Choose a team and help Us Reach the finish Line
It all started in 2015, when we held our first 5K fundraiser at our annual in-person board retreat. We were excited to try a new fundraising event while engaging in a bit of healthy competition; little did we know that it would turn into our second-biggest annual fundraiser down the road!
In 2026, we continue our tradition of running for a cause. A group of us will be running together at the board retreat in the Hudson Valley, while the rest of our group will run in various parts of the country, and world! Our fundraising goal this year is $10,000 - enough to support 11 students in their high school and college careers.
For this year’s Run for Change 5K, let’s celebrate the Ngäbe people that we work with, and use our privilege to lift up indigenous students as they continue to fight injustices and inequities in their communities.
For our 12th year, can we raise $10,000?!
As they say in Panama, “¡Dale pues!” // “Lets do it!” Pick your Run for Change team to support, below!
Run for Change 2026 Teams
Team Gertrudis
0% funded $0.00 of $600 raised
Tara is running for Gertrudis who is currently in 11th grade at David Medalla Milagrosa school. Gertrudis is interested in the environment and social sciences. She wants to study the interactions of humans and nature so she can become a leader in her community and help stop environmental pollution. Tara studied Natural Resources Ecology in undergrad and is deeply inspired by Gertrudis and her commitment to her community and the environment. Please consider donating to team Gertrudis so she can continue her studies and become the environmental advocate that our world needs!
Team celibeth
0% funded $0.00 of $600 raised
Morgan is running for Celibeth, a 10th grader attending Buena Vista School After graduation Celibeth hopes to help her community develop in a comprehensive matter. She believes each grain of sand added to the work is important to create change. Celibeth likes studying Spanish in school because she knows it will help her in the future when she is helping create projects that will benefit her community. Donate to Team Celibeth today to support her final years of high school!
Team zeidy
0% funded $0.00 of $1000 raised
Brooks is running for Zeidy who is entering her fourth year of university. Zeidy is studying business administration with a focus on marketing at the Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí in David, Panama. Brooks and Zeidy met at the 2020 scholarship ceremony, where she talked about how much she had enjoyed her mathematics class the previous year and how she would love to meet Harry Potter someday. Donate to team Zeidy to help her keep excelling in her senior year!
Team dominga
0% funded $0.00 of $1000 raised
Abby is running for Dominga, who is going into her fourth year of university. Dominga comes from a large family, with 9 siblings! Her dream is for her family to have a happy life and to one day renovate their house, and for others in her village to do the same. She is studying for her bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources at UNACHI in David, and she is a fan of Charles Darwin’s theories on nature. After she graduates, she wants to dedicate herself to being a teacher, to help those who did not have the opportunity to enroll in school. Please consider donating to team Dominga so she can continue her studies and give back to her family and her community!
Team José mAnuel
0% funded $0.00 of $1000 raised
Tim is running for José Manuel. Jose is one of our rockstars who not only excelled in middle school and high school, but also succeeded in oratory competitions at the country-level which awarded him a partial scholarship to study in the United States. Jose Manuel is currently studying in New Jersey on a pre-med track after learning English through a year-long intensive program. We are incredibly proud of his accomplishments and please help us continue to fund his education and support him in anyway we can!
Team Floristel
0% funded $0.00 of $1000 raised
Amy is running for Floristel, who has been a Few for Change scholar for 7 years. Floristel is in her fourth year of a Pharmaceutical Sciences program at the Universidad Latina de Panama, taking challenging classes like medical chemistry and toxicology. Floristel wants to improve society and quality of life in the Comarca by improving individual health through training and education, while serving as a positive example for other youth. Last year she thanked FFC for our support throughout her educational career in this video, and we're so proud she's one year closer to making her dream come true. Donate to Team Floristel to help her reach the finish line!
Team Xiomara
0% funded $0.00 of $1000 raised
Katie is running for Xiomara. Xiomara is in her second year of university, studying early childhood education at Universidad Metropolitana de Educación, Cicencia y Tecnología. Her dream is to find all of the children who live in remote, difficult to access areas and give them a proper and dignified education. Check out this awesome video of Xiomara sharing her dreams with us during our 2026 scholarship award ceremony. Donate to Team Xiomara to help her continue her dreams and create change in her community!
Team Raúl
0% funded $0.00 of $1000 raised
Ari is running for Raúl who is in his second year studying nursing at CETES (Technical Center for Higher Studies), located in David, Panama, about 1 hour west of the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé. Raúl received his first Few for Change scholarship in 2019 when he started 7th grade and has demonstrated a strong commitment to his community and to his academics over the past 8 years. Last year, Raúl strengthened his commitment to Few for Change by becoming a new member of the 11-person Board of Directors as required for organization incorporation in Panama, representing his home district of Susama. We hope to continue supporting Raúl’s studies for the next three years to earn his initial nursing degree. As Raúl wrote in his university scholarship application, “I admire those who specialize in medicine...I am inspired to be a nurse and to keep studying to be a professional so that I can prepare to be able to help my family and society in general. I am focused on following my goal for a better future.” Support Raúl today!
Team elmer
0% funded $0.00 of $1000 raised
Katya is running for Elmer who is a fourth year university student at UNACHI-CRUCHIO pursuing an Associate degree in Accounting. Elmer is determined to give back to his family by working hard in school and becoming a leader in his community. Despite facing challenges that affected his studies, his family's support has been a constant source of motivation for him to continue his education. Elmer would love to visit the United States to improve his English language skills! He would also like to travel to other countries and possibly study abroad. Support Elmer today!
Team Greybi
0% funded $0.00 of $1000 raised
Evan is running for Greybi! Greybi is currently in 10th grade CEBG Quebrada Guabo, and comes from the town of Briguini. His favorite subject is social science because it talks about the rights and duties of human beings and is based in the landscape, culture, nature, and caring for animals and the forest. His goal is to be able to continue studying in university and eventually manage an artisan business. He wants to be an example for other young people to continue with their studies and pursue their dreams. Support Greybi today!
Team Avimael
0% funded $0.00 of $600 raised
Olivia is running for Avimael! Avimael is from Arriera and is the third of seven siblings. He is in his 11th grade at Hato Rincón School, and he enjoys his English classes the most because he loves to learn about different cultures and wants to expand his knowledge of the world through being able to talk with people from other countries. As he is figuring out his long-term career plan, he hopes to leverage his education to meet his goals of traveling and assist his family economically. He is a lover of learning and his community and your donation towards this 5K fundraiser could be a helpful step along the way!
Run for Change 5k Photo Gallery (2021-2025)
From the Blog: Cultivating Change
College Dreams in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, Part 1: What We’ve Learned
Schools are few and far between for indigenous youth in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé
Decolonizing Few for Change
An Overview of Panama's Indigenous Communities: Part I - Western Panama
An Overview of Panama's Indigenous Communities: Part II – Eastern Panama
…and just for fun!
One of our guiding principles when we started Few for Change in 2009 was a simple but deeply held belief: the majority of every dollar donated should go directly to the communities with which we work. Our goal has always been to strengthen access to education to help break the cycle of poverty in the Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca. Now, nearly two decades later, we want to share with our donors how that commitment has held up over time.