Starting an organization

You're probably thinking to yourself that I shouldn't be adding one more thing to my schedule, maybe some fun, but not another job. Well, it's actually what I call my third part-time job (unpaid, but most important of the three). I have a graduate research assistantship position which pays my tuition and a small stipend. I have a part-time job (10 hours per week) with the University Career Center to make ends meet so I don't have to go in to debt to pay bills, buy books, etc. I also work on my India projects - my third part-time job. For about a year I've known I would need to start a seperate nonprofit organization for this work. It was mentioned to me as a possiblity when I started transporting medical supplies. I chose not to do it at that time because I could do what I needed to through Wells for Life or my church, also it would significantly increase my work load and add to my administrative responsibilites - not appealing. Well, the time has come. I can no longer delay this decision. I have begun the paperwork to begin a seperate 501c3 nonprofit organization for my work in India. It may also encompass the international (Thailand, South Africa, India and Mexico) and inner-city work my church is doing. Some day I hope to figure out a way to do this and still get paid, until that day, I will keep doing what I'm doing as a volunteer.

In case you haven't heard, there are some exciting things happening with India. We are starting an orphanage for 500 girls and boys; a school for them to learn reading, math, science, and languages; a trade school; and a leadership institute/Bible college. In January, when we returned from India we had some land picked out that we wished to buy, but no money to purchase it with. The cost was going to be $500,000 just for the land purchase! I don't have that kind of money sitting around and neither did anyone on the team (if you do, we need to talk. Smile!). We knew if this was going to happen it would take some work and that God would need to provide. As of last week we have $200,000+ and we haven't even started fundraising yet. God has already begun to provide! We also have an organization, one of the top three in the world, willing to find sponsors for our children and give us a check for operating expenses. We will take 30 children in to the new orphanage in May. They will stay in a rental facility until we can complete the land acquisition and build the first floor of a dorm. Exciting stuff!

The new organization will help us in our fundraising efforts and in casting a clear vision for our mission and goals for the future.

I'll keep you posted.