Building Global Partnerships

1. Building Global Partnerships Joseph N. Connell, CEO Reading is Power International Inc. Columbia, SC USA Conference on Honduras 2000 November 3-4, 2000 Washington DC

2. Agenda • Project Overview • Project History • The Communication of Our Ideas • The Value of Partners • Conclusion Conference on Honduras 2000 November 3-4, 2000 Washington DC

3. Project Overview • The Mission • Reading is Power is a project that provides small libraries to isolated communities in need.The libraries are self-contained, including a cabinet, books and a simple card-based checkout system, and serve as a resource to the community. • The Goals • Do something NOW • Directly involve diverse ages and groups of people in the project • Raise consciousness on the enormity of needs, and giving back • Evaluate progress and build on successes Conference on Honduras 2000 November 3-4, 2000 Washington DC

4. Project History • June 1999 UMVIM mission trip • Rebuilding the community of Las Lajas in the Choluteca region • July 1999 brainstorming meetings • Think big, then focus our ideas on doing something NOW • Having an in-country partner is key • Understanding of the people and their needs • Existing infrastructure for delivery of aid • Expedites the timing of the whole project • Attempt to leverage already established relationships • UMVIM and UMC-GBOM • Establish our own relationships Conference on Honduras 2000 November 3-4, 2000 Washington DC

5. The Communication of Our Ideas • Draft a concise but generic project overview • This document is the key to the communication of our ideas • Translation of this document must preserve it’s quality • Taylor the document for each intended partner • Comision Cristiana de Desarrollo • The Adaptec Foundation • Shandon United Methodist Church – Commission on Outreach • Making the vision real • Register a internet domain name • Design a logo • Establish a web presence • Pictorially document the complete process Conference on Honduras 2000 November 3-4, 2000 Washington DC

6. The Value of Partners • The Core Team • Keep the overall project moving forward • Comision Cristiana de Desarrollo • A broad vision of the needs and the solutions • Established relationships with communities in need • Established infrastructure for the delivery of aid • Support for ongoing evaluation of the progress/project • The Adaptec Foundation • A global corporation with a desire to “Give Back” • Initial funding to jump start the project • In-house expertise in international shipping logistics • Shandon United Methodist Church • Source of volunteers willing to share their time and talents • Budget for ongoing funding and support • 501(c)(3) status enables tax deductible contributions Conference on Honduras 2000 November 3-4, 2000 Washington DC

7. Conclusion • Private global corporations feel an obligation to financially “Give Back” to the regions in which they operate. • Charitable and religious organizations provide a great source of socially minded volunteers that want to share their time and talents with those less fortunate. • Domestic relief organizations understand the big picture of the people, the needs and the solutions. They have an established infrastructure to deliver aid. • Partnerships between these diverse groups expedite the delivery of aid and maximize a project’s effectiveness. Conference on Honduras 2000 November 3-4, 2000 Washington DC