Lab 5: Pruning the Strategy

In this instance, the plan was to create an initiative named Sister Safe, that would help educate women and girls on ideas about how to stay safe. A newsletter was written for distribution this month in the South Georgia area and online via WorldPulse, LinkedIn and Facebook. The natural outgrowth of this experience is that I have decided to develop a ngo/non-profit named Integrated American, which will seek to end violence against women. My triple goals of improving global group relations, training community journalists and analysts and ending violence against women are of global import, and deserve examination. I am a survivor who passionately believes in survivor leadership.

At present, there are two initiatives that I would like to seek funding for via Integrated American (IA). The first is to continue Sister Safe (The Newsletter) as an on-going initiative, funded by grant support. Donors could fund the first year of newsletters, publishing a monthly that highlights safety and security tips for girls and women, both in-person and online. 

The second initiative is one where men ages 18-60 become trained woodcarvers. Nothing demands a humble and vigilant demeanor more than woodcarving and carpentry; gentle and self-controlled is the woodcarver! Training and patronage could help end violence against women by employing and evolving male survivors into self-sufficient, non-violent gentlemen with voices and artistic crafts of their own. This to me represents what a true village would look like...inclusivity!

In terms of how I might fund these initiatives, I propose grant and donor seeking. For a list of who might back or fund such efforts, I didn't have to look any further than my Stakeholders list from an earlier module. 

1. People in need

2. Health & Human Services Providers

3. Law Enforcement

4.  Parents of girls

5. Government Officials 

6. Influential People

7. Community Activists

8. Businesses

9. Non-profits

10. World Pulse

11. Agnes Scott College

12. Survivors

13. Family Justice Center - City of New Orleans

14. Churches

15. Social Networks

16. Women

17. 100 Black Men

My overall economic model would be to jump start the organization with grant funding, then to gradually morph into an agent that could facilitate monetizing trainings and speakers, capacity development for survivors, survivor-led analysis and strategies, a survivor think tank and crafts made by men in the woodcarver's program.  

I am open to suggestions or to networking. Please reach out!

Amanda