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Funding: Getting Voices Exchange Off the Ground By Stacy Jeziorowski As a newly born organization, Voices Exchange is in the process of independently funding its cause, but in the process is not forgetting its roots. The Past When Voices Exchange first began, it received monetary and in-kind support from its founding organizations. These organizations include American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice (OPCTJ), and United for Peace Faithful Citizenship (UPFC), and they still continue to be a large source of funding for the organization. The Present According to funding chair Amy Laiken, "[Voices Exchange] receives some money from partnering organizations, which made contributions to support our work." In turn, Voices Exchange will provide free publicity to any donating organization. Presently, Voices-Exchange is in a working partnership with Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), an organization whose mission "envisions a world of justice, peace, and freedom." For more information on FOR, visit their website at www.forusa.org. Voices Exchange is looking forward to future partnerships. Recently, Voices Exchange has been doing research on the Donors' Forum and has been advised to concentrate on local foundations in the area. The committee is looking to secure support for the foundation for at least one year, until the organization is fully organized. Laiken will "continue to looking for additional peace and social justice organizations who will become contributing partners." Lack of monetary funding will prohibit the organization from hiring a coordinator, and this will mean more work for the volunteer coordinating committee. Members will be forced into taking on the task of matching speakers with their host groups. The Future Voices Exchange is looking to become an independently-run organization. "[Voices Exchange] intends to cultivate a base of individual donors who have made major financial contributions to the peace and social justice movements in Chicago," said Laiken. Organization members also intend to use funds from AFSC, OPCTJ and UPFC and speakers' fees to continue on. When speakers are sent to a host site, "Voices-Exchange receives twenty percent of their fees to support ongoing work," as stated on the organizations fact sheet. They will work with the speakers on an individual basis to negotiate the fee. Speakers thus far have agreed to share their fee, and Voices-Exchange doesn't believe this will be a problem. A list of available speakers will be listed in an online database at www.voices-exchange.org The organization also hopes to provide independent films, available on both VHS and DVD. Laiken is in the process of contacting the directors/creators of these films, to see whethe they are in agreement with the fee. The cost currently will be $10 for a one week rental, and availability will be listed online at www.voices-exchange.org. Where Does It Go? "Monies collected will be primarily used to cover printing costs and postage as well as provide stipends to interns who coordinate much of the day-to-day adminstrative work of Voices Exchange," the speaker's packet states. The approximate $9,760 will help pay for the two interns who work five hours per week for a year. Funding has also paid for the hiring of a part time coordinator who pursued speakers. This involved constant emails, phone calls, and mail correspondence. "We also need money for office supplies, printing promotional literature, postage, paid advertisements in publications, speaker and host orientation events, and evaluations of speakers bureau," Laiken explained. For More Information If you are interested in making a contribution to Voices-Exchange, make checks payable to Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice. Write "Voices Exchange" in the memo line and mail to: c/oBill Barclay |