Many of us have had our hearts touched by Africa- the beauty of the land and the enduring spirit of the people remains significant after our travels. However, one cannot separate the poverty and struggles facing so many from their experience in Africa.

As a way to give to the place that gave so much to us, we created a Giving Circle to pool our resources and talents and help communities in need. With years of living and traveling to Africa, we've learned many lessons, including how the best of intentions can cause more harm than good. With that in mind, we gathered our first-hand experiences and that of experts in international development to formulate an organizational model to ensure that a small amount of funding can make a positive and sustainable difference.

Our philosophy of giving:

• Support sustainable, grassroots projects where limited amounts of money will make a significant difference
• Rigorously research projects before committing funds
• Monitoring the projects we invest in through regular communications and occasional visits
• Give input but more importantly, listen to what those running the projects express how our support can be best utilized
• Educate ourselves about the projects, the issues, the cultures /communities, and about best practices in international philanthropy
• Connect with the projects and the people running then

Projects we support:

• Help extremely poor and often orphaned children receive an education
• Support income generating projects that help the caretakers of these children
• Support wildlife conservation by helping local communities and wildlife live in harmony

Each year we review the projects we support and with the recommendation of a grant-making committee, we decide which projects to continue supporting and/or new ones to support. Members are encouraged to be as involved as they want but we don't require a time commitment.

If Africa has touched your heart and you want to make a difference, we invite you to join the Giving Circle.

Membership & donations:

Memberships begin at $365 per year. Members receive updates on the projects, quarterly newsletters, vote on projects considered for GS Giving Circle grants, participate in informational conference calls with guest speakers, and are invited to participate in trips to visit the projects.

Donations of $35-$364 are also welcome and appreciated. Donors receive quarterly newsletters and are also welcome to participate in the informational conference calls.

All contributions are tax-deductible. Thanks to the low overhead and the generous support of Global Sojourns and volunteers, 100% of the dollars contributed go directly to the projects in Africa.

The Circle's fiscal sponsor is the Clarence Foundation, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. To join, please send checks made out to the Clarence Foundation to:

Clarence Foundation
678 13th St., #201
Oakland, CA 94612

Get involved:

Join us for visits to the projects in Africa, on special fundraising and educational projects and a myriad of other activities.

Learn more about the Global Sojourns Giving Circle:

Please visit the Giving Circle website for more information about the organization and its projects.

Contact:

Linda Dee at (303) 973-2928 or send email to sandyandlinda@msn.com

Global Sojourns Giving Circle Past Newsletters:

Giving Circle Newsletter - Issue 1
Giving Circle Newsletter - Issue 2
Giving Circle Newsletter - Issue 3
Giving Circle Newsletter - Issue 4