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Changing the Face of Philanthropy in Armenia
By Karine Vann on August 29, 2014
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2014/08/29/changing-face-of-philanthropy-in-armenia/
In Armenia, philanthropy is an area of society familiar to all, but
deeply misunderstood by many. Spurred by "the growing cynicism around
donating to charitable causes in Armenia," Patrick Sarkissian,
philanthropist and CEO of the innovative, New York-based design studio
Sarkissian Mason, asked his audience at 2013's TEDx Yerevan conference
several boundary-pushing questions. One stood out in particular: "What
if you could donate to a charity and know exactly where your money
went?"
passengers on the #OneBusa, a community bus that doubles as a creative
space, providing free rides to locals all around the city
The for-purpose organization ONEArmenia (1A for short), which has been
operating successfully for the last two years, is his answer.
ONEArmenia's largest priority, according to their operations manager,
Nora Kayserian, is promoting sustainability and empowering communities
in Armenia.
Relying heavily on digital and social media, 1A is changing the face
of philanthropy with positive effects for the country's global image
on all fronts. Its presence in the community establishes a decisive
shift from traditional approaches. Describing the country as "the
coolest place you've never heard of," 1A's website doesn't waste time
in asserting in large, bold letters that they "don't believe in
charity." Their approach is game-changing for five main reasons:
They attract a global community. Particularly in Armenia,
organizations have a tendency to burrow inwards, relying primarily on
diasporan communities in certain areas for support. Sarkissian's
background in design is evident in ONEArmenia's emphasis on sleek
presentation and pithy, yet compelling content geared towards
audiences of all backgrounds.
Their projects depict Armenia as a contemporary society. ONEArmenia's
initiatives demonstrate that Armenia is a society that is as
progressive as it is historic by sponsoring opportunities to stimulate
creativity in urban settings. For example, last June, 1A sponsored the
production of Yerevan's very first rock opera.
Their campaigns have realisticexpectations. They select projects that
are smaller in scale, making them feasible, demonstrable ahead of
time, easy to monitor, and sustainableeven after their team is no
longer directly involved. Their website invites viewers to explore
past and current projects and provides links to detailed information
about strategy implementation, budgeting, and monetary allocation.
They recognize the importance of grassroots endeavors. All projects
selected by are based off of needs determined by the very communities
the projects seek to support. Project ideas are pitched to them on a
rolling basis and 1A's team weeds through the competition to select
the very best and brightest. The projects themselves creatively weave
between contemporary issues in all of Armenia's sectors.
They exercise flexibility as an organization. ONEArmenia is not
limited by its role as a crowd-funding platform.Because most of its
staff is made up of young people with eyes and ears all over Yerevan's
urban spaces, it's eager to take on local, grassroots projects, even
when the opportunity to raise money is not apparent. The ONEBus is an
example of such an initiative--a community bus that doubles as a
creative space, providing free rides to locals all around the city. In
December, 1A sponsored a short documentary film, LEVON, about a
roller-blading philosopher who fearlessly wanders Yerevan's streets.
Most importantly, as its name suggests, ONEArmenia recognizes the
value of one. One idea, one project, one donation, one donor. As a
donor, you are informed exactly where your money is headed before the
fundraising portion of the campaign is even finished and are kept
up-to-date about where it has gone once the project is executed. When
you contribute to 1A, it's not as a passive helper, but as an active
participant.
For its current project, ONEArmenia has paired with the Homeland
Development Initiative Foundation (HDIF) and plans to launch a Wheat
Festival in the town of Vardenis, a region in which half of the
population is unemployed and the average monthly salary is $150. The
campaign hopes that strategically promoting and preparing small
businesses for the festival will provide the town with economic
development and empowerment.
The campaign ends Sept. 5. To visit the campaign website, watch their
video, check out some of the beautiful donor gifts, and "dough some
good" for the community of Vardenis,
visitwww.indiegogo.com/projects/support-eco-tourism-small-businesses-in-armenia.
