Project Summary - ONETrack International

Note: All answers below are subject to cultural considerations and interpretation by the Operations Team of ONETrack International. Family preservation initiatives are not something that can be determined by a ‘one-size fits all’ model- indeed, every country, community, and individual family’s situation is circumstantial and unique. This document is only intended as an outline of questions to be considered during future program development and expansion.

Orphans / Vulnerable Children (OVC)

Who is eligible to be in our program?

ONETrack International’s (OTI) beneficiary criteria includes all children:

1. Classified as ‘orphaned’ as defined by international law- in that, they are missing one or both parents;

2. And, that are in need of reintegration into a family environment; or, are in danger of being removed from the family environment that they are currently in.

How do we identify OVCs?

ONETrack will identify local partners who are qualified to assume the role of an OTI field team and administer Transition to Home activities on a daily basis. The Operations Team may identify these partners through existing relationships, by leveraging contacts they have in-country, through open-source research that is followed by further verification and vetting processes (partner analysis, operational overview, etc.), or any other means that introduces OTI to the appropriate individuals and organizations to collaborate with. These partners should have a profound understanding of the region, village and OVC situations and processes in that country and be able to assist in the selection process of potential beneficiaries and host families. OTI policy is to work with local partners or local-led initiatives and never bring in outside staff to act as our field team leaders.

Where are OVCs living prior to being admitted into OTI care?

OVCs, prior to being accepted into OTI programs, are either living in:

1. Institutional care- as in an orphanage, child commune, government center, refugee camp, etc.;

2. Already in a Transition to Home program, that OTI can support (so that the child is never at risk of returning to institutional care);

3. Or, at risk of being removed from a family environment (for economic reasons, perhaps) and in a situation where OTI could intervene to support that case and prevent the child from being placed in institutional care.

What is the removal / reintegration process?

OVCs will be removed from their current living situation and placed with suitable caretakers within their communities of birth. We first look to place them with biological family members and then trusted host families within the village. ONETrack does not place children in institutional care; nor, do we participate in international adoption endeavors. (Eligible caretaker criteria and selection is outlined in the Host Family section.)

What is the selection criteria?

OVCs are selected using a scale of vulnerability. Children within the community that are most at-risk will be given priority. OTI will create a committee of local stakeholders (community and religious leaders, school headmasters and teachers, potential host families, and anyone whos
e perspective would be valued during the selection process). It is important that these representatives are selected among a diverse group of people so that potential beneficiaries do not get preferential selection status for any other purposes other than their vulnerable position within the community.

Who determines the vulnerability criteria?

ONETrack’s Operations Team will determine the overall vulnerability criteria (as it relates to general OTI policy). Individual programs’ vulnerability criteria will be selected by both OTI Operations and local partners to ensure consideration of cultural and political contexts.

Who qualifies as ‘family’ of an OVC?

Family means many things to many different people and cultures. While ONETrack policy primarily considers ‘family’ to be living biological relatives, we respect that potential host families might be close friends or concerned neighbors willing and eager to become caretakers of a particular OVC case or cases; in turn, children may request to live with potential host families that they have close relationships with. This should be considered and discussed with all stakeholders and those most familiar with those particular situations.

Do they have to be in the same region?

OVCs and host families need to both reside in an area that is administered by our field teams. This will depend on the range of observation that their mandates fall under. While OTI cannot force a host family from moving after a child has been placed in their care, we are unable to support that situation as we can no longer realistically monitor or measure it. This is one example of why the selection of host families is so critical.

What other types of support exist other than shelter and caretaker duties?

There is no limit to the type of support that ONETrack can provide for an OVC under our care- including through the reintegration process, throughout their childhood, and through after-care programs that lead them into adulthood. The type of support needed will be determined based on the individual situation, that is required by the region, or any other variables. All support that keeps the family together and provides a better life for the child is part of our objective. However, overall support is based on capacity and priority goes to education needs, healthcare needs, and caretaker support (the support required by a host family so that they can successfully accept a child into their household); these three pillars are required support for all children of OTI programs.

What say does an OVC have by right to be relocated to family support? Can they request or veto?

The child should be consulted throughout all stages of the reintegration process. We do not, under any circumstance, force children to be in our program. Since we are not a state actor, we have no authority within the countries that we operate in to compel a child to live with their relatives. (That said, once a child has entered the program, they cannot, for instance, veto our requirement that they attend school- as it is part of the agreement that they enter into when becoming a beneficiary. All OVCs and host families are considered partners and must adhere to the basic requirements they have agreed to in order to receive support.)

