The COPi Cup shatters its own record again!
Yes, it’s true. The 11th annual COPi Cup raised more money in a single evening than in any previous year: $272,250. A generous donor added $500 after Phil signed the Big Check! Funds support scholarships for young golfers who have shown exceptional leadership skills and commitment to helping other kids learn to enjoy this sport we all love. Some of our recipients are the first in their families to attend college. And with higher education becoming less and less affordable, the SCGA Junior Foundation helps open doors to a bright future. Our players’ generosity has helped provide educational funding for over 60 scholars to date, with more on the horizon. So far, the Foundation has awarded over $1.6 million in scholarships. All thanks to the generosity of people like our COPi Cup players. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And congratulations to our winning pro and team! To read about them, go to 2023 under Past Tournaments on copicup.com.
Collaborating for Good: Water.org
Water is key to survival. We literally can’t live without it. That stark truism is a major contributing factor in the poverty, disease and despair of hundreds of millions of people who lack access to safe drinking water – and billions more who live without adequate sanitation. The water crisis is an enormous and complex issue, but there is reason for hope. From new wells and emergent technologies, to local initiatives and international collaborations, concerned individuals and organizations are working unrelentingly to provide sustainable solutions to this ongoing humanitarian challenge. Water.org occupies a unique and influential niche in this concerted global effort. For 25 years, Water.org has been focusing on a simple, behind-the-scenes intervention that has had – and continues to have – an outsized impact on the well-being of families and communities around the world. Thirsting for change It all boils down to economics. People living in poverty tend to pay dearly for water. For many families, more than 20% of their income is squandered on exorbitant fees for this non-negotiable necessity. The frustrating reality is that in most areas of the world, the cost of a water connection and toilet in a family’s own home is substantially less than what they are paying annually to buy water. For low-income families who can’t afford the one-time investment in new infrastructure that would break this cycle, the obvious solution would be to take out a loan. However, financial systems in developing countries have traditionally not offered micro loans to the poor for water and sanitation. Which is where Water.org steps in. A small loan, a big impact Water.org works with existing financial institutions to make small, affordable loans for water improvements to people living in poverty. If that sounds like a bad bet, consider the fact that more than 99% of these loans (90% of which were made to women) have been fully repaid. And when a loan is repaid, that money is again available to help another family achieve water independence. The return on investment for these loans extends well beyond the obvious savings that result when families no longer have to bankrupt themselves to pay for water. With less time and money devoted to the daily search for safe water, families are able to focus on improving other aspects of their lives. Pursuing work and education opportunities. Prioritizing the health and well-being of their children. Becoming involved in efforts to strengthen their communities. The good news is that all of these things have been happening all over the world – long after Water.org makes its initial, empowering investments. A ripple effect Where access to safe water is limited, families pay an enormous price in terms of health, education and lifetime opportunity. Women and children are typically responsible for collecting water, a sometimes dangerous task that can take up to 6 hours per day – hours stolen from school, work and family. And in situations where safe water is not consistently available, water-borne illnesses exact a devastating toll in terms of human suffering, debilitating medical expenses and lost productivity. None of this comes as a surprise to people impacted by the water crisis. They have been quick to understand and embrace the ramifications of an investment in water independence for their families. They recognize that water security means personal and economic security, healthier children and more resilient communities. For the millions of people who’ve already benefited from Water.org’s unique mission – and the countless millions this innovative non-profit organization still hopes to reach – that’s a worthy investment. To find out more about how Water.org is tapping new sources of capital in a world thirsting for change, visit www.water.org. To find out more about how Legistics can collaborate with you to make great things happen in the coming year, visit our home page.
