When considering where to give, where is your heart drawn to?

For members of the Global Sojourns Giving Circle, that answer is Africa.

Our members have lived in Africa, visited or have always felt a connection to the land and the people. For many who have spent time in Africa, they leave wanting to give back to the place they gained so much from. Simply put, that is why the Giving Circle started- helping people connect to Africa and transform the struggles faced by its people by organizing resources and giving in a direct, meaningful and impact-making way.

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

Learn more about the organization and its projects on the Global Sojourns Giving Circle website.

Contact:

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