Dear friends and colleagues,
After nine years of service, Project SOAR is ceasing operations at the end of October 2012.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is proud to have hosted this project since its launch in October 2003. SOAR has helped hundreds of refugee ethnic community-based organizations (ECBOs) grow stronger and more sustainable through a wide variety of innovative technical assistance and capacity-building support.
Project SOAR is especially grateful for the collaboration of our implementing partners over the years: Nationalities Service Center (NSC), Pan-African Association (PAA), Ethiopian Community Development Council Consortium (ECDC), and Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC). We are also grateful to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) for providing financial support to project activities.
For specific questions regarding the ORR Ethnic Community Self-Help program, please contact Tabassum Siraj at Tabassum.Siraj@ACF.hhs.gov. Please be advised that the SOAR listserv will shut down at the end of October 2012.
IRC will continue to make the SOAR website, www.ethniccommunities.org, and research library accessible for a period of one year, until the end of 2013.
The website has over 650 resources developed by SOAR in eight easy-to-search categories: ECBO Formation and Development and Capacity Building, External Relations and Partnerships, Governance, Organizational Management and Planning, Program Design, Monitoring and Evaluation, Refugee Programming, Resource Development and Grants Management, Staff and Volunteer Management.
There are currently 211 ethnic community based organizations registered on the site with respective contact information, website addresses and information regarding locations and populations served.
Numerous materials should continue to be helpful to ECBOs and other stakeholders including:
- Two online learning modules:
- Refugee 101, developed by IRC to introduce the refugee resettlement process
- Starting an Organization to Serve Your Community, developed by SOAR outlining five different options for starting an organization;
- A Local Resource/Community Mapping Guide that can help ECBOs identify assets and partnerships to further organizational goals and support clients;
- 73 issue-related tip sheets;
- A bibliography of 249 books, films and music about refugees and US resettlement;
- Spotlight articles featuring the work of specific ECBOs and ORR grantees;
- All materials and presentations from Project SOAR Annual Workshops, Webinars and Learning Circles; and,
- Other resources related to refugee resettlement and nonprofit development.
Finally, Project SOAR applauds the accomplishments and dedication of our ECBO colleagues who have helped countless refugees build successful lives in the United States over the past nine years. We have been enriched by your achievements and your strength. We know that you will continue to make a difference to newly-resettled refugees in their journey ahead.
Project SOAR
Posted in: News, Uncategorized
