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You are invited to participate in and be a cosponsor of a humanitarian delegation to two extraordinary communities in Colombia Cacarica: July 18-August 7, 2004 Organized by The communities of Cacarica, Chocó province, and San José de Apartadó, Antioquia province, have histories of courageous nonviolent resistance to the predatory violence of armed groups in Colombia's long-running civil war. Both have declared their refusal to cooperate with the armed groups, to give them information or even sell them food. Both have lost many members by assassinations, massacres, and forced disappearances. Both continue to face economic blockades, legal harassment, and threats of violence. The FOR has a permanent accompaniment team living in San José de Apartadó. Chicagoans for a Peaceful Colombia has long-standing relationships with Cacarica. The delegation, members of sponsoring organizations plus other professionals, church leaders and volunteers, will visit the communities and lend them support in various ways. Our careful attention - listening, watching, asking questions - honors and encourages them deeply in the midst of their sometimes terrifying struggle to survive. Besides spending time in the communities, we will meet with NGOs, grassroots organizations, and government and diplomatic officials in Bogotá and Medellín. Cost for each delegate is $1,400; this includes all expenses in Colombia, including in-country travel. Round-trip airfare to Colombia is additional. Fundraising tips can be provided if needed. Requirements for delegates: * be over 21 For more information, contact: Cacarica: Ruth Goring San Jose de Apartadó: Jutta Meier-Wiedenbach To apply: Space is limited to 25 delegates, so apply as soon as possible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ask your organization to be a co-sponsor of this delegation. Click here for Sponsor Sign-Up Form What does sponsorship involve? You can help in any of several ways: * publicize the delegation among your members in the next few weeks and
months If your organization decides to be a sponsor, you may wish to have its name included in the list of sponsors in the delegation announcement posted on the Web and distributed in numerous venues, and later in the delegation's final report. How do we become a sponsor? Please call or e-mail either of us to begin the process. We are very grateful for your concern for justice and peace in Colombia. The Humanitarian Delegation 2004 is cosponsored by * * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to raise funds happily
And remember, you're not raising money for yourself; you're raising it to benefit the Cacarica or San José de Apartadó community. That can make all the difference in how you feel about the process. Remember too that the paltry news we get in the U.S. gives the impression that it's simply a hopeless mess "down there"--many people will be amazed and delighted to learn that they can actually do something to help the cause of justice and peace in Colombia! You may ask a trusted friend to receive and manage contributions on your behalf. Even better, if you're involved in a faith community, talk to a leader and see if the funds can be handled there (this would give donors the extra motivation of a tax-deductible receipt). Your List of Prospects Then make a list of organizations that might contribute: your place of worship, your company, the Rotary Club or Kiwanis, other groups you are affiliated with. The following groups have helped sponsor participants of FOR youth programs in the past. This list may help you think of groups in your own community to ask for support. * Individual congregations
Your Fundraising Letter Give the facts about the delegation and explain its purpose. Take time to express your desire to participate: why do you want to go? what do you hope to accomplish? It will be helpful to include a bit of background about Colombia's long-running civil war and about the community you plan to visit. Keep your letter graphically simple: one that is too fancy would suggest that you have too much time on your hands! If you'd like to include a photo of people from one of the communities, let us know; we can e-mail you something suitable. Encourage people to look at the Colombia Observatory (www.chicagoans.net) and at the website of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (www.forusa.org), to learn more about Colombia and about the communities. State the needs for funds clearly and simply. INVITE people's participation; remember, for them it will be a privilege. Make it very clear HOW people can donate. You may want to enclose an addressed envelope in which the donation can be mailed. Remind people to write your name and something like "Colombia Delegation" on the check's memo line. Set a deadline by which funds need to be received. It will probably be best to print your letter in black and white rather than in color, to save money and give the right impression. However, colored paper is fine. If you put all the addresses on mailing labels and save the label file, you can use it again to send out reports after the