Three Year Report Longitude
Since its inception, Longitude has reached out locally and expanded globally. In three years Longitude has expanded from a vision into an international network of programs, volunteers, and fundraisers. With this tremendous growth it is appropriate to look back and examine Longitude’s success to date. This report will provide a basic overview of Longitude and its current two programs: ARV and PROFESA.
ARV - India
Since 2005 Longitude’s commitment to the Association of Relief Volunteers has grown exponentially. Initial work setting up Ravi’s work camps has developed into a full fledged international volunteer program. Partnerships with local volunteers and Japanese English Teachers in Japan (The JET program has enabled ARV to fulfill grow its mission and expand outreach. In 2007 and 2008, new programs have emerged, such as the KI Housing Campaign, the KI Children’s Feeding Center, and the KI Health Care Initiative.
PROFESA - Ghana
In the past three years PROFESA has seen great accomplishments. Over 200 young men and women have graduated PROFESA with most finding occupational placement. In its new location, PROFESA has been able to attract new students and offer better secretarial training. PROFESA Charter Members have given the school the opportunity to develop its programs over a three year window, with a long-term goal of self-sustainability. With the success of our short film currently running on CurrentTV, Meshach’s vision is being shared around the world on television and on the web. Although high costs of travel have been a barrier to volunteering in Ghana, PROFESA has seen its first string of volunteers in 2008. The success of this new volunteer program will create larger fundraising networks. However, the scope of this program is currently limited due to the size and location of the PROFESA school.
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The Faces of Longitude
Table of Contents
Shawn Rubin President shawn@golongitude.org
Rick Mickelson Director of International Volunteering volunteer@golongitude.org
Introduction.......................................................1 Table of Contents...........................................2 Longitude.............................................................3 Association of Relief Volunteers..............4
Charles Harding Director of International Development
development@golongitude.org
Meschach Bondzie Director of PROFESA Professional Secretarial School of Ghana
PROFESA.............................................................5 Fundraising...........................................................6 Expenses...............................................................7
Ravi Kumar Director of ARV Association of Relief Volunteers
Goals for the Future......................................8 Longitude 21 Crescent St. Providence, RI 02907 U.S. 401.461.3263
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Longitude Since 2005 Longitude has grown at unforeseen rates. As a result of a successful grassroots effort, Longitude has grown from one couple’s dream into a multi-national coalition of volunteers, fundraisers, and supporters.
Mission Statement Longitude's mission is to empower visionary leaders of grassroots educational and human rights initiatives in developing countries by providing them with resources, volunteers, and support services. Longitude facilitates volunteer opportunities in conjunction with our foreign partners, raises funds for project growth and improvement, and provides material and programmatic support for the foreign NGOs with whom we collaborate.
Longitude has created lasting relationships between its partner organization, volunteers, and donors. These personal connections have served a multitude of purposes which account for Longitude’s success. Longitude volunteers are dedicated and selfmotivated people with strong ownership in their programs and work. With Longitude’s personalized online donations system, volunteers are connected to their donor base. The greatest recipient from these relationships has always been our partner organizations. Longitude has facilitated previously undreamed of programs at ARV and PROFESA by connecting local communities with an international network of global citizens. At the last meeting, our board of directors approved a major capital campaign to fundraise a new school in Ghana. This is Longitude’s first major capital campaign, and we are working tirelessly to benefit Meshach’s school. This is just one of many larger steps moving forward with our mission. This three year report highlights some of our successes with our partner organizations, our fundraising, and our volunteer trips. Even with all its growth, Longitude has maintained all of its operations on a completely grassroots and volunteer model. Longitude has offered the lowest cost opportunities in international volunteering, operated with minimal administrative cost, and above all, dedicated all proceeds to partner NGOs.
Longitude Highlights • • • • •
Grassroots organization and oversight All donations go directly to partner NGOs Low-cost personalized volunteering Extensive network of volunteers New capital-campaign for PROFESA
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ARV The Association of Relief Volunteers have had incredible success since connecting with Longitude. Prior to meeting Shawn and Laura, Ravi had organized 281 local dalits to rebuild villages devastated by the Tsunami and subsequently neglected by the government. Since 2005 Longitude has brought over 80 international volunteers to work side by side with local community workers. Longitude’s strategic relationship with the JET program has enabled Ravi’s programs to expand to new villages, build more homes, and bridge connections between castes.
Current ARV Projects • KI Vililage Emergency Medical Fund • ARV KI Housing Campaign • ARV Children’s Fedding Center Campaign
Longitude volunteers have raised over $20,000 for ARV through their own networks of friends and family. Groups of two to twenty people have used this capital and their own hands to rebuild homes, provide health care, and empower communities. ARV has grown the scope and size of its impact on the Dalit villages of Kothasatram and Indiranagar. Volunteers have built 35 homes with 7 more in the construction phase. In Gummallapadu village 10 homes have been constructed, and another 45 are in the planning phase. ARV’s success in building these village homes has caused the local Indian government to step up its involvement with these Dalit villages, and in 2008 they have pledged to add their own funds to the building process.