What are the laws of that country?

This will naturally vary from country to country, but it is essential that local and federal laws are researched and considered prior to placing OVCs with host families.

What sort of supplies do children need for school?

This will differ between countries as well as between regions within countries. However, the standard seems to be relatively universal- writing utensils, uniforms, shoes, exercise books, text books and things of this nature.

What sort of supplies do children need in the home?

These may include shoes, clothing, soap, food, and things of this nature. This is best determined by our field teams as they are most familiar with the local needs and standards.

Where are they procured and how are they distributed?

Except for exceptional circumstances, all materials should be purchased at the local level. Local procurement helps support the local markets and economies. The distribution system will be conducted by our field teams who will be charged with the procurement, storage and fair allocation of supplies.

What sort of financial support do children need for school?

Usually this is in the form of enrollment or PTA fees (as school is not free in much of the world). ONETrack International finances all of these fees for each child. (Field teams must report any attempts of schools to collect ‘irregular fees’ and donor money will never be spent for these purposes.)

What sort of financial support do children need in the home?

Children will likely not need direct financial support in the home. Household expenses will be determined by partners and any cash transactions would be between field teams and heads of households.

What sort of other financial support do children need?

To be considered on a project by project (and case by case within the project) basis.

Who allocates funds / materials in the village and how is it distributed?

Our field teams and local partners (and their respective volunteers) will be responsible for allocating funds and materials and maintaining records of what was distributed to whom.

How do we determine who can work with children in the field?

Local field teams’ policies on whom may work with a child will be followed in selecting which members of their teams can work directly with the children. ONETrack’s Operations Team will determine who may be sent on an on-site visit.

What are their responsibilities in regards to the OVCs?

Anyone working with children for ONETrack International should familiarize themselves with our Safeguarding documents and adhere to those policies to the best of their abilities.

What is our safeguarding process?

See ONETrack International’s Safeguarding documents for policies and expectations.

What is our background check process?

A background check will be requested of team members participating in their first site-visit to be certain that team members are eligible to work with children. Other requests may occur periodically and are done without bias and always to ensure the protection of our children.

How much financial support do children need in a year (per child)?

This figure will be determined on a project by project basis. Anyone participating in this process must remember that an OVC is under our care for their entire childhood. Inflation, changing economic situations of a country, etc. will also be considered over time.

How do we determine this amount?

This sum will be determined by calculating all of the school expenses plus healthcare plus caretaker support over the course of an entire year. The absolute sum will differ between countries and between cases within a project (as different children have different needs) and may be modified over time.

How do we raise this amount in a year?

This will be determined by the Fundraising and Development Department at ONETrack. But, the intended target for the year needs to consider how many children are in the program and how much each child costs for that year.

How do we determine costs?

A cost analysis of expenses both within the country of operation as well as transactional expenses (transfer fees, etc.) need to be factored into an overall cost and multiplied by the number of children.

What happens if we fail to
make our goal?

No child will ever be removed from the program by request of the company and all efforts will be made to find the necessary funding to keep children with their host families. This is why, expanding at a sensible rate and only accepting a realistic amount of children into our program (ie. an amount that we are confident that we will be able to support year after year) is crucial.

What happens if we raise more than intended?

In the event that we have raised more than our projected goal during a year, the Finance Team and Operations Team will discuss how to utilize the surplus. Ideally, we are putting funds into our savings account intended as emergency funds and to be used for programming in future years (these are considered ‘assets’ and will be categorized as such in our budgets and financial statements). But also, our goal is always to do more for the beneficiaries in our program as well as to welcome more children and families into both current and future projects. So, consideration on how to save while simultaneously expanding will be one facet of the conversation. Other options might be for surplus to be applied to training, site visits, technology upgrades and so forth.

Who is in charge of raising these funds?

The Fundraising and Development Team is charged with raising the funds needed to financially support all program expenses. That said, the entire ONETrack staff should be always looking for opportunities to identify potential funding and should always be considering our projects’ needs when spending on non-project expenses.

Host Families

What is a host family and what are our expectations of them?

Host families are considered partners of ONETrack International. Host families will be expected to provide a place within their existing households for an orphaned child or children. They will see to it that the children in their care are raised as equals to the other children in their family and community, that all children in the ONETrack program attend their classes until completion while maintaining decent expectations in grades, and that the children in our joint care receive all the medical treatments (including vaccinations and immunizations) that are standard to their respective region. Our field teams will facilitate much of this; however, the host families have partnered with OTI and must adhere to these requirements in order to receive support. [This approach was originally modeled after Brazil’s Bolsa Familia program in which impoverished families received support from the government provided that they committed to these standard expectations.]

