Hey Brown, am wondering if by law, these kids are supposed to be fed in school, that's my understanding in theory within the candain law, can you move beyound the stakeholders to involving private sectors?

Tio

Briefly, my story and my need.

My story.  My name is Scott Beale and I recently left a secure and exciting job with the US State Department doing human rights work in India to start a new international nonprofit (Atlas Service Corps) that will bring rising nonprofit leaders from the developing world to volunteer for one year in the US.  This unique approach to international service provides an outstanding professional development opportunity to rising overseas nonprofit leaders, builds capacity among US nonprofit organizations and creates avenues for international cooperation.  Further, it is a sustainable, scalable program since US nonprofit organizations pay about 50% of the expenses to host a Fellow (about $16,000).

My need.  I want people to check out http://www.atlascorps.org - I am looking for host organizations in Washington, DC; feedback from thought leaders on the idea and of course, resources.  This is a revolutionary new approach that values the contributes of leaders from the global south and completes the important circle of service that the 300+ organizations like the Peace Corps have done for 45 years sending Americans overseas to volunteer.

Thanks for your interest, I look forward to reading other people's posts.

Sincerely, Scott Beale - www.atlascorps.org - scott@atlascorps.org

Let me briefly answer some of your questions and strongly encourage you all to check out www.atlascorps.org - I have my entire business plan online and a lot more info.

Tio - Uniqueness.  My research indicates that there are no other organizations in the US bringing mid career nonprofit professionals to the US to volunteer for one year at likeminded US nonprofits to learn best practices as well as share their perspectives..  There are academic programs that teach Fellows, short-term government programs, even business and religious programs.  But none in the nonprofit sector like what I am doing.  Online I outline the uniqueness and compare Atlas Corps to similiar organizations: http://www.atlascorps.org/competition.html  However, if people know of similiar programs, please check out that site and then let me know if there is something out there I have not thought of.

Kmniazi - Quality & Price. I will ensure a high quality of people working at the grassroots through a nominator network, similiar to where I used to work - Ashoka - that will guarentee outstanding candidates.  In addition, the J-1 visa and program requirements mandate that Fellows return back to their home country for at least two years before coming back to the US.  With regard to the price, the program costs me $36,000.  $16K is covered by the partner and I need to raise about $20K more for each person.  The Fellow will not be responsible for living expenses, they will receive a small but sufficient living stipend, like a Peace Corps or AmeriCorps volunteer.  They will also get their travel paid, health care, etc.

Thanks for the kind words and the interest. I welcome all feedback and encourage people to check out www.atlascorps.org and to email me at scott@atlascorps.org

I am piloting this program with nonprofit leaders from India and Colombia going to nonprofit organizations in DC and DE, so I could use leads in those areas and generally want feedback from everyone.

Take care, Scott Beale

Most stakeholders want us to offer them a perfect solution while we are determined to assist them in finding the most appropriate response that works for their community

There is probably more than one way to accomplish this successfully

Thanks Charles,

An important part of my story is the almost three years I worked at Youth Venture, essentially the youth wing of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public.  While at Ashoka I learned so much from Bill Drayton and the dynamic team they have about social entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability and scalability.  Their unending emphasis on these principles and the opportunity to interact with Fellows who put those principles to use have shaped my own path as a social entrepreneur and how I have shaped Atlas Corps.  In fact, I'm honored to share that Bill Drayton and David Bornstein both agreed to be on my Senior Advisory Board.

To answer your other question about whether I think that I can eventually cover 100% of the Fellows expenses through the host organization cost share, the answer is yes.  In my opinion, these Fellows are worth $50K+, they are the best of the best, sharing their perspectives at an organization.  In the beginning the $16,000 cost share covers 40% of the cost, but over 10 years I think I can increase this to $28,000, and with economies of scale, have this cover 100% of the program expense.  This revenue stream allows Atlas Corps to expand all over the world and be completely sustainable.  More on this here: http://www.atlascorps.org/on_sustainability.html

Oh, now that I re-read your question, I think you misunderstood my post.  There is no cost to the volunteers, they are giving their time.  The cost is to the US Host Organizations (US nonprofits) who are gaining the Fellow for a year. Similiar to how most US nonprofits cost-share AmeriCorps VISTAs.

Thanks! Scott Beale, http://www.atlascorps.org

I'm honored to share that Bill Drayton and David Bornstein both agreed to be on my Senior Advisory Board.

Charles, thanks for hosting this discussion

My Story: I have led the Tutor/Mentor Connection since 1993 and a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program since 1974. The goal is to connect workplace volunteers with inner city kids in structured programs that offer a wide range of learning and enrichment as part of an effort to help kids move to jobs and careers. I host a variety of forums that enable people to connect with each others, and with ideas that they can use. My aim in participating in Social Edge is to find others who share the same goal, and who will work together to increase the involvement of business, and business resources in helping kids from poverty neighborhoods in many cities be part of structured, long-term programs.

Value of Social Edge: I've been invited to host two discussion on Social Edge this year and hope to do more in the future. On Nov. 30 I'm hosting a one day event in Chicago, which I describe at http://www.tutormentorconference.bigstep.com/. If any readers can participate either by coming to Chicago, or by hosting on-line disucssions in December, or by helping me find others who can participate, I'd like to hear from you.

