Read what Project SOAR staff and partner ECBOs have been up to!

Hello and welcome to Project SOAR’s redesigned website!  We hope you enjoy the new look and features.  You’ll find many new materials in our enhanced Resource Library, which has been reorganized to help you more easily find the type of tool or information you’re looking for.  You will also now find all our tip sheets and weekly highlights from the last year on the site, as well as a new links section, where you can find useful links to outside resources.  One other new feature we are excited about is our ECBO database.  We have names and contact information for more than 100 ECBOs around the country.  You may sort or search by name, state, or main population served.  Let us know if you would like to add your group to this list.  Enjoy, and let us know if you have any feedback!

Project SOAR would like to thank our volunteers with whom this site would not have been possible: Graphic Designer Susan Newman, who designed the site for us pro bono, and Boykin Clarke, our intern who spent many hours transferring and uploading documents and information.  We couldn’t have done it without you!

Posted in: News, Welcome

Click here to check out our February 2012 list of SOAR books and films.  New additions include documentary films 3 Points, Children of Congo: From War to Witches, Darfur Diaries: Messages from Home, Relocated Mountains, Stealing a Nation, and non-fiction books titled “Lost Boy, Lost Girl”, and “One Day the Soldiers Came”. We are continuously updating this list, so please e-mail us at SOAR@theIRC.org with any suggestions!

Posted in: News

Posted in: News

Refugee 101 is an informative 20-minute elearning module that you could use to educate new staff, volunteers, or other community members. It is an easy-to-understand overview of the complex resettlement process. Click on Refugee 101 to watch, listen, and learn.

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I thought others would be interested in this article I received from GuideStar on how to raise money using a subtle and non-traditional approach. GuideStar is an online database on nonprofit organizations and can be found at www.guidestar.org.

How to Raise Money without Asking for Money

November 2011

As the economy continues to squeeze donors, a recent report conducted by Campbell Rinker showed disturbing results—that nearly 7 in 10 Americans say they will give more sparingly to charities in the coming months. As a result, more organizations are looking to find ways for donors to help them financially without having to dip into their pocketbooks again. Here are eight ways organizations can ask supporters to raise money without writing a check:

1. Shop online: As the holiday season approaches and people get set to spend significant funds on gifts, ask them to start their shopping at GoodShop. GoodShop is a shopping portal that donates a percentage of almost every purchase from more than 2,500 stores (including Gap, Target, Staples, and Macy’s) to your organization. In addition, GoodShop lists more than 100,000 coupons, so your supporters can save money at the same time as they are earning money for your nonprofit! Your organization can sign up here.

2. Recycle electronics: Hold a gadget drive where supporters bring in their old electronics (including phones, computers, calculators, etc.) and turn them in for cash. You can read more at Gazelle.

3. Redeem credit card points. Ask members to turn their unused credit card points into a charitable donation to your cause. Both American Express and Citi Card offer this program.

4. Search the Internet: GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo!-powered search engine that donates about a penny per search to your cause. You use it exactly as you would any other search engine, but each time someone does a search, a donation is made! The ASPCA, for example, has already earned over $34,000 from its supporters’ searches! Your organization can join the more than 100,000 causes participating with GoodSearch by signing up here.

5. Meet someone for a drink: Partner with a local bar (or restaurant or retailer) and create a campaign whereby you will send people to their establishment, and each time someone “checks in” at that location via FourSquare, the establishment will make a donation to your cause. You’ll earn money for your cause and provide great marketing for them.

6. Donate airline and hotel miles: Although airlines and hotels do not have specific programs that allow flyers to donate miles to any organization they choose, most airlines allow people to use their frequent flier miles to buy tickets or office items for other people. Ask your supporters to use their miles to buy tickets or office items for your organization.

7. Dine Out: GoodDining.com is scheduled to launch soon. Once it does, up to 6 percent of the money spent on a meal at 10,000 restaurants across the country will be donated to your cause. Watch www.goodsearch.com for the announcement that GoodDining has launched.

8. Volunteer: There are a handful of companies that match volunteer hours with funds. For example, Microsoft will match volunteer time at $17 an hour through its Volunteer Time Matching program. Boeing, Exxon, Intel, Chevron, and Bank of America have similar programs.