From: Baghdasarian
By Karine Vann on August 29, 2014
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2014/08/29/changing-face-of-philanthropy-in-armenia/
In Armenia, philanthropy is an area of society familiar to all, but
deeply misunderstood by many. Spurred by "the growing cynicism around
donating to charitable causes in Armenia," Patrick Sarkissian,
philanthropist and CEO of the innovative, New York-based design studio
Sarkissian Mason, asked his audience at 2013's TEDx Yerevan conference
several boundary-pushing questions. One stood out in particular: "What
if you could donate to a charity and know exactly where your money
went?"
passengers on the #OneBusa, a community bus that doubles as a creative
space, providing free rides to locals all around the city
The for-purpose organization ONEArmenia (1A for short), which has been
operating successfully for the last two years, is his answer.
ONEArmenia's largest priority, according to their operations manager,
Nora Kayserian, is promoting sustainability and empowering communities
in Armenia.
Relying heavily on digital and social media, 1A is changing the face
of philanthropy with positive effects for the country's global image
on all fronts. Its presence in the community establishes a decisive
shift from traditional approaches. Describing the country as "the
coolest place you've never heard of," 1A's website doesn't waste time
in asserting in large, bold letters that they "don't believe in
charity." Their approach is game-changing for five main reasons:
They attract a global community. Particularly in Armenia,
organizations have a tendency to burrow inwards, relying primarily on
diasporan communities in certain areas for support. Sarkissian's
background in design is evident in ONEArmenia's emphasis on sleek
presentation and pithy, yet compelling content geared towards
audiences of all backgrounds.
Their projects depict Armenia as a contemporary society. ONEArmenia's
initiatives demonstrate that Armenia is a society that is as
progressive as it is historic by sponsoring opportunities to stimulate
creativity in urban settings. For example, last June, 1A sponsored the
production of Yerevan's very first rock opera.
Their campaigns have realisticexpectations. They select projects that
are smaller in scale, making them feasible, demonstrable ahead of
time, easy to monitor, and sustainableeven after their team is no
longer directly involved. Their website invites viewers to explore
past and current projects and provides links to detailed information
about strategy implementation, budgeting, and monetary allocation.
They recognize the importance of grassroots endeavors. All projects
selected by are based off of needs determined by the very communities
the projects seek to support. Project ideas are pitched to them on a
rolling basis and 1A's team weeds through the competition to select
the very best and brightest. The projects themselves creatively weave
between contemporary issues in all of Armenia's sectors.
They exercise flexibility as an organization. ONEArmenia is not
limited by its role as a crowd-funding platform.Because most of its
staff is made up of young people with eyes and ears all over Yerevan's
urban spaces, it's eager to take on local, grassroots projects, even
when the opportunity to raise money is not apparent. The ONEBus is an
example of such an initiative--a community bus that doubles as a
creative space, providing free rides to locals all around the city. In
December, 1A sponsored a short documentary film, LEVON, about a
roller-blading philosopher who fearlessly wanders Yerevan's streets.
Most importantly, as its name suggests, ONEArmenia recognizes the
value of one. One idea, one project, one donation, one donor. As a
donor, you are informed exactly where your money is headed before the
fundraising portion of the campaign is even finished and are kept
up-to-date about where it has gone once the project is executed. When
you contribute to 1A, it's not as a passive helper, but as an active
participant.
For its current project, ONEArmenia has paired with the Homeland
Development Initiative Foundation (HDIF) and plans to launch a Wheat
Festival in the town of Vardenis, a region in which half of the
population is unemployed and the average monthly salary is $150. The
campaign hopes that strategically promoting and preparing small
businesses for the festival will provide the town with economic
development and empowerment.
The campaign ends Sept. 5. To visit the campaign website, watch their
video, check out some of the beautiful donor gifts, and "dough some
good" for the community of Vardenis,
visitwww.indiegogo.com/projects/support-eco-tourism-small-businesses-in-armenia.
From: Baghdasarian