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A Friend In Need.
Submitted by normascott on 13 March, 2007 - 06:35.
Hi everyone, I'd be very happy if someone can help me.
A friend of mine loves to spend their time making anyone's life better. This persons wishes to devote their time volunteering. They want to create an organization dedicated to this, and charge no fees to anyone helped.
The problem as you might guess is the income you would need for something like this; not to mention money for the support of oneself (food, water, etc) and the lack thereof.
However I can see how important it is to them and want to make it a possibity.
So I'm wondering; how did organizations like Cross Cultural Solutions and Global Crossroad get started?
Can anyone point me to a place that gives infromation on or is somehow related to knowledge necessary for heading such an organization?
It's definitely possible for my friend to pursue that goal, and I want them to know that. Please help!
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RE: A Friend In Need.
Heh, no, this really is for a friend.
They just have a certain passion for it. I'm not sure what their reasons were for wanting to create one over joining but I want info on both sides so I can help them and talk to them about it. From there they can decide on what to do.
If it's for something you want to do with your life, any amount of hard work and people saying "No" makes no difference. That's what I think. If it's your passion you owe it to yourself to try and learn.
That's why we live, isn't it?
I really don't think we
I really don't think we should be in the business of discouraging any form of engagement with our sector. If someone wishes to volunteer, the answer is "Yes", and we'll work out the details later.
Having said that, your initial question is a bit broad for a forum such as this. I think you need to have a detailsed discussion with your friend, to clarify what they want to do - the need to which they are responding, and how they wish to address that need.
There's nothing wrong with saying (if, indeed, this is the case) that the need is for "me" to get involved with something - it's more important to be clear about what the real game is.
Then I would counsel getting an "expert" to join the group - you'll probably find one or two at your local CVS or Voluntary Development Agency - and discuss formats, legal structures, funding etc.
There is no simple answer to your query, I suspect, and a process such as this will help you to reach the right destination for your friend.
Cheers
Gerry
Gerry Beldon FInstF
Director, 26-01 CIC
www.26-01.com
RE: A Friend In Need.
Hmmm, would your friend be you by any chance?
Anyone will tell you that creating a new charity is HARD WORK. 99% of charities are started by someone in their spare time - and not as a full-time endeavour. If you are doing something similar to an existing organisation, why reinvent the wheel?
There are *always* more truly deserving and worthy causes looking for money than there is money available. Fundraising is one of the hardest jobs there is. Not only will you get horrible people like me saying "No", you will get indifferent people who don't even bother answering. And a lot of each of them. Reading some of the historic threads on this site alone will give you an idea of just how hard it is - and supply some useful links.
Sure it's good for people to learn from experience. But I've always thought it's far better to learn from *other* people's experiences when possible so you can maximise the positive impact of your own efforts.
RE: A Friend In Need.
Yeah, that was kind of harsh!
Listen, this isn't a "Everything said here will happen like it or not" statement.
I'm just saying I want to help, and I have no idea where to go because I'm not very familiar with charity. I don't know much so I want to examine ALL possiblities and go from there.
"Sorry," but I don't care if you see the point to this or not. That's not why I'm here. My circumstances are not the same as yours, please do not treat them so. It's nice you've decided which way is wrong, but please let us learn from our own experiences.
I'm being fluffy because I wish to spare the details, the "need" being one of them.
I can see now that was a mistake, though. My friend is more into the "give a man a fish; feed him for a day" outlook. So I'd say my friend would be more interested in giving them something to improve the quality of their life overall, not something to "feed them for a day."
Education comes to mind as one example.
If you look at the webistes of one of the organizations I mentioned above, they get their funds by people donating money or by paying their own cash and time to the company in order to help in other countries. It sounds like a good funding idea but I'm wondering how you get started with something like that.
I see creating and joining an organization as possibilites. However, I have much information on joining one as it is.
I'm having a hard time finding anything on creating one and only want to know if anyone has some inside information or can point me in a direction to get started. Thank you.
RE: A Friend In Need.
Is this for real? On the assumption that it is ...
Sorry, but I don't see the point in volunteering at the expense of being able to eat and have somewhere to live. Self-sacrifice is all very well, and we all go the 'extra mile' - but I figure that I wouldn't be much good to anyone if I was living in a bus shelter and having to eat out of rubbish bins. Bear in mind that Jobseekers Allowance is usually only paid on the basis that the claimant is available for paid work and is seeking work.
What's wrong with being paid for working for the good of others? If I had a million dollars (cue song) then I would probably do exactly what I am doing now, but for free. Unfortunately, I also need to eat and live, so I gratefully accept the value that my employer places on me i.e. my salary.
Second, why create a new organisation?
There are 180,000 registered charities in the UK, and tens of thousands of small community organisations that are unregistered.
Surely your friend can find an existing organisation which matches their interests? - and certainly most larger charities will pay their volunteers expenses so that they are not out-of-pocket for donating their time. Local volunteer bureau is the best place to start. For helping individuals in need, [url]http://www.timebank.org.uk/[/url] might also be worth a look.
EDIT: OK, so all that was a bit harsh. But the original post is shockingly fluffy. The point is: identify a SPECIFIC need and SPECIFICALLY what you want to do about it. THEN worry about the "how". You're approaching it from the "How". Wrong way round.