Minutes 11-17-2009 (Turtle Bread)
Attendees:
Lisa Bridget Jen Pavich
Joanne Melissa Jennifer Nylander
Melinda Julianna
Action Items:
- Lisa and Jen will try to call Breaking Free and Julianna will stop by their offices
- Emily will contact Mall of America Security to ask about trafficking
- All will brainstorm who to contact about Mall of America/trafficking
- Joanne will compile a list of need/projects that she is aware of through her organization that we may wish to contribute to
Ideas about 3 priorities:
- Education, Skills Training
- Sex Trafficking
- Gender based violence, women in war torn areas
- Basic Needs (i.e. health, food/water, shelter)
- Environmental Issues (clean water)
3 criteria for organizations:
To be discussed at our next meeting in more detail. A few ideas mentioned:
- Provide capital to a loan fund so that we get a return and can re-invest that money (Bridget will research Kiva and Lisa will research Acumen Fund, Jacqueline Novogratz's organization from "The Blue Sweater")
- Support a small, locally based organization
- Fiscally responsible
- Check out organizations on a "fact-checking" organization website - Melinda to look into this
Notes:
- Joanne is starting a development based travel business right now focusing in Tanzania and Uganda. Some of the NGOs that she works with are looking for people to train and provide ideas to micro loan recipients. She also works with an organization that rescues/supports women in Tanzania and Uganda who have been prostituted (sex trafficking).
- Lisa mentioned an organization called Books for Africa in St. Paul
- Breaking Free is an organization in St. Paul that helps women who have been trafficked. They are in need of funding.
- We discussed different options for the group, i.e. small projects vs one groupwide initiatives.
- Discussed undertaking a project quickly to get experience under our belts
- We would also like to explore the possibility of donating collectively to a micro loan organization
- Discussed continuing the self-education piece for our group members - does anyone want to suggest a reading for the near future?
Next Meeting
- Tuesday, December 8th at 6pm at Turtle Bread Company
- Further discussion of how we wish to operate, further information on projects that we may quickly wish to get involved with
- Are we ready to also toss around fundraising strategies?