Collaborating for Good: Toys for Tots
Simplicity can have surprising power. For 70 years, the humble mission at the heart of Toys for Tots has remained constant. Through decades of dramatic social, cultural and technological changes, this Marine-led non-profit organization has remained focused on one thing and one thing only: Making sure that every disadvantaged child they can possibly reach receives a toy at Christmas. Striking a major chord The Toys for Tots program began modestly in 1947 when a group of U.S. Marine Reservists in Los Angeles, moved by the prospect of impoverished children waking up on Christmas morning to dashed hopes and dire circumstances, decided to take action. The Marines in their Dress Blues became a common sight in the community as they mobilized to collect more than 5,000 toys from local donors and distribute them to starry-eyed children on Christmas Eve. From that first spontaneous and heartfelt effort, a beloved holiday tradition was born. By the following Christmas in 1948, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program had expanded nationwide. The organization’s simple, hopeful mission had struck a chord in post-war America. From coal miners to movie stars, the public enthusiastically jumped on board. A perennial powerhouse As a sign of how quickly Toys for Tots captured the public imagination, Walt Disney himself designed the first poster for the group’s 1948 national campaign, a cheerful red toy train that remains the Toys for Tots logo to this day. In the ensuing years, major celebrities and public figures (from John Wayne and Frank Sinatra, to Barbara Bush and Michelle Obama) served as official spokespersons for the organization. And as the organization’s visibility continued to grow, so did its reach. From serving a single community in 1947, Toys for Tots has expanded to over 700 communities in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam. The organization has given away close to half a billion toys to hundreds of millions of children. That’s a lot of promises kept and hopes fulfilled. A lot of smiling faces on Christmas morning. A profound message of caring A toy is, of course, a very tangible thing. But Toys for Tots also benefits children and communities in intangible and sometimes inexpressible ways. It would be difficult to put a value on the feeling a neglected child gets when she discovers that someone cares enough to give her a gift at Christmastime. Or the sense of pride a young Marine feels when he gives back to the community he grew up in, in the process inspiring the next generation of young people struggling with poverty to believe that they too can rise and succeed. Or the connection to the true spirit of Christmas that a donor feels when selflessly offering hope and joy to an unknown child during the season of giving. Though intangible, these are the lasting gifts that Toys for Tots gives to disadvantaged children, to struggling families, and to those whose kindness lifts them up. A strong foundation Toys for Tots is the only non-profit community outreach effort within the Department of Defense with a mandate to reach outside the military to support children and communities across the country. The enormous success of the initiative – and the exponential increase in its size – led to the formation of a non-profit support organization tasked with handling the fundraising and administrative needs of the program. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation raises funds year-round to supplement the Marine Reserve toy drives that take place from October to December. They purchase additional toys for children of all ages, maintain relationships with the business community and provide logistical support for the yearly Toys for Tots campaigns. With their professional support, Toys for Tots has been able to extend its reach and continue to honor its founding mission without missing a beat. Sharing the holiday spirit From the first handcrafted doll gently handed to a little girl by a Marine in a Dress Blue uniform in 1947, to the many millions of gifts lighting up the smiles of children in every corner of the United States today, Toys for Tots has kept the underlying principle simple. Bring joy and hope to children. Show vulnerable kids that someone cares. Celebrate the true and enduring spirit of Christmas.To find out how you can participate in the Christmas miracle taking shape in towns and cities across America., visit toysfortots.org for donor and volunteer information. To find out more about how Legistics can help your organization thrive this holiday season and beyond, visit our home page.
Collaborating for Good: DonorsChoose.org
It’s an open secret. In public schools struggling to provide even the most basic necessities for their students, concerned teachers have long felt compelled to step in to make up the difference. Paying from their own pockets for school/art/wellness supplies for underserved children. Spending their weekends chasing opportunities to supplement woefully inadequate school resources. Beseeching potential donors and funding organizations to recognize and address the challenges they see in their classrooms day after day, year after year. This is the frustrating reality that inspired Charles Best, a Bronx public high school history teacher, to start DonorsChoose.org in 2000. Making new connections DonorsChoose.org empowers teachers with great ideas and a deep understanding of their students’ needs to join forces with small donors interested in making a large impact through thoughtful giving. The key is access. Through the DonorsChoose.org website, teachers in remote rural towns and inner city neighborhoods have the ability to reach a vastly expanded audience for their ideas and initiatives. And small donors have the power to direct tangible, targeted help to classroom projects that inspire and move them – whether ambitious or modest, local or far-flung. So a graphic artist in New York City can supply budding artists in an isolated Alaska elementary school with paints, brushes and aprons for the