EVENT TOMORROW: GENESIS director talks US foreign aid innovations

Robert Moreau

Research Assistant

On January 27 at Park Plaza in Boston, GENESIS director Adam Swartzbaugh is giving a timely presentation on “how US dollars are being spent on foreign aid programs.”

The United States leads the world in giving abroad, with $122.8 billion total foreign aid donations in 2005. With the current relief efforts in Haiti, the topic of how funds are used to aid people “on the ground” is a focus of interest. Swartzbaugh’s talk will focus on how programs “are being shaped to accommodate a widening array of developmental environments” and how people can become actively involved in these efforts.

Joining Swartzbaugh is Todd McCormack, co-founder of Partners in Health. Started in 1987, PIH organizes “comprehensive and community-based” projects to combat disease and poverty in the developing world. Its work has expanded to seven countries, as well as supporting projects in Guatemala and Mexico. McCormack will be focusing on disaster relief programs providing aid in Haiti.

The presentation is sponsored by the Boston Rotary Club, and will be held at 6pm at Park Plaza in Boston.  For more information, email Adam at info@gnetwork.org , or contact the Boston Rotary club at (617) 426-7133 and info@BostonRotary.org.

We hope you can join us tomorrow for this event.

How can you avoid Haiti fundraising scams?

Robert Moreau

Research Analyst

 In the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti, people all over America have mobilized to help its victims. Total donations, as of January 21, have exceeded $305 million. Methods of raising money have included newer methods such as online donations and an American Red Cross special text message program. 

Disgracefully, scammers “were out in full force within a couple of hours” after the quake, as noted by internet watchdog ScamBusters. Just two days after the earthquake, Symantec Corp. tracked three spam emails, including one claiming to be from the British Red Cross Society, down to using the organization’s real address. BRCS press officer Mark South noted it was “an unfortunately well-put-together fraud.”

With relief money still desperately needed and many wanting to find out how they can best help, the question becomes how potential donors can make sure their money is going to the right place. The Christian Science Monitor, in a January 15 piece, gives these five tips to “avoid scams and make sure your donations can make a difference.”

• “Stick to well-known, reputable charities.
• Be cautious when donating online
• Donate to organizations, not individuals
• Check the charity out
• Give money, not food, clothing, or equipment.”

 In addition, ScamBusters has a four-step list of steps you can take:

• “1. Always use common sense.
• 2. Never respond to an email request for a donation.
• 3. Check to make sure any charity is legitimate before contributing.
• 4. Do not open [email] attachments-they likely contain viruses or other malware.”

 CNN has a list of reputable charities involved with Haitian relief, and it is a good resource to use. Lastly, rather than open up an email, even if it looks to be from a reputable group, go directly to that organization’s website.

 Overall, the best way to avoid scams is to use caution. Send aid through organizations you are comfortable with, and do research on different charities that claim to be working there.

We at GENESIS urge everyone to get involved in donating to relief efforts for the people of Haiti, and to make sure your money is going where it’s promised.

Robert Moreau is Research Analyst/Outreach for the GENESIS Network. A 2008 Master’s graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Regional Economic and Social Development, Moreau has been working for GENESIS since July 2009. His work has included freelance newspaper pieces and a newsletter published for a Lowell-area social services agency in 2008

Reassessing Assessment: How does GENESIS have an advantage over Charity Navigator and other monitoring sites?

Robert Moreau

Research Analyst/Outreach

With a desire to donate contrasted by an unsteady economy and an abundance of non-profits and projects, philanthropists want to make sure their money is put to good use. In response to these concerns, sites such as Charity Navigator and GuideStar have surged to prominence and media exposure. 

While the increased scrutiny of what organizations do with charitable donations is a positive trend, these evaluators’ exclusive reliance on quantitative financial data says little about how people are helped on the ground, or other important components that make a project worth supporting.  Because of this, a merged assessment model emphasizing qualitative as well as quantitative  measurements is a better way to evaluate effectiveness.