What does their relationship to the OVCs have to be?

Under most circumstances, host families will be immediate biological family members of OVCs in ONETrack’s programs within their communities of birth. They may include:

1. A single parent in danger of having to place a child in institutional care (commonly referred to as Economic Orphans);

2. Close blood relatives (uncles, aunts, cousins, adult siblings, etc.)

3. Close friends of family or community members (determined on a case by case basis).

What is the legality of placing children with relatives?

International Law gives priority to placing orphaned children with relatives within their home communities. However, each independent, sovereign country, state or territory of the world will likely have their own laws regarding orphan-care. Local and national laws should be heavily researched before starting a program- and always adhered to.

Who is eligible to assume the role of host family?

As noted above, a host family should be family members of the child or other community members designated as caretaker or guardian. They must be approved by the community stakeholders as qualified to care for children. This decision must also be triangulated (so that there is never one decision-maker authorizing host families; this process is intended to eliminate opportunities for graft or nepotism).

What might prevent someone from becoming a host?

Each potential host’s qualifications will be based on a variety of factors determined by the selection committee. Examples of disqualifying criteria might be a history of abuse to children, a history of neglect toward their own children, a proclivity to relocate, general errant or immoral behavior, a tendency to break the law, and so forth.

Who selects them and how can we verify their eligibility?

Ideally each new project will begin by forming a committee of community leaders and other stakeholders. This committee might consist of school headmasters and teachers, public advisors and civil servants, religious leaders, potential host families, OTI field team representatives, etc. This committee will compile a list of the orphaned children in the village and their nearest relatives and determine the most vulnerable situations plus the most probable households (HH) plus the number of HHs based on immediate support capacity. After HHs are selected, the committee (using their familiarity with the prospective hosts) can determine eligibility. In regards to constituent organizations overseeing ongoing projects that OTI supports, the selection might be made by the partner organization (after OTI has conducted a partner analysis) and host families might already be beneficiaries of that project in which OTI assumes the role of Transition to Home.

What requirements must a host family adhere to?

Host families that assume the responsibility of caring for a child or multiple children must see to it that the children attend school regularly (including maintaining reasonable expectations in their attendance and grades); they must make sure that these children receive all vaccinations, immunizations and checkups common to their region (often facilitated by our field teams); they must make sure that the children are equal members of the household and treated fairly and consistent to the treatment of other children in the home; they must make certain that the children practice basic hygiene and have clothes, shoes, toothbrushes and anything that should be considered vital to basic human dignity (and that they will approach our field teams when they do not have these items so that OTI can provide them); they must make sure that the children are not abused physically, mentally, or emotionally (by other members of the HH or the community), which includes never violating child labor policies of OTI that prohibit an OVC from working; and, they need to make sure that the children understand that are not in debt to the family for providing a home environment.

Who ensures that the host family fulfills these requirements?

The committee should put in place a number of accountability systems in which the community oversees the project and can flag any irregular or unethical behavior, our field teams should be monitoring day to day activities (ensuring that our students attend school, do not work, etc.), and ONETrack’s Monitoring and Evaluation team should be overseeing all of this (in order to perfect our systems) and measuring the program’s successes (so we can evaluate each project’s overall Impact). The M&E team will monitor both remotely as well as in-person- when conducting a site visit.

What sort of supplies do host families need within our mandate?

This will differ between countries as well as between regions within countries. These may include clothing, soap, food (rice, cooking oil, etc.), seeds and agricultural provisions and things of this nature. This is best determined by our field teams as they are most familiar with the local needs and standards.

What sort of supplies do families need beyond what we are obliged to supply?

ONETrack’s obligations in regards to supplies are centered around what items a host family might need in order to welcome another child or multiple children into their homes. However, we always want to do the most we can for our beneficiaries, so supplies beyond what is expected of basic programming will be determined by financial capacity and on the recommendations of our field teams. Items given to the families should be universal to all beneficiaries (no family should receive supplies of far greater value than other families in the program), and supplies should be in line with the economic standards of the region (no family should receive supplies that greatly exceed the village’s common purchasing power- this is to avoid conflict with the greater community that might arise by creating a ‘have’ / ‘have not’ dynamic within the village or a desire for bad actors to try and become host families in order to acquire benefits or perceived wealth).

