The Bridge

Spring 2006

Volume 1, Number 1

In This Issue

· Welcome to The Bridge

· RAWA Project Update

· What’s New at CHI

View Orphanage Visit 2006

CHI Board Member Visits the Orphanages!

Child Sponsorships Available

Sponsor a Child Today!

Orphanage Sponsorships Available

Sponsor an Orphanage!

Founding Sponsorships Available

Help Found an Orphanage!

Single Donations Available

One Time Donation Options!

 “Small, indigenous organizations offer creative, practical solutions to the problems facing their societies. They rarely have the means to share their visions with others around the world who could lend critical financial support.  CHI puts essential technological tools in the hands of  grassroots organizations so they can generate sustainable income and build meaningful relationships” - Paul Stevers, Founder, CharityHelp International 

Organizations Actively Supporting RAWA’s Orphan Sponsorship Program

The Afghan Women's Mission www.afghanwomensmission.org

The Afghan Women's Mission works closely with RAWA to support health, educational, and other programs for Afghan women.

RAWA Supporters, Santa Barbara
www.rawasb.org

RAWA Supporters S.B. was founded in August of 2000 to raise awareness of the plight of Afghan women, and to raise money to support RAWA programs.

Contact Us

www.charityhelp.org

Contact the Managing Director

CharityHelp International, Inc.

PO Box 1904

Annapolis, MD 21404

USA Phone: 443-283-0677

Canadian Phone: 416-628-1464

CharityHelp International, Inc has been in existence since 2004 and as part of its Orphanage Assistance Program offers on-line donation options. The payments made via this website are tax deductible in the US to the full extent provided by law. Contact your financial planner or tax adviser to determine the exact tax advantages of any gift. This Orphanage Assistance Program is also a project of International Humanities Center (IHC) which provides its non-profit status. The IHC is a non-profit public charity exempt from federal income tax under Section 501[c](3) of the US Internal Revenue Code. You can download a copy of IH Center’s 990.  The IHC provides a receipt for any on-line gift exceeding $50.  All photos copyright RAWA. 

Welcome to The Bridge

This is the inaugural issue of The Bridge-a newsletter for the supporters of CharityHelp International.  We are always looking for new ideas and ways to improve our communication with the on-line community of CharityHelp supporters.  If you have a comment or idea, please contact the managing director. 

RAWA Project Update

Child Sponsorship Program Expands in Afghanistan April 2006---RAWA is expanding its successful child sponsorship program in Afghanistan.  As a result of world-wide support, RAWA has substantially increased the number of sponsored children in recent months and immediately needs to add space to house and educate more children.

As part of RAWA’s plan to expand the child sponsorship program, individuals and organizations are now invited to become orphanage founding sponsors.  As a founding sponsor, donors will be able to make it possible to completely change the lives of hundreds (if not, thousands) of children over the coming years. Donors need only support the initial cost of setting up the orphanage since the ongoing costs will be covered by others.  The initial set-up price for founding an orphanage is $16,000 if paid via the CharityHelp website. Donors choosing this option make their donation eligible for USA income tax-deduction.  If a donor does not need this USA income tax deduction, they can give directly to RAWA and reduce the cost to $14,500.   For more information see: www.charityhelp.org/sponsor/founding_sponsorship .

Costs at the orphanages in Pakistan have dramatically increased recently for many reasons including the over 50% increase in rents due to the recent devastating earthquake.  Unfortunately, these costs are even higher in war-torn Afghanistan.  Even though the orphanage operating costs are still lower in Pakistan, RAWA has made the decision to work toward going home.  The programs in Pakistan force staff and children to live as refugees and they could be compelled to leave at any time by the Pakistan government.  As well, the children deserve to live in orphanages close to their native homes where they can visit their remaining relatives as often as possible.

Unfortunately, due to the recent increase in operating costs, the sponsorship rates do not support the all of the expected operating expenses for Afghanistan or Pakistan based orphanages.  In an effort to keep individual child sponsorship prices as low as possible, RAWA is announcing the implementation of a new program developed in partnership with CharityHelp International to enable individuals or organizations to sponsor part of the cost of the operating an orphanage. Donors can provide one-time or on-going operational support for these new orphanages.  Over time and as the program grows, costs are expected to reduce as economies of scale are realized and lower housing rents become available.  Therefore, in the future, the current child sponsorship rate may become sufficient to cover all of the operating expenses.

For more information:  www.charityhelp.org/rawa or Sponsor an Orphanage

What’s New at CHI

These are exciting times at CharityHelp International!  We have updated our email messaging and forwarding system, redesigned our homepage, and are working on new partnerships for additional projects.  Visit our site often to see the latest updates!  We invite you to view the photographs of the latest trip to the orphanages!

Our Philosophy

To create a better world one project at a time by facilitating the cultivation of long-term relationships between donors and project participants.  We believe that enabling two-way communication will foster long-term support and increase cross-cultural understanding, ultimately enriching the lives of both.  With the rapid expansion of the availability of low-cost internet based communications, our program can be expanded on a scale never before possible.  CHI envisions the creation of an on-line community that works with eligible non-profits to promote sustainable change and development in emerging nations.

How you can help!

In addition to monetary donations, CHI is looking for interested volunteers to help research and prepare mini-proposals for funding.  Required skills:  diligence and follow through, good writing skills, some proposal research and preparation background preferred. 

We are also looking for volunteers to research and prepare scholarship applications for the children in RAWA’s orphanages.  Required skills:  diligence and follow-through, application type writing skills and a commitment to the Afghan children. Contact us for more information.