The Charity Navigator controversy (or “is a Form 990 really THE definitive measure of success?”)

Charity Navigator, online since 2001, describes itself as “America’s premier independent charity evaluator,” which “works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of over 5,400 of America’s largest charities.”  Its overview/about us section  notes accolades received from magazines such as Time, Forbes, and BusinessWeek, as well as its use on cable programs ranging from “The Factor with Bill O’Reilly” to “The Daily Show.”

Charity Navigator ranks charities that are given a tax-exempt 501 c (3) status, through their IRS Form 990’s. Four years of 990 forms are required by Charity Navigator for evaluation purposes.

From Form 990 information, Charity Navigator ranks charities from 4 stars (“exceptional”) to 0 (“exceptionally poor”), evaluating their Organizational Capacity (revenue growth, expenses growth, working capital ratio) and Organizational Efficiency (fundraising efficiency and expenses, program and administrative expenses) to come up with their final score. More information can be found here.

Rated charities can be found in nine broad categories, with their own subcategories: Animals, Environment, International, Arts, Culture, Humanities, Health, Public Benefit, Education, Human Services, and Religion. It also maintains several “Top Ten” charity lists.

The dilemma of rating organizations through financial scales, however, is that they do not necessarily tell the picture of the services they are providing.  As the Wall Street Journal explained in its December 19, 2008 article “Charity Rankings Giveth Less Than Meets the Eye”:

“Like stocks, charities are typically rated by their financial numbers or by qualitative characteristics such as corporate governance-or both. Unlike stocks, charities have no single measure akin to a business profit to determine successful performance.  There is a widespread search for such a number, but the challenges may be too daunting.  Meanwhile, some of the measures that are used may inspire bad actors to try to game the system.”

An April 2007 posting on netsquared.org is far less charitable in the wording of its assessment:

                “The cornerstone of the rating is the program expenses divided by total expenses…this may be useful in weeding out the charities that are literally trying to scam you, but it is a backwards way to figuring out who actually helps people as effectively as possible…the quality of your plan is so much more important than the size of your budget.”

                The rest of Charity Navigator’s criteria are even more nonsensical. Charities are rewarded for having growing revenues (i.e., good fundraisers) and growing expenses (so apparently finishing a project or reducing costs is a bad thing)…maybe the “fundraising efficiency” metric would have some meaning if ability to raise funds were at all connected to ability to help people…but that’s just the problem. It isn’t, as long as donors have no sources of real information.

                The Gates Foundation…wouldn’t rely on this stuff in a million years.”

Indeed, Charity Navigator’s own ranking system is its self-admitted shortfall.  Charity CEO Ken Berger was quoted in a January 2009 article in Washington Business Journal as saying “I think what happens is that some people go to the site, they type in the name, they look at the stars, they leave” despite a website blurb explaining that users shouldn’t just take its ratings as the only guide.

Charity Navigator and similar evaluators, in summary, make an honest effort to educate prospective donors about the organizations they may send funds to. But relying on a blank financial statement or statements such as a Form 990 alone does not tell the whole story of how a project is making an impact.

So, after all this, the question can be asked: Is there a better way? Yes, there is…

The GENESIS approach: Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment

As an innovative social networker for development organizations, the GENESIS Network’s goal is to “[provide] a highly interactive environment wherein organization members, philanthropists, project community members and volunteers communicate and collaborate effectively,” taking advantage of social media technology to promote a more transparent and efficient system of accountability. More specifically, with GENESIS:

• Users can create a customized profile enabling them to actively keep track of projects they support, with tools ranging from regular progress reports to quality assessment ratings from donors, project staff, and third-party monitors.   
• Beneficiary pages enable donors to build a connection with the people they are helping. 
• All projects are posted online, with all initial information ratings once approved. Regular updates on progress, including changes, successes, failures, etc. are a strong determining factor in assessing a high-quality rating to an initiative.
• Project data includes a clear explanation of finances and where money is allocated, enabling philanthropists to make smart choices about where their donations are going.