Where are they procured and how are they distributed?

What sort of financial support do families need in the home?

There are several reasons why direct cash might be given to host families. While our field teams are required to purchase supplies for the families, in some cases, it might make more sense for a family to procure items on their own. (For instance, a family’s residence might be far away from the village center and therefore the transport of continued supply runs, might be deemed- more costly.) Handing cash directly to the host family is also a sign of trust and firmly establishes them as equal partners with OTI- which they are. Other examples might include micro-loans for businesses (which we have done in Liberia), or cooperative investment groups (which has worked well in Zimbabwe with a local women’s group). These scenarios will be determined case by case and project by project; however, initiatives that involve cash need to be either offered to an entire project’s host families (to be equitable) or offered to a sub-group within the project (the most vulnerable- elderly caretakers, for instance) with an explanation for why some have received cash and other have not. Transparency is important in this case to avoid confusion.

What sort of financial support do families need for OVC support?

You can refer to the OVC section as it outlines what potential school supplies, clothing needs, health expenses and so forth, might be required of an OVC. These expenses will likely be paid directly to schools, vendors and medical clinics by our field teams, but that will be determined on a case by case basis

Who will distribute it to families?

OTI field teams will discuss the parameters with the host family and details will be determined collaboratively.

How will it be verified that they received it?

We will put in place a verification system for all cash transactions where a designated (adult) family member will sign a transaction receipt for our records.

Do they have a say in what they receive and how?

Yes, host families are our partners in this initiative and their needs will be discussed and agreed upon. The determined amount will be decided based on family needs plus the organization’s capacity. It may often be the case that certain projects do not provide cash directly to beneficiaries and this will be determined case by case and project by project.

How do we determine who can work with families in the field?

Local field teams’ policies on whom may work with families will be followed in selecting which members of their teams can work directly with the host families. ONETrack’s Operations Team will determine who may be sent on an on-site visit.

What are their responsibilities in regards to the families?

Anyone working with host families for ONETrack International should familiarize themselves with our Safeguarding documents and adhere to those policies to the best of their abilities.

What is our safeguarding process?

See ONETrack International’s Safeguarding documents for policies and expectations.

What is our background check process?

A background check will be requested of team members participating in their first site-visit to be certain that team members are eligible to work with beneficiaries. Other requests may occur periodically and are done without bias and always to ensure the protection of our beneficiaries.

How much financial support do families need in a year (per family)?

This figure will be determined on a project by project basis. Anyone participating in this process must remember that an OVC is under our care for their entire childhood and therefore family expenses will be needed each year that encompases. Inflation, changing economic situations of a country, etc. will also be considered over time.

How do we determine this amount?

This sum will be determined by calculating all of the school expenses plus healthcare plus caretaker support over the course of an entire year. The absolute sum will differ between countries and between cases within a project (as different children and families have different needs) and may be modified over time.

How do we raise this amount in a year?

This will be determined by the Fundraising and Development Department at ONETrack. But, the intended target for the year needs to consider how many children / families are in the program and how much each costs for that year.

How do we determine costs?

What happens if we fail to make our goal?

No family will ever be removed from the program by request of the company and all efforts will be made to find the necessary funding to keep children with their host families. This is why, expanding at a sensible rate and only accepting a realistic amount of children into our program (ie. an amount that we are confident that we will be able to support year after year) is crucial.

What happens if we raise more than intended?

Who is in charge of raising these funds?

Materials

Are there materials needed for identifying
children?

The materials needed for identifying children will likely be only office supplies and transport. In any event, these supplies should (within reason) be provided by OTI.

Are there materials needed for identifying family support?

The materials needed for identifying family support will likely be only office supplies and transport. In any event, these supplies should (within reason) be provided by OTI.

What sort of materials are needed to be provided or gather supplies (vehicles, fuel, etc)?

These materials will be determined by the field teams and ONETrack project leads and will likely differ between projects.

Where are they procured and how are they distributed?

All materials will be procured locally and will be distributed by those working in the field (either by field team staff or volunteers, OTI HQ representatives conducting a site visit, or both).

What sort of materials might a family need to receive financial support (bank account, ID, etc)?

In most circumstances, field teams will disburse financial support directly to families. In cases where funds are distributed electronically, a family member might need identification documents, a cellular telephone, or other tools required to receive electronic money.

What sort of materials might the partner need to receive financial support (access to World Remit, ID, etc)?

