Where can I find funding for Peace Corps projects?

December 11, 2005 1:42 PM

Where can Peace Corps volunteers go to find funding for projects that they want to carrying out? Volunteers aren't given very many resources to locate funding to initiate projects. Where can a volunteer go to find organizations or funding sources?
posted by brokekid to human relations (5 comments total)

It depends on the country and the project. UNICEF, USAID, AIDS-education groups, family and friends, donor orgs active in the country....
posted by Amizu at 3:15 PM on December 11, 2005

Can you give some more information about where you are working or what the project is?
posted by whatzit at 4:35 PM on December 11, 2005

I was a volunteer in Guyana but still work on Peace Corps projects and help raise money for volunteers still on the ground. It was hard for us to find funding to start large or small scale projects because we had no list of organizations friendly to Peace Corps that would help with funding, donations, resources, man power, you name it. And Peace Corps actually prefers that we use their SPA Grant or use word of mouth though family back home. There has to be an easier way to aid projects than this.
posted by brokekid at 5:44 PM on December 11, 2005

You could always ask Church's. I know where I'm from, there are quite a few wealthy people who can't/don't do these kind of projects themselves so they fund other people's worthy endeavors. Possibly talk to Priests/pastors/leader of churches to ask about possible donations.
posted by jmd82 at 8:31 PM on December 11, 2005

I think that the lists are going to differ depending upon the kinds of projects you'd like to fund and their scope. I know that I struggled as an RPCV to keep funding going to a project of which I was a part after I returned--relying mostly on contributions for friends and family. This effort was moderately successful, but ultimately not sustainable.

On the other hand, we did a textbook project and wound up finding an in country publisher who handled production and printing costs in exchange for the labor host country nationals and PCVs put into the project. You might also consider the working with the "Friends" groups of returned PCVs--we were also offering small project assistance to support volunteer efforts (though the Baltic States program has since closed.)

Have you thought about documenting this problem and writing the National Peace Corps Association? They do have links to a microfinance investment opportunities, so they're obviously thinking about how RPCVs can help.

Good luck!
posted by teddyb109 at 12:22 PM on December 14, 2005