Thinking caps on at the ready! Which organisations could help with funding?
Status: 
********Drum Roll********
Welcome all to our newest action and the one we've all been waiting for!
So, what can you do to get involved? Simple! Put on the thinking caps, fire up your search engines, and begin the research! :-D On a serious note, we need to find organisations, worldwide, that could potentially fund / sponsor our school. At this stage, and during this action all we're going to be looking at is finding the organisations - we'll be approaching them in a future action, so don't get funding happy too soon! ;-)
Chrissie :-)
Project: Previous discussions
Hi, all! I've been busy with visiting cousins and my sister... it's been fun, but I havent been able to do much work.
I visited my bank for a talk about opening the account, and they made a suggestion I have to follow up on... the short reply is that they require a US tax identification number to open any account, and that if I open an account for Matopeni, I would probably have to pay taxes on any donations we receive, since I am not a charity. :-(
But I'm not giving up yet !
Happy New Year, everyone!
Manuel
Hi neighbors,
After my evoluation at school, I am back on earth and looking forward to attach my skills to our project again.
I have sent my best wishes for peace& health& happyness to the univerce, and hoping that everybody who shares the same sky with us could hear my voice in this coming new year.
Happy & healthy & peaceful new year !
inci
Dear Incik,
Welcome back. I know we are not very far from where you left us. But all in all everithing is on track moving in the right direction.so feel free to participate.
Manuel,
I have two suggestion iwould like to make of which if we agree we can use it:-
Will it be posible for us in this village on Nabuur to come up with acharity organization, register it there in the US finally open an account using the Our Name?
OR
Can we use Boston self help group as acharity Organization running Matopeni school?
I dont know what we can do best to see these done.Please advice.
Stephen.
Stephen: According to what I'm finding out, it looks like it would be best to register the Boston Self Help Group as a charity with the respective government agencies, and with that information we can try to open the account here.
I am going to make one more try this week, taking with me a copy the Boston Self Help Group registry, which I think is in the resource section (I'll print it out as soon as I post this note) :-)
Take care!.............. Manuel
No problem Manuel,
go ahead and use it.I think with B.S.H.G certificate we will be able to answer any Questions if asked
Stephen
Hi All!
Ok, back to business as usual I think!
Manny -I've uploaded the Boston Self Help Group Cert to this post and will also make it available in the resource section. I think it's one of those little things I thought I'd done and hadn't! Oppsie! Anyway - the cert is freely available now. :-)
I'm also going to be sending out an email this week, but to those active in our village - could you let me know either by posting here or my emailing me if you have time over the next few fews for the following:
1. Put together a brief email pro forma to contact orgs to find out funding rounds etc (shouldn't take long at all - a few drafts and we'll be ready to rock and roll!)
2. Send out emails to the orgs we have found so far. (Again, it'll be a case of copy and paste and won't take long at all!)
I want to get both of these tasks completed in the new next few weeks, so all volunteers welcome!
Chrissie :-)
Great work, Chrissie!
I would suggest attaching the BSHG certificate and the Project Description (attached) to the letters we send...
oh... I just realized the document I posted in the Business Plan section did not include the links to the website! :-( Ok... I'm attaching an updated version here....
Cheers!
Manuel
Hi Manny!
Thanks for this! Quick question though - is this the quick email proforma???? If it is, it just needs to be something very short and concise - a few sentences to explain who we are and to find out what their funding rounds are, what they are etc. Perhaps we could use your project description as an attachement so that they can see a description of what our project is?
I think I might be confused it being the first day back at work today! lol
EDIT I just saw you post on the BP action! Makes sense now! D'oh! Like the idea! ;-)
Chrissie :-)
Ok, friends, today I met with a friend at the United Nations, and will get the ball started with having the UN "Funding for Development Office" take a look at our project.
They asked me for a formal communication, attaching the Project Description and the BSHG certificate. :-)
I also went to the UN's bank, and they told me they could open an account for BSHG if the group registered as an NGO with the UN, and if they also got a US tax identification number (that is unavoidable here in the US). :-)
So, Stephen, it looks like you are going to be filling out a lot of forms and signing documents in 2007! :-D
Manuel
Dear Manuel,
Thank you very much,you realy speak by action.
Aquestion
What are the formalities or ligal procidure to get BSHG registered as NGO with the UN? and from which office of UN? Kenya or US
However i would kindly request you to take a whole active role on this Manuel,Iam very much willing to fill on time as many forms as one may think just to get our project started and completed through your guidence.
Another thing is that registering and running an NGO here in kenya takes too long and its expencive.it may take one year and above.Probably we can Register it in US which might take shorter period as compared to Kenya.
Chrissie, any suggestion on these?
Now which one are we starting with?
Stephen: I think you can register the "Boston Self Help Group" as an NGO before the UN, with your present registry... ;-) yours is a local effort that doesn't require the approvals other larger non-profits do... and, besides, you already exist and have a valid bank account !!!! :-D
Forming a US foundation is easy, but the administrative requirements are quite high if we are to solicit funds.... I am actually looking into this, too, and will let you know when I have some answers... :-)
Meanwhile, all of us will simply keep on helping you get this new school up and running this year! :-D
Manuel
Hi All!
Ok, I'm fresh back from the Resource village and have been looking at the fundaising section there. This is the link to the wiki which has a section that shows how to register different African countries as an NGO - Kenya is a little way down (Manny, Uganda is on there too ;-) )
http://www.nabuur.com/modules/wiwimod/index.php?villageid=279&actionId=4...
Haven't had time to read through it all yet, but I think this could really help. I'm sure we could register either as an NGO or a CBO.
More info here: http://www.gdrc.org/ngo/start-ngo/startngo-5.html
Chrissie :-D
Hi Chrissie, Stephen and Manny
Maybe we can share information here! Daniel (LR in Nairobi Eastlands) is in the process of registering as a NGO, and is seeking legal advice re the constitution required of a NGO and other requirements in Kenya - maybe Stephen could get in contact ?!
Cheers
Lynley
Hi Lynley,
A very good point and thanks for the info share! As Daniel is in the process of doing this right now, he should be able to point us in exactly the right place with regards to registering in Kenya. Lynley, any chance you could speak to Daniel for us the next time you see him to see if he can offer us any information?
Chrissie :-D
Bear in mind that a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501(c)(3)#501.28c.29.283.29]tax certificate[/url] in the United States requires an annual filing.
Can you say accounting? Sure I knew you could.