A cell phone, identification, transport and things of that nature, might be some of the materials needed in order to transfer funds to our partners. This may vary from country to country depending on access to mobile or cash-pickup services.

How will we determine what they need and when they receive it?

This amount will be determined during initial conversations between ONETrack’s Operation Team and the directors of our partner organization as well as during a follow-up cost analysis.

How much do materials cost (per year)? How do we determine this amount?

This amount will be determined during initial conversations between ONETrack’s Operation Team and the directors of our partner organization as well as during a follow-up cost analysis. Prices of materials may vary drastically depending on country and region and whether a project is located in an urban or rural setting.

Partners

What role does the partner play in identifying children? What role does the partner play in identifying family support?

ONETrack’s partner organizations are all composed of local team members that have an inherent familiarity of their village’s and region’s distinctive cultural variances and customs, as well as an intimate knowledge of the community’s members and their familial situations and particularities. As a result, partner organizations (along with project committee delegates) will be the principal actors in OVC and host family identification.

How can we confirm that they are qualified to be part of the selection process?

During our initial partner analysis enquiry (utilizing OTI’s Partner Analysis questionnaire and assessment tools), we will determine the qualifications of the organization as a whole (including recognition by state / international bodies, necessary registrations, etc.) as well as the organization’s recruitment and hiring processes as they relate to any individuals that might be playing any role in the OVC selection activities.

Who is qualified to oversee the partners in the village?

Oversight through our stakeholder committee will be put in place and will involve overlapping responsibilities of observation and scrutiny. Community leaders will make certain that our field teams are seeing to their commitments; field teams will ensure that host families are living up to their obligations; host families will monitor the children and report any issues with the schools; and, it should be explained to everyone that they have a direct line to OTI HQ to address any inappropriate demands from anyone within this fellowship or breakdowns within the system. In addition, Monitoring and Evaluation Teams, led by our Program Evaluation Officer, will constantly examine the overall process, or sub-systems, and recalibrate as necessary to address any deficiencies in oversight.

What sort of supplies do our partners need to facilitate Transition to Home?

The materials needed for partners to complete their assignments will likely be only office supplies and transport. In any event, these supplies should (within reason) be provided by OTI.

What sort of supplies do partners need beyond what is needed for Transition to Home?

This could be any of a number of things and partners are encouraged to make any requests for additional supplies, and these requests will be considered and meted out based on need and capacity.

Where are supplies procured and how are they distributed?

All materials will be procured locally and will be distributed by those working in the field (either by field team staff and volunteers, OTI HQ representatives conducting a site visit, or both).

What sort of financial support do partners need in compensation?

While most of OTI’s field team are either volunteers or staff that is paid for by our partners’ individual budgets, compensation for field staff will be assessed on a project by project basis. Any potential compensation paid for by OTI must be vital to the mission and within local standards of reasonable income.

What sort of financial support do partners need for the office and logistics?

This may include taxis, fuel, office equipment and supplies, printing, postage, accommodations and food, training, airfare, or anything that might be needed to further our in-country operations. This will all be considered as needed and based on capacity.

Who will distribute financial support to partners?

The Operations Team at OTI HQ will be in charge of all partner financial transactions. Funds will be sent through a reliable international transfer system (World Remit, Western Union, etc.) or wired through a bank transfer and this will be agreed upon between the Operations Team and the partner and may change depending on the reliability of a service in a particular region. The transaction will be verified by pick-up notification and receipt.

Do partners have a say in what they receive and how?

Absolutely and this will be discussed at length during the initial partner and cost analyses and may change over time for a variety of reasons including organizational capacity, how current events are affecting the region, and so forth.

Who is in charge of identifying the field staff?

The directors and recruitment staff of our partner organizations will identify field staff and volunteers. ONETrack may request information about individuals prior to their taking part in OTI-specific activities.

How much financial support do partners need in a year (per project)? How do we determine this amount?

This will be discussed at length during the initial partner and cost analyses and may change over time for a variety of reasons including organizational capacity and so forth. Essentially, this amount will be the number of OVCs multiplied by basic needs costs (education, healthcare and caretaker support) plus any costs for special projects or additional support that is agreed upon between OTI and our partners.

How do we raise this amount in a year?

How do we determine costs?

What happens if we fail to make our goal?

No partner organization will ever be removed from the program by request of the company and all efforts will be made to find the necessary funding to keep children with their host families. This is why, expanding at a sensible rate and only partnering with a reasonable amount of organizations (ie. an amount that we are confident that we will be able to support year after year) is crucial.