Scott Garell, GoodSearch.com
© 2011, GoodSearch.com

Scott Garell is CEO of GoodSearch.com, a Yahoo!-based search engine that donates money to charity for every search performed through GoodSearch and every shopping purchase made through GoodShop.com.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may or may not represent GuideStar’s opinions. GuideStar is committed to providing a range of topics and perspectives to our users. We make every effort to obtain articles from knowledgeable, trustworthy sources, but we make no warranties or representations with regard to articles written by persons outside GuideStar.

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I thought you all might be interested in this tip on board training from a company called Capital Venture.  It is from their September 2011 Ventures in Philanthropy eNewsletter:

The Dreaded Board Training

Building an effective enthusiastic board is one of the most critical elements in fundraising. But of course, your board doesn’t think they need training, they don’t have time for it, and they won’t listen to what you have to say anyway.

Avoiding the word, “training” is the first essential ingredient. One group used the title, Executive Leadership Institute for a board “training session.”  After all, your board members are the organization’s leaders. 

Timing is another critical element. Plan some type of board “training” at every board meeting; even if it is a five minute presentation on the Role of Boards in Nonprofits, Ethical Issues for Boards, Making the Case for your Organization—you get the idea. For more intense sessions, schedule at a convenient time for most board members, often a Saturday morning or a two hours session in place of, or before or after, a regular board meeting works well.  Once a year take your board away from the organization for a day long retreat which includes some educational opportunities as well as time to plan.

Board “training” can be done by staff but is usually more effective when done from an outside perspective.  A consultant, a board member from another organization, a video from Board Source or some other resource can often tell your board the things they need to hear in a new light. 

Posted in: News

I thought others might be interested in this email I recently received from Bill Wischmeyer of Many Cultures One Community in Rochester, NY.

This is a letter I received this morning. It is powerful and says volumes. This is what I have been talking about for over 3 years and explains why this is what I do what I do. As we go through the day I want people today to think how words and labels affect people’s lives. I have deleted the person who wrote this letter to protect their identity.

-Bill Wischmeyer

Hello Bill, 

It’s almost midnight today but also I cannot go to sleep, and this is my typical night. (It’s not because I drink too much coffee.) 

Anyway, there is something I really want to share you today.

Every night before I sleep I think about everything I did that day, every people I met, and every conversation I have with them. 

It’s my fortune that I get to meet new people pretty much every day. I get to make new friends which is wonderful. 

But there is something which hurts me most. The word “refugee.” It reminds me of my past life. 

I think “refugee” is a tag or a label that we got when we were in Nepal. It is just a word for other American people here but for me it’s a reminder that I don’t belong anywhere.

For example, if I meet somebody this is basically what happens:

Me: Hello 

American: Hi, what’s is your name ?

Me: Fill in the blank.

American: Nice to meet with you . Where are you from ?

Me: Nepal. (I prefer to say Nepal instead of Bhutan because i was born in Refugee camp in Nepal.)

American: Wow, ammm, Interesting. So, how did you come here ?

Me: Well, I came here because I was living in Refugee camp in Nepal…

(but before I finish…)

American: So, you are a Refugee. 

(The person doesn’t pay any attention to my “was.”)

You know Bill, there are many reason why we (Bhutanese community in Rochester) filled out the application to come to America, but for majority of people is to permanently erase their Refugee tag from their forehead. They wanted to feel that they belong somewhere. I am one of them. The only  reason for me to come here is to be part of America. I wanted to be an American. By the way, I do not mean I was totally gonna change or forget my culture , language or religion. It’s part of me. And, I was sure I will be accepted as who I am. 

Legally, I am American. Not a citizen yet but I eventually will be. Legally, I am treated equally like other Americans. For example, I will get tickets for traffic violation (not that I got one so far), I must pay taxes, I am allowed attend to any Universities/colleges or get hospital care. Being a refugee back in my past life doesn’t make any difference…legally.

However, socially I am not accepted and I don’t know why…

Thanks Bill!

Posted in: News

Be sure to check out our SOAR books and films October 2011.  We are continuously updating this list, so please email us at SOAR@theIRC.org with any suggestions!

Posted in: News