About ARV There are at least 150 million or more Dalits in India, and The Association of Relief Volunteers works in the rural villages and city slums of India to help these citizens obtain the rights and resources that the government has been unable to provide. By working within the Dalit communities ARV volunteers are able to gather information about starvation, joblessness, discrimination, health, and sanitation.
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PROFESA PROFESA is the dream of Meshach Bondize, a visionary community organizer in Abeka Ghana. Having struggled to pay for basic education, Meshach eventually achieved success in business administration, but instead of going into the business sector, Meshach chose to give back to his community. He now serves as the secretary to the Abeka Development Council, President of the non-profit Overcomers Movement of Ghana, and teacher/director at PROFESA, a professional secretarial school for students disenfranchised by the high cost of government education.
How to get involved • Volunteer with Longitude to either PROFESA or ARV with custom tailored trips for groups or individuals • Create your own fundraising initiative in your community using our web-profile platform • Donate to a campaign at www.golongitude.org
In the past three years PROFESA’s classes have moved from an unroofed old church to an equipped three room school building. Three teachers now teach night classes to students who make ends meet by selling goods on the street during the day. Through rigorous classes, PROFESA students outperform full-time students at for-profit schools. Most PROFESA graduates go on to employment in Ghana’s growing business sector. The PROFESA Charter members have made much of PROFESA’s 2007 growth possible, by giving PROFESA a three year buffer window to expand its programs, and spread its mission throughout the community. January of 2008 marked Longitude’s first international volunteer teaching at the PROFESA school. Three individual trips this year will be capped off with a 10 person group trip in December. These extra volunteers have helped teach courses, network within the community, and share curriculum materials with local Ghanaian teachers. Towards the future, Longitude is looking to undertake a major capital campaign to construct a community center in Abeka, which would house PROFEA’s classrooms, a community library, community center, and youth hostel. This campaign coincides with the release of John Lavall’s documentary on Meshach’s work in Ghana, a portion of which is airing on CurrentTV.
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Fundraising 2007 Income
In 2005 and 2006 the primary source of Longitude’s fundraising was independent donations and local fundraising events.
PROFESA Charter Donations 13% 20%
In 2007, with a larger volunteer base, nearly 60% of Longitude’s income was raised by our JET volunteers. This fundraising effort has been beneficial to Longitude in two ways. Our volunteers have developed ownership in their programs through independent fundraising and they have helped to expand ARV’s programs.
Fundraising 10%
Longitude recognizes this successful partnership and intends to grow this model, while diversifying its revenue stream with more local fundraising and outreach.
JET 57%
2007 Donations 2006
2007
Holiday
$2,793.00
$2,560.00
3v3
$1,795.00
$1,210.00
$0
$1,092.57
$1,136.52
$850.00
$1,305
$17,715.02
Unsolicited School JET Year
Donations
Unsolicited 23% Solicited 77% PROFESA Charter
Fundraising JET
Total
2005
$3,058.00
2006
$2,470.00
$1,931.52
$1,305
2007
$6,308.57
$3,004.63
$17,715.02
$4,000.00
$31,028.22
$11,836.57
$4,936.15
$19,020.02
$4,000
$39,792.74
$3,058 $5,706.52
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Expenses In its first year Longitude’s programs expanded by 302%. In 2007 this growth streak continued, increasing 727%. This growth rate is not entirely unexpected in the first three years, but is still a testament to Longitude’s success Since its inception in 2006 Longitude has maintained all of its success with little to no overhead or administrative costs. In 2007 Longitude was able to support its projects more substantially without having to increase these already nominal costs. The ARV budget has grown substantially because of the JET volunteers programs, which we expect to at least double in 2008. PROFESA currently has a two year window for program development because of the PROFESA Charter Members commitment. Longitude is
2005: $1,560.29
5% 0%
2007: $34,399.83
2%
2% 1%
25%
27%
46%
ARV Year
36% 61%
67%
Total
2006: $4,724.28
27%
PROFESA
Total
ARV
Longitude PROFESA
Taxes / Fees Longitude
Taxes / Fees
2005
$1,560.29
$1,050
$420.00
$4.48
$85.81
2006
$4,724.28
$2,186.00
$1,257.79
$1,174.46
$106.03
2007
$34,339.83
$20,918.82
$12,321.54
$706.76
$392.71
$40,624.40
$24,154.82
$13,999.33
$1,885.70
$584.55
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Towards the Future
Longitude is at a pivotal point in its growth. In the first three years Longitude has accomplished its goals and beyond. Looking towards the future, there are a number of steps Longitude should take going into 2008. • Develop five year goals and strategies • Growth and strategy plans • PROFESA Capital Campaign • Develop fundraising network • Scale the success of volunteer fundraising from ARV to PROFESA • Expand fundraising database • Establish a social impact rubric to measure success • Create feedback loops between projects, volunteers, and donors
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