Global Brigades Supplemental Programming – Small Contributions; HUGE Impact!
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The “supplementary programs” strengthen sustainability and deepen community impact
between brigades. Each Program Lead is responsible for working with community members, local technicians, and committees of campus chair people (student leaders) to develop these programs. At the end of the year, Global Brigades distributes any remaining funds to implement them. As a social enterprise, remaining funds are directly tied to number of volunteers, but this year we are offering donors the opportunity to contribute directly into these programs to ensure that they continue regardless of volunteer volume.
100% of your donation will go directly to implement these programs without a single dollar spent on administrative costs, which are already covered through brigade operations. This is an opportunity to provide direct contributions into the community we serve, creating huge impact for families that live on just a few dollars a day.
Below is a description of the supplementary program for Business Brigades. To see the other programs, click on the program name here: Architecture, Dental, Environment, Law, Medical, Microfinance, Public Health, Water.
Business Brigades – Youth Savings Education Program
Elementary school-aged children are the most susceptible to learning new habits. With this in mind, the Business Brigades program proposes implementing a youth savings education program. Research has shown that by teaching savings education to children the following positive outcomes can be realized:
•Initial impact: Students learn the concept of delayed gratification and reach increased education levels
•Long-term: Longer time horizon planning and goal setting exemplified by students.
•Intergenerational impact: The student’s mindset is positively altered and the next generation of
community members is empowered.
In addition to community benefits, Global Brigades also benefits from executing such a program. Our presence in the communities adds credibility to Global Brigades by building trust and developing a relationship within Eastern Panama; ultimately setting us up for success when our other programs want to work in these communities in the future. Leveraging a partnership between a GB technician, local teachers and MEDUCA, we will implement this program over a 15-month timeline, with the aim of affecting 720 students in 12 communities. The design of this program allows for 1 child’s life to be positively changed for only $35.
Project Goal
To make this project a reality, our goal is to have $25,000 at the end of the year to invest in the following; impacting 12 communities and 720 students:
•$5,700 – Additional Logistics Costs
•$1,300 – Additional Materials
•$3,000 Reserve – With any pilot program, costs are not fixed and this budget is only a projection. The reserve fund would be set aside in case projected costs in any category exceed the pre-determined amount.
•$15,000 – Items from Medium & Low levels