Through combining a mix of quantitative and qualitative data, as well as leveraging social media through enabling constant communication between donors, project leaders, and others, the GENESIS Network is actively creating a new standard of assessment and accountability. 

For readers: What would you like to see from GENESIS in terms of promoting project accountability? What do you like about what the Network has to offer and where do you think it could improve? Any and all questions and comments are welcome.

Robert Moreau is Research Analyst/Outreach for the GENESIS Network. A 2008 Master’s graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Regional Economic and Social Development, Moreau has been working for GENESIS since July 2009. His work has included freelance newspaper pieces and a newsletter published for a Lowell-area social services agency in 2008.

Building Bridges: How charities are linking American interests to education abroad.

Robert Moreau  

Research and Outreach

Children helped by Kashmir Family Aid, a charity active in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir

 As noted in our last piece, philanthropy abroad also impacts important national issues for Americans. GENESIS’ schools, as well as similar efforts from other organizations, form an important part of the puzzle for curbing human trafficking-a modern-day slave trade that extends into and across the country.  Indeed, charity abroad with an emphasis on education can advance American interests in other ways as well. 

 One clear example is in the geopolitical hotspots of Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, where NGOs and philanthropists have worked to curb terrorism by building schools and sponsoring students. As Sam Carpenter of Kashmir Family Aid, an Oregon-based nonprofit working in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, noted in a September 19, 2008 American Prospect interview.

“there’s three types of schools [in the region]. There’s public schools provided by the government and private schools…but there’s another kind of school over there…called a Madrassa, and these are religious schools.”

“The estimates are between fifteen-and twenty thousand of them in Pakistan alone, and then there’s a lot of them in Afghanistan. The long story short is that the kids spend 10 to 12 years-they go in there at an early age, and they learn the Koran, and that’s great, but they don’t learn anything else.”

Bereft of skills, he stated, graduates do not have much opportunities. Carpenter estimated “about 15 to 20 percent are what we call militant schools” that actively prepare students for a career as a jihadist for pay “in our money $200 to $300 a month” considered very lucrative in the area. Though most families want to see their children attend public or secular private schools, he explained, many times the only available choice is a Madrassa education.  

Greg Mortenson, co-founder of Central Asia Institute

Kashmir Family Aid, which as of 2008 has sponsored seven schools and 1,500 students, is one organization that has made an impact in the area. Possibly the largest known group active in the region is the Central Asia Institute (CAI),  co-founded in 1996 by Greg Mortenson and Jean Hoerni. CAI describes its mission as “to promote and support community based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan,” with the emphasis on girls as a strong potential agent of change in society who make up most of the world’s uneducated youth.

 CAI is actively involved with schools in nineteen regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan, concentrated in the central and northern areas of both countries.  As of 2009, its total involvement was “131 schools…which provide education to over 58,000 children, including 44,000 girls.” Its work also includes the charity Pennies for Peace, actively involving students in American classrooms in fundraising.

Examples such as these as well as GENESIS’ own education projects show how working with underserved groups abroad ultimately creates a positive impact in addressing issues important to Americans. And it is because of these connections that GENESIS is increasing its scope with upcoming education and training projects in Africa (Ghana) and Latin America (Ecuador). GENESIS is also planning to expand its initiatives in the Middle East as well.

Through linking concerns in America to those abroad, charities such as GENESIS are building bridges in an interconnected world.

Slaves in our backyard. The illegal trafficking and trade of humans into the US and how GENESIS prevents it.

Recently, GENESIS completed a major fundraising drive for its second school in Mae Chaem, Northern Thailand. The new building, which will provide education for 200 children in one of that country’s poorest areas, is also an attempt to rescue potential victims of a modern-day slave trade.