You can read more about my efforts at http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/

Thanks Kmniazi,

Regarding how we will find Atlas Corps Fellows.  In the beginning we will rely on a nomination process because it is starting as a small program and we have limited resources and reach.  Further, we have associations with Ashoka, USAID, the US Embassy and other networks of NGO leaders in Colombia and India.  We wont reach everyone, but we will reach a lot.  Over time we will open up the application process.

And regarding asking the Fellows to volunteer - absolutely.  They will be volunteering their time at the Host Organization, and they will also be spending time studying best practices in the US.  In addition, they will be asked to do a team service project and get involved in the community.

Finally, regarding connecting with people on SE.  I am pretty new to SE, find some conversations better than others. I am here to get feedback on my idea and hope to meet people in the process.  We'll see ...

Thanks,

Scott Beale - scott@atlascorps.org - http://www.atlascorps.org  

Generating interest / participation among people is an issue facing all online communities

Any ideas, about how I can take full advantage of SE and contribute to SE in a meaningful way?

Good question - "how strong does an organization have to be, for it to be able to "lose" one of its best for a year"

Atlas Corps is recruiting rising leaders who have 4-8 years of experience, ideally mid career professionals, #2s or #3s in an organization.  We do not want to take Executive Directors and we do not want to take recent students either.  We want people who when they leave the organziation will not fall apart (e.g. Exec. Dir) but have been around long enough they have a lot to share too.

It may be the case that when these rising leaders come to the US they need to leave their jobs and be replaced by someone else.  That is ok, the Fellow will know this in advance and get a financial award when they return home to help with the transition to a new job.  Larger organizations may be able to hold positions open, smaller organizations will not.

The key point is that while these fellows will miss one of year of service to their country they will come back 20%, 30% of 50% better at what they do (although this is difficult to measure, we will try).  So, after 2, 3 or 5 years they will have made up for lost time and be able to spread their knowledge to others.

This aspect of the model was developed by NGO leaders in India who thought the benefits of the program far outweighed the logistical, short term challenges.

Thanks! Scott http://www.atlascorps.org - scott@atlascorps.org

Atlas Corps is recruiting rising leaders who have 4-8 years of experience, ideally mid career professionals, #2s or #3s in an organization. We do not want to take Executive Directors and we do not want to take recent students either. We want people who when they leave the organziation will not fall apart (e.g. Exec. Dir) but have been around long enough they have a lot to share too.

they will come back 20%, 30% of 50% better at what they do (although this is difficult to measure, we will try)

Thanks Carlos,

We could raise the $1.2 Million/year and design systems(assembly,delivery) to produce and deliver 30,000/day but we believe that we would be perpetuating the problem of child hunger. It isn't about feeding 30,000 kids through an agency lunch program - it is about changing attitudes around the issue and raising community-based solutions to the problem.In Calgary it is wrong that there are starving children in Sudan but it is bad that kids in Calgary are hungry. We need to raise awareness about this situation and that it is wrong. It is the small thinking of service provision without solutions that ends up managing issues and everytime we manage an issue (hunger, homelessness, health ...) we disempower, create dependence and entitlment and unfortunately support an organizational focus ( where the organization must survive). Harsh as it sounds, I am willing to not feed every child to ensure that in the future hungry children won't exist.

Kamran - Thanks for the feedback, I will check out www.aidworkers.net. I think the US Embassy has a pretty extensive network in India, but it is larger in some countries than others.

Charles - I appreciate your feedback on ideal candidates and I like the concept of "Return on Humanity" very much.  Since this is our innaugural year we are going to take great care in finding the perfect candidates and I am sure we will learn a lot in the process.

Take care,

Scott Beale / http://www.atlascorps.org / scott@atlascorps.org

We believe that we would be perpetuating the problem of child hunger

It isn't about feeding 30,000 kids through an agency lunch program - it is about changing attitudes

Harsh as it sounds, I am willing to not feed every child to ensure that in the future hungry children won't exist.

how do we encourage candid opinions in an online world? you dont express candid opinions in the offline world, unless you have learned to trust people.

Charles,

I'm in full agreement with you on the use of forums like this to expand your personal network and build trust and awareness essential for organizations to grow. At http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2006/10/nobel-prize-giraffes-and-tutormentor.html I illustrate this concept and show how I'm connecting with others who want to create a better world.  By making time every week to add to conversations in a variety of related places, I'm connecting people who don't know each other, with me, and with people I know, who are represented as Links or participants in forums I host in Chicago, or on my own web site.

It takes time to make this work. And it takes luck.  If you don't invest the time, it's not likely you'll have the luck.

Thanks Kamran and Charles,

Kamran - I am focusing on the UN Millennium Development Goals, generally hunger, poverty, gender equity, health (AIDS), environment, etc.  I would consider an NGO leader who works on entrepreneurial issues or micro-fiance to be addressing poverty and would qualify.

But let me clarify, this is NOT simply about teaching NGO leaders overseas best practices from America, it is also about teaching US nonprofits perspectives from aboad.

I am starting with India and Colombia because these are countries where I have lived and worked, eventually we will be around the world, including Pakistan.

Thanks!

Scott Beale - http://www.atlascorps.org - scott@atlascorps.org