Opportunity: Volunteer Resources

Posted Jun 30, 2009 5:40pm
skrelnick23

 Have you a cadre of volunteers that want to help change the world?  Do you want to donate a few hours to help someone write a grant proposal? Or build a business plan?  

If you want to volunteer your time or talents to Changemakers or to Changemakers community members, drop a note!  

If you need a volunteer's time or talent, come find them here.

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Comments

Thu, 07/02/2009 - 12:28
tsanchez

Will be available few hours here and there to help with French-English translation as well as some advices on ICT projects, from planning to review. Anything with social media tools is my passion. :) 

Tue, 07/21/2009 - 12:06
danafrasz

Hi Typhanie,

Thanks for offering to help Changemakers with translations, ICT projects and with social media.  The Changemakers team is just now getting into various social media sights - flickr, facebook and twitter.  Do you have experience with Twitter?  It would be great if you could keep an eye on some of our competitions and challenges and help tweet about them.  Does this sound like a possibility?  Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks again!

Dana Frasz

Thu, 07/09/2009 - 20:38
Elizabeth

The African Diaspora Marketplace (ADM) is looking for volunteer business and development professionals to evaluate forthcoming proposals.

The ADM is a business plan competition designed to support the entrepreneurial spirit and resources of the U.S.-based African diaspora community. Our goal is to promote economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa by facilitating diaspora direct investment (DDI) in viable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in 19 Sub-Saharan African countries.

Your effort in reviewing the proposals is critical to making the ADM a success. Please forward this invitation and the attached Evaluator Terms of Reference to any qualified individuals who might be interested in taking part.

To join this exciting initiative, please register at Survey Monkey : http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=jodSZpqRY0NjvOT05niyYw_3d_3d

and direct general inquiries to ADM2009@diasporamarketplace.org.

To learn more about the ADM, please visit the website at www.diasporamarketplace.org.

___________________________________________________

Why become an ADM Evaluator?

  • Collaborate with other international and diaspora business and development professionals to support economic growth and poverty alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa;
  • Get a unique perspective of promising, on‐the‐ground business ideas that have the potential to have real impact.

Who are we looking for?

Evaluators should be seasoned professionals with a variety of experience. The ADM is particularly interested in reviewers from Sub-Saharan Africa or the African diaspora community in the U.S. Examples of qualifying experience include 3-4 years working in:

  • Private sector and SME development in Africa to promote the development of enterprises, value chains, financial products, etc.
  • The operation of a private sector company working in the U.S. or Africa
  • Project finance and/or investment related to small and medium businesses in the U.S. or Africa
  • Involvement in launching or managing a start-up company in Africa or the U.S.

Please note: If you have submitted a proposal or are a member of a team that is submitting a proposal for ADM, you are not be eligible to participate in the assessment process.

What is the role of an ADM evaluator?

After the ADM proposal window closes on July 21, 2009, assessors will then review submitted proposals and help select the best applicants to attend the ADM event in Washington DC.

Here is the brief anticipated timeline:

  • Attend a 45 minute orientation (Mid-July 2009)
  • Read a batch of 25 to 30 proposals and rank the top proposals (Late July – Early August 2009)
  • Submit proposal rankings and comments to the ADM (Mid-August 2009)
Sat, 07/18/2009 - 14:25
Mary Lusambo

I am a changemaker in my home country where I have devoted my time to uplifting the lives of the vulnerable through education empowerment.

I have a challenge in writing project proposals and Business Plans which are eye catching.

Anyone to help?

Tue, 07/21/2009 - 09:58
jlawrence

Mary -

I would like to hear more about what you are doing.  Could you tell me more about your project and what type of help you are seeking?

Jenna

Tue, 07/21/2009 - 11:54
Mary Lusambo

Jenna thank you.

My full profile is on my competition entry on CHAMPIONS OF QUALITY EDUCATION IN AFRICA. I am registered as MARIA MOTHER OF CHARITY RELIEF HOME INTERNATIONAL.

Briefly I would say I am a Social Community Actiist and a believer. I am helping young and old vulnerables by offering them free education at the school I opened in 2005. The school runs from Kindergarten to Grade nine(9). The school is very big and with enough classes to manage operate as a full-fledged school. However, about 25% of these structures are not yet complete.

We offer a few places to fee-paying pupils in order to raise salaries for teachers. This is not helping us much as the teachers' salaries are months behind. We have debts to settle.

I have been sourcing for funds to help us put up a broad-based Income Generating Activity i.eA Skills Training Center and a Boarding Facility Open to the public and indirectly benefitting the vulnerable Community with Life Skills.We have enough rooms for these activities and we only need to furnish them and also equip them with modern facilities.

Completing our Science/Computer Labs and equipping them with necessary equipments.

Unfortunately no one has come to our aid. 

I feel I need a professionally done Project Proposal and a Business Plan for people to be attracted to our work.

May you be in a position to help us achieve our goals?

I will be grateful

Mon, 07/27/2009 - 08:38
jlawrence

Dear Mary,

I agree that it is essential for you to have a Project Proposal and Business Plan.  Not only will these materials help you when fundraising but I think that the process of preparing these documents will help you be more strategic in planning and growing your school.  