joyfully messy art projects that will brighten their long winter days. A retired private school teacher can leverage his experience to identify and support STEM initiatives that level the playing field in science, technology, engineering and math for underserved youth in public high schools. A successful entrepreneur who grew up in poverty can make sure that children living in dire circumstances can count on a decent meal when they come to school and a backpack filled with nutritious supplies to carry them through the weekend. A powerful new force These highly personal, deeply influential connections are what have set DonorsChoose.org apart – and fueled its remarkable success. From fewer than a dozen initial classroom projects in 2000, DonorsChoose.org has grown into an education powerhouse. To date, millions of civilian donors have logged on and ponied up – contributing nearly $600 million toward a breathtaking array of classroom initiatives in public schools around the country. The process is simple and transparent. DonorsChoose.org verifies the integrity of each teacher request and posts a description of the project and funding deadline on their website. Potential donors can browse the easy-to-navigate site for projects that meet a wide variety of search criteria, from grade levels and school locations, to subject areas and current funding levels. They can support any project with a donation of any amount up to the remaining balance on the request. When a project is fully funded, DonorsChoose.org buys and ships the requested items directly to the classroom. The impact – and the response – is immediate. Teachers follow up with donors with thank-you letters and photos from the classroom. Every donor has the satisfaction of knowing precisely how his or her donation was spent. Every opportunity for every child From kindergarten story times to high school chemistry experiments, projects funded through DonorsChoose.org have improved educational opportunities and outcomes for tens of millions of students. By the organization’s own reckoning, that’s just the beginning. DonorsChoose.org has set itself the brazen goal of ensuring that every child in every public school in every corner of our country has the tools and support they need to succeed. By giving teachers an efficient, effective alternative to the bureaucratic logjams and budgetary restrictions that plague so many public schools. By providing a uniquely transparent platform that “opens the door” to donors eager to share the challenges and joys of educating the next generation. By working tirelessly to improve education – one teacher, one donor, one classroom at a time. To learn more about how you can help DonorsChoose.org direct tangible, targeted help to the front lines of education, visit www.donorschoose.org To learn more about how Legistics can provide your business with the tools and support it needs to succeed, visit our home page.
Collaborating for Good: Meals on Wheels
Every morning, in kitchens and community centers across America, an army mobilizes around a lifesaving mission – to prepare and deliver millions of nourishing meals into the hands of seniors in need. Meals on Wheels is a coalition of 5,000 community-based, non-profit programs which together form a nationwide safety net for some of the most fragile and vulnerable members of our society. Every local program is home grown, a specific and sensitive response to the realities on the ground in the unique community they serve. But every program also shares a common goal – to help seniors live healthier, more connected lives in their own homes. https://www.youtube.com/embed/0rRMPu-ksFINeighbors in need Meals on Wheels is a simple extension of the compassionate, age-old impulse to come to the aid of a neighbor in need – especially when that neighbor is elderly and struggling with hunger, isolation or debilitating health issues. In such cases – and they are heartbreakingly common – even the most basic interventions can provide relief, independence and even joy. For a 92-year-old widow recovering from a mild stroke, Meals on Wheels makes it possible to stay in the home she shared with her late husband for 68 years. The modest ranch house where they raised their children and grew old together is her “happy place,” the place where her most cherished memories were made. Since her children live out of state, remaining in her home would be impossible without a daily nutritious meal and “check in” from a Meals on Wheels volunteer. Across the country, a Marine veteran relies on local Meals on Wheels volunteers, several of whom are also veterans, both for daily meals and for transportation to medical appointments for a chronic debilitating condition linked to his military service. He credits their support and companionship with helping him “stay strong” and remain proudly independent despite the health challenges he continues to face. Knowing he can count on a hot meal and a friendly face at the door every day has made all the difference. Compassion in action There are literally millions of these success stories, made possible by compassionate volunteers of every age and background in every corner of the country. A high school student trekking through Midwest snowstorms to deliver food to homebound seniors in an isolated farm town. A retired city manager pausing to chat with Meals on Wheels recipients in an urban high-rise. A “transplant” to a new town volunteering with Meals on Wheels to get to know his new neighbors. Depending on the needs and resources of a community, Meals on Wheels sometimes provides services in addition to daily meals: senior center meal programs for mobile seniors; home repair services to ensure that seniors’ homes are safe and sound; pet food deliveries to sustain beloved companions; and transportation assistance for seniors who can no longer drive. Each community program sets its own fees and payment policies based on local conditions; contributions from donors, foundations and government programs provide the remainder of the program’s funding. A national crisis Americans