Human trafficking, the smuggling of persons for sexual and other forced labor, is “a heinous crime and human rights abuse. The most vulnerable members of the global community, those who have limited access to social services and protections, are targeted…for exploitation.” It is “now the third most profitable criminal activity, following only drug and arms trafficking” with around $9.5 billion in annual profits, as noted by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The number of people trafficked worldwide annually is widely disputed, but the most commonly cited figure is the U.S. State Department estimate of 600,000-800,000. At least half of victims are children, and the most common destination for trafficked persons is into the sex trade.  

Southeast Asia, where GENESIS’ work thus far has concentrated, is the most active region in the world for traffickers; as noted by the International Organization for Migration, ”between 200,000 and 450,000″ victims are estimated to be trafficked within and out of the region annually. Trafficking in the region is linked to high levels of border crossing fueled by “economic and social push factors…[including] poverty, disparities in economic development, lack of education and job opportunities” among its causes. Irregular or undocumented migration accounts for 30 to 40 percent of all movement of persons, compounding the problem.

But where does the United States figure into the equation? Currently, we are one of the top three destination countries for human trafficking victims, along with Australia and Japan.  An estimated 14,500 to 17,500 persons are smuggled into the country annually. As the U.S. Department of Education notes, “cases of human trafficking have been reported in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and some U.S. territories.”

How, then, can building schools abroad make an impact? The causes of human trafficking and its growth are complex, but we note that providing opportunities for potential victims to lift themselves from poverty is a critical piece of the puzzle in fighting it. Indeed, the United Nations has emphasized education and development as ways to combat trafficking. For example, Article 9 (4) of the Trafficking in Persons Protocol calls on states parties to “take or strengthen measures…to alleviate the factors that make persons, especially women and children, vulnerable to trafficking, such as poverty, underdevelopment and lack of equal opportunity.”

GENESIS’ projects complement activities from such organizations as the Development and Education Programme for Daughters and Communities (DEPDC) in Thailand and GABRIELA in the Philippines in emphasizing education as a preventative tool. 

By supporting organizations such as GENESIS that emphasize education and opportunity for children in poverty, philanthropists can make an impact on in fighting a modern slave trade and major human rights issue that impacts America as well as the world.

Tech Philanthropy Supports Many Organizations

Earlier this month I had the distinct opportunity to attend the Mass High Tech’s 2009 TechCitizenship awards in Boston. It was a pleasure to hear from the CEOs of local tech companies and why they continue to feel compelled to be philanthropic despite tough economic times.

The event’s conversation leaders included Martin Madaus (President of Millipore Corporate), Maura Banta (IBM/Mass. Board of Education) and Howard Kogan (President of Molecular). I also met Albert Calvo, chair of Social Capital, Inc. It was a pleasure discussing how the GENESIS Network and Social Capital, Inc. are using similar social media tools for philanthropic outreach. I was particularly impressed with their use of online communities to rally support for grassroots development projects. As you may already know, this will be a key component of the new GENESIS Network website set to launch in just a few months.

I left the event invigorated about the ways in which technology companies continue to support social development initiatives. I look forward to sharing the new site’s debut and its use of various social networking tools to engage more and more members of the technology community.

Adam Swartzbaugh
Founder
The GENESIS Network

p.s. Please share a news story about a company that’s using technology to support a philanthropic organization.

How giving to Genesis can benefit you!

Despite a continuing economic recession, philanthropy is as popular as ever. As Giving USA 2009 noted “U.S. charitable giving [was] estimated to be $307.65 billion in 2008…[exceeding] $300 billion for second year in a row.” Despite tremendous public interest in giving, the number of charities and projects active always means that organizations need to actively raise support for their initiatives and work in making a better world.

As we are currently in a major fundraising drive to construct a new school in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we are asking for your donation. But what are the benefits for you?