Ideally, you would want a volunteer to do this in person.  That way, they can interview you and other important school and community personnel.  Do you know any one who works in the business sector who can assist you?  Or a university student in business who would like additional experience?  

Once you find a person (or a team) to help you, you can find a lot of resources on the web.  For example, here is a website that has lots of samples.

 http://sbinformation.about.com/od/bizplansamples/Business_Plan_Samples.htm

Let me know if you have any other questions-

Jenna 

Tue, 07/28/2009 - 01:30
Mary Lusambo

IAM GLAD THAT YOUR OBSERVATION AGREES WITH MY THOUGHT. IAM INDEED LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A VOLUNTEER HELP US IN WRITING THE PROJECT PROPOSAL AND BUSINESS PLAN FOR THE SCHOOL, CHARITY AND INDEED THE CHURCH.

THROUGH NABUUR I APPLIED AT WORLD SCHOOL WHERE DUTCH STUDENTS WRITE PROPOSALS FOR BUSINESS INSTITUTIONS. CLAUDIA RECIEVED MY SUBMISSION AND IAM TOLD IT COULD BE READY BY SEPTEMBER. THIS IS A PROJECT PROPOSAL/BUSINESS PLAN FOR A SKILLS TRAINING CENTER AND A BOARDING SCHOOL. THESE ARE THE TWO PROJECTS WHICH WE WANT TO VENTURE IN AS INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES FOR THE SCHOOL AND CHARITY RESPECTIVELY.

I PRAY ALL SHALL BE WELL.

MEANWHILE, I WOULD NOT MIND TO HAVE OTHER VOLUNTEERS COME ON BOARD. I DO NOT HAVE ANY ON THE MIND BUT I KNOW THEY WILL BE FOUND.

THANK YOU JENNA ONCE MORE AND STAY BLESSED.

 

 

Thu, 09/10/2009 - 20:10
wcnewby

Hello Mary.  I am a writer but not a business planner.  My idea was also in the education for Africa contest.  I have posted links to it but you could get there quickly by choosing the Biotopia in Africa link from my profile and reading the welcome discussion.  It has a link to the actual competition entry.

I am very into alternate energy and just brimming with the desire to collaborate here. I would be willing to write for you, but I would not be a very good candidate for writing a business plan.  I am a novelist/screenwriter. 

Wayne

Sun, 07/26/2009 - 18:08
Elizabeth

For anyone with a little spare time who'd be interested in volunteering from home, check out the online group Help From Home (Volunteering in just your pyjamas), an initiative that encourages people to see volunteering as an accessible, quick and rewarding activity.

Wed, 08/12/2009 - 11:21
skrelnick23

We will soon be launching a competition for solutions to combat hunger and malnutrition.  We've not done this before so we want to get the word out as far and wide as possible.

If you know of organizations that we should contact or want to help us find them, please let us know.  We would like to know all the major actors in the field before we make our push.  Write us at connect@changemakers.com if you would like to help!

Wed, 08/12/2009 - 20:38
nolive

 Tyler,

 

           I would suggest someone who has impact us greatly, and that is the Trees for Life organization, for their work on education about the tree moringa olifiera, which you can see for yourself at: http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa/moringa-tree

         Here at the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute (VISFI), we use a lot of Trees for Life educational materials to reach the public about the simply amazing resource moringa is and its potential to impact world hunger. You'd be hard pressed to find a better resource than moringa as a world hunger mitigator. It can literally save someone from starving in late stages of hunger. The nutritional benefits are off the charts. This plant's name will be known.

        And to mention the power of networking, check out this story about moringa promotion:

http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_home?id=17637879 

best,

Nate

 

Wed, 08/12/2009 - 20:40
nolive

 Tyler,

 

           I would suggest someone who has impact us greatly, and that is the Trees for Life organization, for their work on education about the tree moringa olifiera, which you can see for yourself at: http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa/moringa-tree

         Here at the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute (VISFI), we use a lot of Trees for Life educational materials to reach the public about the simply amazing resource moringa is and its potential to impact world hunger. You'd be hard pressed to find a better resource than moringa as a world hunger mitigator. It can literally save someone from starving in late stages of hunger. The nutritional benefits are off the charts. This plant's name will be known.

        And to mention the power of networking, check out this story about moringa promotion:

http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_home?id=17637879 

best,

Nate

 

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 00:00
skrelnick23

Thank you so much, I am going to read up on them!!!  I hope you let them know about Changemakers and that there may be an opportunity for your friends in an upcoming competition.

All the best and here is to me visiting the VI soom!!

Tyler

Wed, 10/28/2009 - 11:49
uvaldo

i would like to find some volunteers for a social program through football. We seek to promote reading and peaceful living among children and youth.
We have 5 centers in Quito implementing our program serving around 400 participants, and wish to grow. We need volunteers from January to June of 2010, please contact me at uvaldo@hotmail.com visit our blog www.goldebarrio.blogspot.com