What happens if we raise more than intended?

Who is in charge of raising these funds?

Staff

Who is considered ‘staff’?

While ONETrack is a volunteer-led initiative, ONETrack ‘staff’ are any of our volunteers that have committed to ongoing positions within the company. OTI staff dedicate their time out of a shared devotion to our cause.

Who is in charge of identifying OTI HQ staff?

Department heads of each division of ONETrack’s core team will be in charge of selecting qualified applicants for positions within their department- Director Ops will recruit for the Operations Team, the Media and Marketing Director for the Media Team, and so forth. However, overall recruitment falls under the Fundraising and Development Team (of which HR is a branch).

What is the hiring criteria and process?

Potential candidates can apply for any position and their requests will be reviewed. Successful applicants will likely have prior knowledge and experience of the role that they will be assuming at OTI; or, they may be ‘hired’ from within the company.

Who is in charge of identifying staff that works with partners?

The Operations Team will determine who is qualified to work with partners and beneficiaries and teams will be assembled by determining which skills are essential to a particular site visit.

Who is in charge of managing staff?

Staff is managed by the department heads- all overseen by the Executive Team.

Who in our staff is in charge of the identifying children process? Where does our international / local staff fit into this process?

The Operations Team will be responsible for participating in developing the process and to provide advice and expertise as needed, but the actual beneficiary selection process will be conducted by our field teams and partners under our mandate and according to our vulnerability criteria. Our international staff will develop and draft overall Transition to Home policies and work with our field staff to adapt that strategy to a local context.

What qualifications does the Operations staff need?

The Operations Team will be selected for a variety of reasons to fill several roles from Monitoring and Evaluation, Policy and Procedures, Field Security and so forth. That will be selected for these positions based on background, experience, dedication to our mission and other essential criteria.

Who in our staff is in charge of the family support process?

The entire Operations Team is in charge of this process as it relates to their specialty and expertise. The Director Ops will oversee it all and our field teams will be in charge of the in-country implementation. Their qualifications will depend on the nature of their field of knowledge.

What sort of supplies does our staff need to do their job?

ONETrack has a virtual office and our staff all work remotely. Supplies usually consist of necessary tech resources and digital accounts and things of that nature.

What sort of financial support does or staff need for compensation?

ONETrack is run and operated by a dedicated volunteer staff. Exceptions will be made as they apply to individuals, consultants, etc. as needed; and, this model might be reevaluated in the future as we adapt or modify strategies.

What sort of financial support does our staff need for work-related materials?

This may be in the form of design programs, security devices and so forth. It is very limited and will be considered as it applies to the needs of the current mission and in regards to priorities.

What does the organizational map look like? Who reports to whom?

ONETrack is currently divided into four departments: Executive, Operations, Fundraising and Development, and Media and Marketing. There are a variety of roles that function under each department head as well as some positions that contain some natural overlap and transcend departments.

How much financial support does staff need in a year (per department)? How do we determine this amount?

Because of our organizational design, staff does not need much financial support to function. While we take pride in operating with such low overhead, we understand that as a company, there are expected and unexpected expenses and so long as they further ONETrack’s mission they will be considered and purchased as necessary. The Finance Team will receive these requests from department heads, consider the needs as they are weighed against the mission and current capacity, and then allocate and distribute accordingly.

How do we raise this amount in a year? How do we determine costs?

This will be determined by the Fundraising and Development Department at ONETrack. But, the intended target for the year needs to consider what departments utilized the previous year with consideration for organizational growth and current needs. A cost analysis of expenses for staff needs will be factored into an overall cost and allocated appropriately.

What happens if we fail to make our goal?

Providing our staff with the means necessary to complete their assignments and further our mission is vital to our overall success- even if we are accustomed to working with limited funds needed for staff assignments. In the event that we would not make our goal in a given year, cutbacks in staff expenses as opposed to programming needs would be sensible.

What happens if we raise more than intended?

In the event that we have raised more than our projected goal during a year, the Finance Team and Operations Team will discuss how to utilize the surplus. Ideally, we are putting funds into our savings account intended as emergency funds and to be used for programming in future years (these are considered ‘assets’ and will be categorized as such in our bu
dgets and financial statements). But also, our goal is always to do more for the beneficiaries in our program as well as to welcome more children and families into both current and future projects. So, consideration on how to save while simultaneously expanding will be one facet of the conversation. Other options might be for surplus to be applied to training, site visits, technology upgrades and so forth.

Who is in charge of raising these funds?