over 85 years of age are the fastest growing segment of our population. Add to that the fact that the number of seniors nationwide is projected to double over the next several decades, and what you have is an emerging social and humanitarian crisis. Already, nearly 20 million seniors live at or near the poverty line in the United States. Many of them face life-or-death issues alone due to the dissolution of multi-generational households and a woefully inadequate civic response to the many challenges of an aging population. It’s a daunting and complex issue. But it’s also a call to action, one that Meals on Wheels answers 2.4 million times (and counting) every day in communities large and small, urban and rural, privileged and poverty-stricken. By cooking. By driving. By showing up and showing concern. Because caring for those in our society who once nurtured us is both a fundamental responsibility and a profound privilege.To find out more about how you can help Meals on Wheels nourish and sustain vulnerable seniors, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org or your local Meals on Wheels organization. To learn more about how Legistics can help your company thrive, visit our home page
Collaborating for Good: Team Rubicon
In the aftermath of a disaster, chaos and confusion reign. The familiar landscapes and routines of daily life are often altered beyond recognition, leaving victims with no idea what to do next or where to turn for help. This is the world that disaster relief teams and early responders are trained to inhabit. This is the world of Team Rubicon. With a mission that is both simple and always changing – to provide assistance and comfort to people on their worst days – the battle-hardened military veterans of Team Rubicon are uniquely prepared to adapt to the most dangerous and difficult circumstances imaginable. Their skills and discipline, honed in war zones and specialized deployments, have proven to be singularly valuable in times of crisis. When these men and women arrive on the scene, a sense of order and optimism arrives with them. Boots on the ground Team Rubicon was founded in 2010 in the wake of a catastrophic earthquake in Haiti that killed hundreds of thousands of people and rendered almost a million more homeless. Moved by the scenes of devastation on the nightly news, two former Marine Corps sergeants were determined to take action. When their offers of assistance were turned down by traditional relief organizations, the two friends took matters into their own hands. They assembled a team of six other veterans and first responders, collected donations and medical supplies, and flew to the Dominican Republic. From there, they drove a rented truck loaded with their supplies into the disaster zone in Haiti. The scene they encountered was strikingly similar to situations they’d faced during their tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Armed with much-needed skills and expertise, they hit the ground running – and never looked back. From anguish to action The experience in Haiti convinced this small group of first responders that they were on to something. Word about their fledgling organization spread, and they were joined by increasing numbers of veteran volunteers on international missions – to Chile to help after another massive earthquake and to Pakistan to rebuild after hugely destructive floods. Then, in 2011, tragedy struck close to home. One of Team Rubicon’s original eight members succumbed to PTSD and committed suicide. The team was devastated, but in typical fashion, they turned their anguish into action. Realizing that they needed to do even more for struggling military veterans, Team Rubicon decided to intensify efforts to engage more returned service members in more missions more often. That meant focusing on deploying expanding numbers of volunteers closer to home, ramping up their logistics and capacity to increase their involvement in domestic disaster relief. Training and readiness The knowledge and grit military veterans carry home with them after deployment can be a double-edged sword. Expert at dealing with high-adrenaline situations, military vets sometimes find the adjustment to “ordinary life” difficult. For many volunteers, Team Rubicon renews the camaraderie, teamwork, discipline and sense of purpose they experienced while serving in the military. Working side by side with veterans of all ages, team members provide each other with support, compassion and continuity – while at the same time providing distressed communities with desperately needed comfort and assistance. Team Rubicon brings very specific capabilities to the scene of a disaster – all informed by military methodology and training. Incident management; damage and impact assessment; disaster mapping; work order management; debris control; hazard mitigation; expedient home repair; spontaneous volunteer management; and medical assistance (for international missions). They arrive on site fully equipped with everything they need – from hand tools to mobile mapping suites – to rapidly assess need and deploy resources in the most efficient and effective way possible. Recovery from adversity Team Rubicon volunteers are not only trained and equipped to respond to disasters, they also often have deep personal experience with the particular challenges of recovering from adversity. Having weathered their own harsh, traumatic, life-or-death experiences, many veterans share a profound level of understanding with the victims they are so willing and able to serve. While Team Rubicon was founded to aid disaster victims, the organization quickly realized that the work they were doing was also aiding returned veterans. The organization’s resulting dual mission provides a lifeline to both the victims of disasters and the emergency response teams that deploy on a moment’s notice to help them. To find out more about Team Rubicon’s unique mission, visit www.teamrubiconusa.org. To learn more about how Legistics can help your business achieve its full potential, visit our home page.