One personal impact of giving to the GENESIS Network is apparent; our projects help build schools and provide economic development in some of the world’s most impoverished areas. As examples of what we can currently do with our funding:

• Send a child to school ($10/month)
• Build a schoolhouse for 80-100 children ($14,500)
• Provide a year’s supply of education materials to a school ($1,000)
• Housing and protection from child trafficking for an orphan ($5/week)
• Build and Develop vocational training center for 30 impoverished families ($23,000)

But can you receive tax benefits as well from a donation? Of course!  As a federally registered 501c3 charity, giving to GENESIS allows you to claim these benefits on your return:

• Cash: Donation of cash can be deducted up to 50% of gross income.
• Property: Donation of property can be deducted up to 30% of gross income.
• Capital gains assets: Capital gains assets can be deducted up to 20% of gross income.  More information about stock transfer donations, as well as advantages they can have over cash, are found here.

Should you feel limited, then, in how much you can donate? Not really. As ehow.com notes, “if you have been particularly generous and exceeded these limits, you are allowed to roll over part of your charitable contribution to the following year for up to 5 years.”

As a general rule for all charitable donations: documentation is critically important. Specific standards are explained taxes.about.com and ehow.com. Overall, it is best to have extensive proof. Keep receipts for all donations, especially with those over $250. Keep cancelled checks or statements for cash contributions, as well as notebooks recording gifts.

Any contribution you can make is more than appreciated, and goes a long way towards making sure we can continue our work. Thank you.

Urgent: Give the gift of education this holiday season.

The Genesis Network is building its second primary school in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The new building, which will provide primary education to over 200 at-risk children in one of the country’s poorest areas, is the second being constructed under its Kid Launch project.

Currently in Thailand, almost one million children lack access to school, which leaves them vulnerable to the country’s extensive prostitution industry and human trafficking. Nearly 800,000 are employed as prostitutes. In response to the need for support, the Genesis Network initiated Kid Launch in the summer of 2008, with the goal of providing education and economic development in villages that ask for its assistance.

To complete this task, however, we need your support. Currently, there are two ways to give:

• We are currently accepting donations on our website. Make a donation.

• Thanksgiving/Holiday Cards: Businesses can purchase and send $50 gift cards as a way to donate. Give a card that helps.

Currently, we have raised 77 percent and making a huge push to achieve 100 percent funding this month, with the goal of completing construction by early December.

Please help us out in any way you can. Any contribution you can make is greatly appreciated and goes a long way towards guaranteeing a good quality education and stable future for children who are at risk of falling into prostitution and human trafficking. Feel free to email the Genesis team at info@gnetwork.org for any questions.

Thank you.

The story behind the GENESIS Network founder. A philanthropist, Army Lieutenant and Boldfacer.

BOLDFACERS
November 20009

Adam Swartzbaugh

Watch the interview

It’s been a year since Barack Obama won the Presidential election, and chances are, if he was going to hand pick the sort of guy he’d want to represent our country on and off the battlefield, he’d choose Lieutenant Adam Swartzbaugh.

Too bad Swartzbaugh can’t say the same. It’s not that he doesn’t pledge wholehearted allegiance to the flag–of course he does–but he doesn’t agree with all of President Obama’s international policies. He’s not crazy about the continued asymmetric treatment of the Middle East or the recent undermining of the Kyoto Protocol in Bangkok. While politicians can wave the international relations wand, Swartzbaugh says, it’s the military, he believes, that has the ability to change people’s lives day by day.

Swartzbaugh is no army brat. There are no family war stories or hand-me-down fatigues in his closet. He enlisted in the ROTC on his own. Which was after he won the nationals as a competitive cyclist; and after he dropped out of Hobart College; and after he learned Chinese; and after he traveled to Viet Nam and met Ngoc Toan, a double amputee with pitch black eyes and a ponytail who painted so beautifully that Swartzbaugh taught him to make a living off his art; and after he witnessed child prostitution firsthand; and after he jumped on a Russian Army motorcycle and roared through Cambodia to Thailand to help Tsunami victims. After, really, that he realized helping others felt good, and that one individual can make a difference.

