Dear Friends,
We were delighted that fund-raising last year exceeded our expectations. We collected 6% more money in 2008 than the previous year. Breaking down our income according to donor type, trustees of the Fund contributed $31,800, foundation grants amounted to $47,047, and individual donors gave $162,266. The following graph shows that two-thirds of our total donations came from members of the public as individual donations. We are very happy that our organization has a 'grass roots' character and that the major fraction of its support is raised from generous individuals like yourself who believe in our mission. A hearty thanks to all of you for your generous support.
The following summary of income and expenses for 2008 shows we raised $21,721 more than we spent last year. Those funds will be kept over for expenditures next year. We have tried very hard to keep overhead low, and this year we spent only 2.5% of our total expenditures on overhead. We are able to do this not simply by our own efforts, but with the help of a number of generous professionals who have volunteered their time in our service. However, as the size and complexity of our organization grows, we come under increasing pressure to spend more money for administration, professional services, and the like, and that contributes to rising overhead.
This year we received a substantial grant from the B.K. Kee Foundation of $42,047 which supported all of our work in India, and $5,000 from the Brackett Family Foundation (no relation) which helped us with support for two primary schools in the IDP area of Karen state Burma. Encouraged by these grants which amounted to 20% of our total support, we will continue our work to find new sources of grant money in the future.
|
INCOME |
EXPENSES |
||||
Individual Gifts |
162,266 |
|
Grants in Thailand |
|
|
Trustee's Gifts |
31,800 |
|
Leader Interns |
92,439 |
|
Grants Received |
47,047 |
|
Study Grants |
15,770 |
|
Endowment Gifts |
3,500 |
|
Projects |
74,350 |
|
Direct Public Support |
|
244,613 |
India+ Burma Grants |
|
|
Dividends & Interest |
|
2,632 |
Leader Interns |
14,137 |
|
Income from Endowment |
|
13,111 |
Projects |
20,684 |
|
Other Income |
|
383 |
Donna Harvey Fund (Medical) |
1,716 |
|
|
|
|
Total Direct Grants |
217,381 |
|
+ (-) Sale of Securities |
|
(3,826) |
Other Program Costs |
8,452 |
|
|
|
|
Total Program Expenses |
|
225,832 |
|
|
|
Management & General |
1,930 |
|
|
|
|
Fundraising |
3,929 |
|
|
|
|
Overhead (2.5%) |
|
5,859 |
|
|
|
XFER TO ENDOWMENT |
|
3,500 |
TOTAL INCOME |
|
256,913 |
TOTAL EXPENSES |
|
235,191 |
INCOME - EXPENSES |
|
21,721 |
|
|
|
| VALUE OF OPERATING FUND $243,011 | VALUE OF ENDOWMENT | $147,818 |
Trip to Asia 2009
Encouraged by the success of our work in India last year, and with support from the B.K. Kee Foundation, we proposed expanding our work to include scholarship grants to high school students in Lunglei, Lawngtlai, and Saiha, three regional cities of Mizoram which have large numbers of Chin refugees. Some caution is prudent in this venture, because we will not be able to travel to these cities to meet the students and the new committees and to review their progress and results. However we were sensitive to the fact that many refugees live in these cities and there would be no help at all for them without our aid. To my knowledge we are the only organization supporting education for Chin refugees in India. Finally we decided to start with a small program and that was approved by the B.K. Kee Foundation. As it turned out the designated representative from Saiha was unable to meet with us so we started the program this year only in the two other cities.
Although the program in India is smaller than that in Thailand, it is fully as important, because we are essentially the only group serving education there. For us to continue our work there over a long term, it is crucial that we attract other persons to help us.
We were fortunate to have a full complement of TReps working in Thailand this year: Hoppy and Judy Winfield in Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, and Chiang Rai; Judy Noyes in Kanchanaburi, and Sangklaburi; and Alyson Illich, Barbara Rydon, and Janice Santikarn in the Mae Sot, and Mae Salit area. George and Patricia also did some fine work for us in Mae Sot. It was good to see our co-workers handle the affairs of our organization with experience, enthusiasm and efficiency, while remaining sensitive to the needs of our students.
We continued to have gatherings of our alumni in Sangklaburi, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Mae Sot. A picture of the Mae Sot group is shown on the following page. We meet at a restaurant, and share food, and conversation. It gives us great pleasure to catch up with our older alumni, and to see them make contact and share ideas with newer graduates. We also benefit by having alumni volunteer to help us with new recruitment translating, and mentoring.
The following table shows projects supported in 2008 and those continued in 2009.
Project Summary |
Support 2008 |
Support 2009* |
Boarding Houses |
$13,449 |
$11,977 |
IDP Schools |
$26,179 |
$24,624 |
Other Schools |
$24,210 |
$22,338 |
Students |
$2,748 |
$1,926 |
Teachers |
$8,917 |
$5,444 |
TOTAL in US Dollars |
$75,504 |
$66,309 |
* The main factor contributing to decreasing costs of the projects in 2009 was the Thai baht cost less. One project was successfully finished. Another was transferred to a different group. And in a third the project manager was called to leave the area.
The next table shows the distribution of our university students according to school type.
Leader Interns School Type |
Stds ‘08 |
Stds ‘09 |
Major Universities in Thailand |
46 |
60 |
Teachers Colleges now with university status |
54 |
55 |
Medical and Nursing Schools in Thailand |
9 |
5 |
Religious Schools in Thailand |
3 |
3 |
Universities and Colleges in other countries |
18 |
18* |
Medical and Nursing Schools in other countries |
3 |
13* |
Total Students |
133 |
154 |
* The status of some of these students is still unclear and so these numbers may vary slightly.
We granted $71,856 to our Leader Interns in Thailand, and $18,835 to those in India, including the one refugee medical student from Aizawl studying in Armenia.
We supported forty-two students in high school and vocational schools in Thailand in our Study Grant Program. The total cost of this program was $11,480.

Our Foundation is characterized by a broad and diverse collection of supporters, a good knowledge of the people we work with, and a close relation with the students and project leaders we help. We do more than simply provide money. Because of our close relations with the people, we are accepted as friends and our advice is sought on many matters.
We take this opportunity to thank all of our donors without whom this work would not be possible. We also wish to thank our refugee project directors, who are also volunteers, and who have committed themselves to working closely with us to ensure the integrity and success of our projects. To our many refugee friends who have understood our commitment and who have shared their lives with us, we wish a happier future for them and their families.