Collaborating for Good: Kiva
Sometimes it’s the numbers that tell the most powerful story. That’s certainly true at this seminal moment in the history of the nonprofit Kiva organization. A pioneer in crowdfunding, Kiva was founded in 2005 to connect non-traditional lenders and borrowers in ways that would empower both to change the world. In just 12 years, Kiva has managed to achieve an extraordinary milestone: one billion dollars in loans, mostly in small increments, from one individual to another. One billion. Doing the math If you break down that breathtakingly big number, Kiva’s underlying stats are equally compelling. 2.5 million borrowers (more than 2 million of them women) in 84 countries. 1.6 million lenders investing amounts as low as $25. And, against all odds, despite all naysayers, a repayment rate of 97.1%. That remarkable repayment rate is key to the success of the Kiva formula. When a single mother in Zambia repays the loan she took out to buy inventory for her roadside stand, the money is returned to the account of the Kiva lender who extended her credit. That lender then has the option of reclaiming the money – or, as more often happens, reinvesting it. In entrepreneurship. In education. In equity. By leveraging the same money over and over again, in far-flung cities and remote villages around the world, Kiva has found an ingenious way to multiply the impact of every dollar – and maximize the return on every investment. Credit where credit is due Kiva works with field partners on five continents (microfinance institutions, schools, non-governmental organizations and others) to identify and screen potential borrowers; help qualified individuals and groups apply for Kiva funding; administer the disbursal of funds; and collect loan repayments. These partners, with deep roots in the communities they serve, perform an indispensible role in the Kiva process. Not only do they vet and vouch for local borrowers, they often provide additional training and services designed to help borrowers succeed. With localized know-how and international funding, previously marginalized people are being given the opportunity to improve their businesses, their lives and their communities through the simple expedient of affordable access to credit. A proven approach Tools for a mechanic in El Salvador. High-yield seeds for a farmer in Uganda. Hair dryers for a salon in a refugee camp. School fees for a nursing student in India. A single Kiva investor can choose to fund any – or all – of a wide array of surprising, inspiring ventures featured on the Kiva website. Every listing is a snapshot of a borrower’s aspirations and personal history. Every fully funded request is a pivotal moment in the trajectory of a borrower’s life. Through millions of successful transactions, Kiva has proven that small individual loans can make an enormous difference in the fight against chronic poverty. But Kiva hasn’t stopped there. An expanding network Over the years, Kiva has expanded to include “medium-sized” businesses with 5 to 250 employees. Too big for many micro-lenders to support and too small to interest traditional lenders, these businesses have often been starved for the capital they need to grow. Kiva is focusing its efforts on “social enterprises” dedicated to creating jobs and addressing challenges such as clean water, clean energy, sustainability, fair trade and gender equality, A struggling and disregarded sector in many developing countries, these businesses have the potential to pay huge dividends in terms of employment, GDP and societal outcomes. Lending a helping hand Kiva doesn’t give donations – it gives loans. From the start, Kiva calculated that requiring recipients to repay their loans lent dignity to the process of helping small borrowers help themselves. For lenders, Kiva offers a unique opportunity to extend compassionate, life-altering credit to individuals typically overlooked and underestimated by traditional financial institutions. Every investment is a vote of confidence. Every success is a shared achievement. Every repayment is proof of the power of this simple concept. To find out more about how you can change the world by becoming a Kiva lender, visit kiva.org To learn more about how Legistics can help your business achieve its loftiest goals, visit our home page.