delegation returns. By the way, save your receipts for stamps and other fundraising expenses. If enough funds are donated, you can be reimbursed for these costs as well as your airfare to Colombia and the delegation fee. Raising Funds from Your Church Ask to meet with the mission, outreach or social justice committee. Such committees are used to being asked for money; part of the reason they exist is to make decisions about allocating the offerings given by members. Often "How much do you need?" is a question they'll initiate. It's not an awkward subject to bring up. You may also want to meet separately with one of the church's pastors, to share your passion for justice in Colombia and seek his or her support. Some churches want to see a budget. It's good to have one on hand; that means you'll need to research airfare costs if we haven't given you the group rate yet. Your budget will only be an estimated one, of course. It's not necessary to propose that the church give a specific amount, as you would when applying for a grant. Mission budgets vary enormously, so it's best to let the committee members decide on the amount. Depending on its size, resources and priorities, your church may be able to fund your entire trip, or it may be able to offer only $100 or $200. Make sure to tell the church how to pray for you, and for the communities, before and during the delegation. If possible, relate your participation in the delegation to something a pastor said in a sermon or something that was discussed in a Bible study or class. Build relationship with the committee members and help them feel that they will be SENDING you as their representative. Ask about including a short article in the church newsletter, highlighting your upcoming trip; a follow-up article after your return will be important as well. Maybe the church's website could feature a piece on your trip. Perhaps you could speak to a church group too (a Sunday school class, the singles group, or maybe the entire congregation) about Colombia and why you'll be involved in the delegation. Offering to provide a slide show or presentation about your program or trip after you return will help them feel that they are directly involved and will benefit from your experience. Activities to Make It Fun - Organize a garage sale and ask everyone you know to donate whatever they can. Make sure the people who are buying stuff know that all the money collected will go toward the delegation expenses. - Throw a party at your house. When you invite people, let them that you will be asking for donations for the delegation. Have some typical Colombian food/drink/music, post a map highlighting Colombia (lots of U.S. folks don't know where it is!), and make a little presentation about your travel plans. Promise that upon your return you will give a report or throw another party so as to involve your friends with the outcome. - Suzanne (Pennsylvania) and David (Ohio) applied for grants. Suzanne got $1000 from her denominational "Peace Academy," and David received $1000 from a local youth foundation. - Jennifer (New York) got her local McDonald's into the act and sold McDonald's coupons, having arranged to keep a portion of the money she received. - Tony (Ohio) got his church youth group to help with a car wash. They got pledges for each car washed and raised $1100. - Suzanne's (Colorado) church youth group organized a church breakfast, and her youth group ministers put on a dance. - Jennifer (Pennsylvania) held a "Feast for Peace" fundraising dinner. - Nora (New York) asked her local FOR group to sponsor a raffle, which raised $600. - Tony and Sarah (Minnesota) got several hundred dollars from the Student Senate at their University. Keep in Touch Upon your return, write a letter and send it to everyone who contributed and everyone who was interested but couldn't give. Include a few of your own photos, or those of another delegate. You may want to excerpt some journal entries from your days in the community. Tell a couple of stories with sensory details--things you ate, smelled, touched. What surprised you? How did your understanding grow? You may decide to include the delegation's final report as well, or at least mention it and the website where it can be read and downloaded. If you end up receiving more funds than you need for the actual trip expenses (it's quite possible!), think about how to use those best to benefit the community in Colombia: meeting a particular need, spreading the word further about their struggle, supporting the work of Fellowship of Reconciliation or Chicagoans for a Peaceful Colombia. Make sure to tell your donors about this further use of their gifts. They will be delighted. Chicagoans for a Peaceful Colombia and the Fellowship of Reconciliation are working together to find Faith Community Partners for Colombian communities like Cacarica and San José de Apartadó. Maybe your participation in the delegation will stir up enough interest that your faith community would want to consider this longer-term commitment. We'll be providing info about that possibility. Questions? Need More Help?
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