Demystifying Project Stewardship Asha Seattle Asha Seattle

content What is a partner / project Types of projects (category, recur/one/sac/other chapter) Project life cycle Steward responsibilities –Spirit –Processes (webpage, funds, site visits, annual updates/reports, presentations) Best practices Exit strategy Asha wide yahoogroups Resources

Working with Partner Groups  Form close partnerships with partner groups in India. A partner group is a grass- root non-government organization (NGO)  Provide assistance to them – financial, networking, material, technological, etc  Seek them out in rural & economically underprivileged urban areas  Learn and disseminate information Asha Seattle

Types of Partner Groups/Projects Education Schools Child Homes Vocational training Community Based Intervention Community Awareness Program Working With the Government Resource Centers Fellowships One time/Infrastructure Other Formal Residential Tuition Centers Formal Alternative Pre-primary Non Formal Disabilities Special Needs Asha Seattle

Some Types of Projects  Support A Child (SAC): each child is matched with a donor – 5-6 projects  Donor specific: support is conditional on donors contribution – has to fall within Asha’s charter  Shared projects: monitoring is shared with other chapters Asha Seattle

Life Cycle of a Project (pre approval)  Proposal comes to us  We check if it has been visited by an Asha volunteer  If it looks interesting some volunteer(s) take it up & corresponds with the group  Proposal is brought to a meeting, discussed few times & then voted Asha Seattle

What a Project Steward does (post approval initial set up)  Creates a website for the new project/partner group  Adds info to asha seattle yahoogroups databases with funding details  Enters check requests as needed and ensures that funds are sent to the group Asha Seattle

What a Project Steward does (for ongoing projects…)  Coordinates check sending twice a year with chapter project coordinator  Annually ensures –At least one visit to the group –Update from the group –Discussion of the project at a meeting  Posts all reports on the web Asha Seattle

Best Practices  Partnering – 2 way process (Equal Relationship)  Timely fund disbursement, tracking project funding and receipts  Annual project updates, webpage maintenance and regular project presentation  Regular Communication with project  Visiting the partner group  Researching & understanding the social context of partner group’s work  Spirit & Commitment Asha Seattle

Exit Strategy Project becomes self-sustainable Funded project requirements are successfully completed Project not meeting goals and/or receiving unfavorable site-visit reports - steward brings proposal to drop project to meeting

Asha Wide Focus Groups  Asha Learning  Asha Special  Asha Sanctuary  Asha Tribal  Asha Health Care  Asha Computers  & many others Join corresponding yahoo group(s) to learn & participate Asha Seattle

Resources  Goto:  User / password = guest / guest  -> Chapters -> Seattle -> Volunteer Resources-> Best practices - ProjectStewardBestPractices.doc Performing project webpage updates - WebpageUpdateHelp.doc  Demo on how to use the Asha-wide projects database -  Yahoo Databases used for Seattle chapter projects (project address, check requests, volunteer info, annual project presentation schedule etc.) -  Project related/logistics questions  Funds transfer logistics/finance issues  Project website example – –Annual updates from the partner group –Site visit reports from Asha volunteers Questions? Ask your project team! Asha Seattle