Collaborating for Good: Heifer International
“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” That wise old adage has gained wide new relevance in the surprising, inspiring, ever-expanding work of Heifer International. Founded during the Spanish Civil War, Heifer International’s mission coalesced around a simple question: Wouldn’t it be better to provide starving refugees with a cow rather than meager daily rations of powdered milk? Answering endless iterations of that single essential question remains the defining focus of Heifer International to this day. https://www.youtube.com/embed/BcjJfiVmjx8 A revolution in self-sufficiency It may all have started with cows (hence the organization’s name), but Heifer International has evolved far beyond its singular beginnings. Over the past seven decades, Heifer has helped 30 million families in 125 countries rise above hunger and poverty to self-sufficiency and hope. They’ve done it with an astonishing array of livestock, resources and programs targeted to the unique geographic, economic and social circumstances of each community they serve. In impoverished, isolated villages high in the Andes, Heifer Peru is helping local farmers establish sustainable businesses breeding and selling indigenous guinea pigs, a food staple in Andean culture for thousands of years. Communities in Bolivia are raising alpacas provided by Heifer and selling artisan products produced from the animals’ highly prized wool. Across the world in Vietnam, locals are working with Heifer to farm frogs and cultivate dragon fruit, both traditional delicacies. In the Amazon, precious acai berries are being sustainably harvested and processed into valuable pulp at a community processing plant outfitted by Heifer. In the Yucatan, local agro-ecologists are reviving the ancient Mayan art of raising stingless bees for medicinal honey. And in Kenya, milk from Heifer camels is boosting both the physical health and social status of marginalized Masai women. https://www.youtube.com/embed/DSf4IQPr0pAThe ripple effect The central Heifer tenet of “passing on the gift” ensures that the ripple effect of providing one family in one community with the means to lift themselves out of poverty will eventually extend around the world. Here’s how it works. A woman in Nepal receives a cow from Heifer International. From the very first day, ready access to a supply of fresh milk improves nutrition and food security for her previously malnourished family. Soon the surplus milk from her cow generates new income she can invest in education, health care and improved living conditions. Manure from the animal boosts the productivity of the family’s crops – and fuels an innovative biogas stove that frees up many hours that were once spent scavenging for wood. When the cow has its first calf, that new animal is passed along to another family in the village, beginning the life-changing cycle all over again. Training and support from Heifer provide participants with critical skills in animal husbandry, financial management and business development, which in turn lead to new opportunities and burgeoning confidence. Newly empowered families are encouraged to form groups to share their knowledge and increase their effectiveness in the marketplace. That cooperation in turn forges enduring bonds and builds resilient communities – in ever-expanding circles of influence and prosperity. A future free of poverty All over the world, Heifer cows, sheep, goats, water buffalo, llamas, pigs, rabbits, fish fingerlings, bees, ducks, geese and chicks are transforming lives, stabilizing families and strengthening communities. As the ripples from these programs continue to expand and converge, many millions of people now living in extreme poverty will find themselves in possession of the tools they need to achieve self-sufficiency and self-respect. That’s a future worth working toward. To find out more about how you can participate in Heifer International’s practical, proven approach to ending hunger and poverty, please visit www.heifer.org To find out more about how Legistics can help your organization achieve its loftiest goals, please visit our home page.
Collaborating for Good: Comité Salvadoreño El Piche
This is how you change the world. Brick by brick. Project by project. One practical, purposeful step after another. The all-volunteer nonprofit organization, Comité Salvadoreño El Piche, has a long history of successfully implementing humanitarian projects in impoverished areas of El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras. That experience and expertise has laid the groundwork for one of their most ambitious efforts to date – the building of a state-of-the-art K-12 educational center for children from more than a dozen villages in rural El Salvador struggling to rise above chronic poverty, gang violence and devastating natural disasters. Earthquakes have destroyed many of the teaching tools at El Piche The time is now The land has been donated. The plans have been drawn. With more than $800,000 of the $1,857,000 needed to complete the school already raised, Comité Salvadoreño El Piche is launching an all-out campaign this month to reach the funding finish line and begin construction on a project that will improve the lives of generations of students and forever lift the fortunes of a beleaguered community. For donors, the building of the new institute in the La Unión area of El Salvador offers an opportunity to have an immediate and lasting impact on children in an often-overlooked corner of the world. A limited number of sponsorships are still available to permanently name classrooms in the new building – a legacy of caring that will continue to resonate far into the future. A “good” investment All donations to El Piche, large or small, are carefully stewarded to reach their intended targets. The organization has always been run entirely by volunteers, keeping administrative costs to a minimum. The new educational center in El Salvador will be a public school, free to every student. The costs of maintaining and staffing the school will be borne by the public school system, with no ongoing financial obligations accruing to Comité Salvadoreño El Piche.El Piche has every reason to be optimistic about the prospects for its latest initiative. From the organization’s founding in 1995 by a handful of