Is it the new administration? Is it the poor economy and unemployment increases? What ever it is, volunteerism is a great thing to do. If you feel you have more time on your hands than usual and want to get involved there are a slew of agencies ready to use your skills. Don’t just think of your kids’ school or your church or synagogue, although these are great outlets, think beyond this comfort zone.
I took the plunge this past summer to sit on the board of a charity. http//:www.clarajeanfoundation.org. This is a non profit holistic approach to breast cancer. CJF acts as a resource for women going through breast cancer seeking alternative medicine and care. I have to say it is wonderful. The board members are people with other jobs and families who are making time in their lives for this worthwhile cause. I am exhilarated by their commitment and eagerness.
Shipping Shelby has caught the volunteer bug and is delivering meals on wheels once a week. He really is great with the elderly and it is a natural outlet for him. On his way to ship out our Haralee.Com orders he can do his volunteer job too.
I am chairing the fund raising efforts for the Clara Jean Foundation. Two events that have been great fund raisers are a walk with a health expo in May, and a golf tournament and auction in October. I am looking for ideas to expand on these successes and to procure more donations. Writing grants is possible, but I have never written a grant in my life so any ideas would be helpful! At Clara Jean we are looking for new committee members too. Please send your ideas to: [email protected].
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Haralee,
Grant writing is not as scary as it sounds, you'll do great! Do you have time to take a course or one-time seminar on grant writing? Many adult education courses provide classes for minimal cost. There are also many books and articles on this topic. One website provides some very basic 101 Grant Writing information.
The most important thing you can do is: do your research with your potential funder. What projects have been funded in the past? Do your projects' goals match the funder's requirements? Can you review previous (winning) proposals, from either your potential funder or your colleagues?
January 20, 2009 - 1:33pmThis Comment