Swartzbaugh returned to the States to finish college and then some. He enlisted in the ROTC and graduated from Brown University. He recently launched the Genesis Network, an online networking platform devoted to helping grassroots human rights and social development initiatives all over the world. He’s building schools in Thailand and Burma and crusading against human trafficking in China, India and Africa.

Why all the good behavior? Swartzbaugh cares about being a leader. He’s learned the fundamentals: biking taught him discipline and commitment (He was chosen as one of Sports Illustrated’s “faces to watch” during high school), and the military educated him on how to observe, react and execute. He’s waiting to be deployed to Afghanistan, where he’d like to empower the local people to take control of their country. A model American soldier, you might say. Happy Anniversary, Mr. President.

Watch the interview

Boldfacers

What role should youth serve in youth philanthropy initiatives?

The role of youth in charities vary from almost non-existent to limited roles where they can merely serve as a prop to communicate adults’ messages, to models where they have an equal role with adults or even run the organization entirely. The Jewish Teen Funders’ Network lists nine “degrees of participation” going down from maximum to minimum involvement.

9. Youth Initiated and Directed
8. Youth Initiated, Shared Decisions with Adults
7. Youth and Adult Initiated and Directed
6. Adult Initiated, Shared Decisions with Youth
5. Consulted and Informed
4. Assigned but Informed
3. Tokenism
2. Decoration
1. Manipulation

Though a strong adult-controlled model may be favored by those unsure about giving youth a decision-making stake, not acknowledging the skills and ideas of young participants can damage a program. As was noted in a 2001 University of Wisconsin-Madison study “the mutual contributions of youth and adults can result in a synergy, a new power and energy that propels decision-making groups to greater innovation and productivity…youth and adults become more committed to attending meetings and create a climate that is grounded in honest appraisal, reflection, and ongoing learning.” Through taking an active role as contributors and leaders, youth naturally feel more of a stake in the program and desire to involve themselves in it.

Many “best practice” guides recommend the creation of youth boards where teens take a direct role in program administration alongside adult members. The James Irvine Foundation notes that “creating youth boards linked to adult-driven institutions exposes youth to the process of making important decisions, while also demonstrating to adults how youth can be a part of critical community decisions.”

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation recommends diversity as critical in forming a successful youth board, with members of all “age, gender, race, religion, socio-economical, and geographical [groups]…leadership ability is distributed across the youth population; dropouts have just as much potential to lead as members of the National Honor Society.” The Kellogg Foundation, among its recommendations, suggests that “youth participants should range in age from 14 to 18 with attendance optional until the age of 21” and that youth members recruit replacements.

For school-centered programs, though, initiation and implementation can be by default adult (teacher/faculty) led. Pennies for Peace is one example of this type of program. Established in 1994 as a program of the Central Asia Institute, Pennies encourages classrooms to fundraise for school-building and education in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Pennies expands by asking schools that want to start a campaign to register online, and provides them with a “toolkit” and other supplies such as videos and sample letters to parents and others. The campaign emphasizes that students should donate only pennies, as it believes this allows students of all economic backgrounds to be active contributors. One novel avenue Pennies for Peace emphasizes is direct implementation into class curriculum, such as teaching about Afghan and Pakistani history and culture.

The Genesis Network’s Change for Hope Youth Empowerment Program hopes to improve on the Pennies model through creating a platform where students can move into leadership roles. Concentrated on fundraising for school construction along the Burmese/Thai border, Change for Hope describes itself as “[giving] students an opportunity to apply themselves to real issues and develop real projects that make real differences…[and] the unique opportunity to build direct relationships with Burmese children.” Change for Hope’s goals include eventually establishing itself as a student-run group, as well as providing participants with opportunities including internships and volunteering abroad.

As concluding questions: If your organization runs a youth philanthropy program, what opportunities do you provide or wish to provide for young participants? More specifically, what are the different roles youth and adults have and how do they interact? What approaches work best for you and what additional points do you think charities can learn from? All answers, as well as other questions and comments are more than appreciated.