concerned citizens, El Piche has grown into a widely respected international humanitarian organization with an enviable track record of “concrete” achievements large and small: Equipping ambulances and hospitals; building health and community centers; piping in clean water; buying computers and educational tools; building roads and community infrastructure; supplying uniforms and sports equipment; building playgrounds and providing musical instruments. The list is long and varied, but the result is always the same. Renewed and sustained hope. A local approach, a global effect The work carried out by El Piche is distinguished by the fact that every project is conceived and initiated by local communities – and then supported by the organization’s resources and expertise. One of Comité Salvadoreño El Piche’s foundational beliefs is that lasting change is brought about by empowering local communities to determine their own needs and aspirations, to make the decisions that directly impact their lives, and to participate in the process of shaping their own destiny. This is an approach based on a deep respect for and understanding of the people El Piche serves. While this process is inherently and idiosyncratically local, it is also a model for global community improvement efforts. By focusing carefully and thoughtfully on precisely where you are, there are no limits to where you can go. A community of support Legistics has supported El Piche’s efforts for many years. After touring the existing earthquake-damaged school in El Salvador and meeting with the country’s Minister of the Interior on a recent fact-finding mission, Legistics CEO Phil Frengs became an early and enthusiastic supporter of the new school project. Legistics signed on as a sponsor, and the company bought and donated computers for a new computer lab. Legistics President/CEO Phil Frengs at the El Piche community center in El Salvador, where he met the kids and witnessed the earthquake damage to their school. “I recently had the opportunity to travel to El Salvador, which put my life’s experiences into perspective,” Phil said. “The people of El Salvador know all too well the challenges of food, shelter, medicine and education. Through small gestures we can reach out, support and help those who are neglected and in need. I invite you to join me in making this world a better place.” With the support of like-minded visionaries and donors in this last phase of fundraising, Comité Salvadoreño El Piche hopes to break ground on their inspiring new K-12 institute in 2018. To find out more about how you can help El Piche change the world one carefully conceived project at a time, please visit www.elpiche.org To learn more about how Legistics can help your law firm achieve your most ambitious goals, please visit our home page.
Collaborating for Good: Malaria No More
Sometimes a name says it all. The nonprofit organization, Malaria No More, is engaged in an audacious collaborative effort to annihilate one of the wiliest and deadliest diseases on the planet. For thousands of years, malaria has decimated populations and caused immeasurable individual suffering. A global killer, the disease is so widespread and so adaptive that efforts to eradicate it have always seemed hopelessly futile. Until now. A historic goal in sight At the turn of the new century, an unprecedented confluence of factors put malaria squarely in the crosshairs for the first time in human history. A powerful coalition of seasoned actors in the public health arena reached critical consensus on the need for a focused, sustained, all-out campaign across nations and disciplines. Humanitarian organizations like Malaria No More, governments of countries large and small, leading-edge research institutions, technology innovators and medical experts threw themselves into the fight against malaria – with truly astonishing results. Since the year 2000, overall funding for malaria prevention, treatment and research has risen by 1,000 percent. That massive increase has fueled life-saving innovations, interventions and initiatives. And in less than two short decades, malaria deaths have fallen by almost 60%. That’s many millions of lives saved – and counting. https://www.youtube.com/embed/WmTx402ZmPEKeeping the momentum going There have been few global success stories quite like this war against malaria – but it’s crucial to note that the remaining chapters have yet to be written. The ultimate success of the world community’s brazen assault against one of the oldest serial killers known to man today hangs in the balance. If the global coalition against malaria can sustain current levels of focus and funding, rigorous projections support the previously unthinkable conclusion that malaria could literally be wiped off the face of the earth by 2040. That incredible opportunity — to be the generation that eliminates the scourge of malaria once and for all – is also an urgent call to action. Focusing on the finish line At this juncture in the campaign, there are very real dangers on all sides. 500,000 children under the age of five still die of malaria every year. Trillions of dollars in economic activity are lost to the debilitating effects of the disease, which continues at epidemic levels in many struggling communities. There is still much to be done. The work ahead will be a race against time. A race to develop vaccines and treatments that stay ahead of malaria’s diabolical ability to develop resistance to new drugs and pesticides. A race to beat back complacency and attrition in the powerful coalition necessary to wage this fight on all fronts. A race to reach the most vulnerable and remote communities before another innocent child – with his trusting eyes or her shy smile – dies an unnecessary death from malaria. Imagining a world without malaria Building on the extraordinary momentum generated by successful eradication efforts around the world, Malaria No More is working toward a future free of malaria. The tools in their arsenal are formidable: How you can help At Legistics, we believe that collaboration can change the world. To find out more about how you can help defeat one of mankind’s oldest enemies, please visit www.malarianomore.org. To learn more about how our team at Legistics can collaborate with you to achieve your loftiest business goals, please visit our home page.