insufficient income. Financial modeling of the average small farmer working three acres showed an annual profit of just 292,000 TZS (US $122), illustrating how limited access to quality inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and fungicides kept families trapped in a cycle of poverty.
Ms. Glaser returned in January 2025 determined to help these farmers improve their access to financial support. Working alongside Nyabusakama AMCOS leaders and committee members, she strengthened their capacity in business planning and financial management, training 12 leaders and members on income statements, balance sheets, and bookkeeping, and helped them develop a fundable business plan. She established a Proof-of-Concept demonstration farm for 20 farmers, 15 growing rice and five growing sunflower seed (oil), designed to show that access to quality inputs could meaningfully increase yields and improve market prices. She also collaborated with a local input provider to guide proper input utilization on the demonstration farms, strengthening that provider’s outreach practices and supporting their business development in the process.
By improving the performance of Nyabusakama AMCOS, she simultaneously supported the development of small agribusinesses, increased job security for its members, and demonstrated that farming is a viable livelihood. Her passion, generosity, and extraordinary service showed Nyabusakama AMCOS a clear path toward better economic conditions, proving that targeted financial training, small agricultural improvements, and focused funding can have a lasting impact. Ms. Glaser has demonstrated exceptional dedication and sustained impact through her two assignments, bringing practical financial expertise and genuine commitment to improving the lives of smallholder farmers and their communities. She has continued to work with Nyabusakama AMCOS even after her assignment, demonstrating the true value and impact of volunteerism.
