Emergency Fundraising for Iraq

You might want to look at [url]http://www.iraqicharities.org/index_E.php[/url]

This is a non-profit company with Company House under the number 5354695. The ‘Iraqi Charities Forum’ is a charity registered in the UK under the number 1115625

This organisation makes sure funds are received to those in need in Iraq. It works with other charity orgs in places like Baghdad, Karbala, Basra etc. They have an office in London.

they are very trustworthy

hope this helps

Fiona

I'm afraid there's nothing to remedy. Google is picking up the words "Baghdad" and "shelter" and phrase "Baghdad Shelter" in the body of the text of the front page. Their website is therefore a reasonable result for a search on "Baghdad shelter".

Once your website goes live, one task you might want to set yourself is to ensure that your website ranks equally as highly, or even better. This is achieved through a mixture of good, standards-based website design, regularly updated content, good use of keywords (such as 'Baghdad' and 'shelter') in your copy, and a good number of external inward links e.g. from supporters' websites.

One confusing element of the other organisation's website is the fact that their website address matches the opening greeting "Welcome to the Baghdad Orphanage Web Site", but the site's logo declares "The Baghdad Shelter". If that's to be your organisation's name you might want to ask them to stick to Baghdad Orphanage, but they will be under no obligation to do so. After all, the sign outside their project, depicted on the website's front page, declares "Baghdad Shelter".

Good luck with the charity registration. That at any rate will set you apart from other organisations, and of course enable you to receive tax-efficient donations like Gift Aid and donations from grant-making trusts.

Hi, thanks for that post. That is NOT our website, and in fact we have tried to disassociate ourselves with this 'unofficial' site which initially started as a good will gesture but has caused lots of problems due to content not being accurate!

The Shelter is in the process of being registered as a charitable organisations and at present donations can be made through Action for Street Kids. The Shelter doesn't have a website but [url]www.action4streetkids.org.uk[/url] contains info and contact details on the project.

The problem is that when you search under 'the Baghdad Shelter' the creator of the Baghdad Orphanage (unofficial) website has engineered it so that all searches are automatically diverted to his site...slightly problematic for when the Shelter does finally get its own site. Anyone know to to remedy this problem?

If this is your website,

[url]www.baghdadorphanage.org[/url]

you are in trouble. You have no indication as to who is behind this effort, where they are located, how to contact them, the legal status of the fundraising effort (is it a registered charity?) or how the funds will be accounted for.

If this is a generous effort on the part of some good-hearted people, good for you. But that will not get you many grants.

You must find some sort of transparent, accountable legal structure for your fundraising efforts to get anywhere in the UK.

If that is impossible, you can continue to seek private donations as long as you do not make any indication that you are a charity.

Your founder might do better in Iraq, with foreign embassies and the agencies that do operate there: International Red Cross/Red Crescent, USAID etc. Though that carries its' own baggage.

Larry Boyd
Tools for Self Reliance
[url]www.tfsr.org[/url]

Dear All,

Many thanks for your helpful suggestions to date.

To be more clear: the Shelter costs a £32,000 p/a to run. This is to feed, clothe and provide medical services for the children (all of these are becoming increasingly more expensive due to inflation), for fuel and for one modest salary of the Shelter Manager (£80/month, well below average). There are no accommodation costs as the house/Shelter was a donation from an Iraqi living in UK.

The Shelter has had a few donations on the back of news articles in the UK. A lot of the ongoing costs are paid by the founder (who donated the house) and his wife, and some from a local college in the UK. UK charity Action for Street Kids has also donated £11k to date.

I will try all the usual avenues (Rotaries, Church Groups etc) but wondered about grant-making bodies per se. Does anyone have experience of the Humanitarian Funding (CHASE) programme run by DfiD? or anything similar?

I will definitely contact NGOs working in Iraq for suggestions.

Thanks again!

Just had a sudden thought.

Some sickening images on the news last night about an orphanage in Iraq (could have been in the capital).

Might be worth capitalising on that with individuals and faith groups. Might need to stress the controls in place in the organisation though to prevent repeats of that atrocity in your shelter.

You don't say how much you need. I suspect that the majority of Trusts will want to steer clear of Iraq for now, and will watch the major NGOs to see when they start to go back in.

Have you talked to those NGOs who have an interest in Iraq, but no staff there because of the war? They may have some suggestions for you.

I think, if I was as convinced as you clearly are that this is a useful and viable project, I'd be looking for like-minded individuals to fund it with donations. I think I might try churches and mosques as likely places to find such people gathering.

And I'd have a website, with a donation button, and press releases to get the message out there.

To begin with.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Gerry

I'm not sure about what you mean by emergency funding.

Sustainable doesn't always matter. Many charities in this country and abroad need regular cash injections.

Some trusts will pay for capital expenditure, but not running costs. Some will pay running costs but not capital spending.
And some pay either.

Can you tell us exactly what you are looking for, and where you have tried so far?
I'm not sure how much, if at all, the chances of being bombed would affect decision making.
Others on here will probably know more.