HELP!!! I need 10,000 condoms and money!!!

[Behind the Aegis]

Please send your check to.....Just Kidding!!

What I really need is to know how I can get my hands on about 10,000 condoms and grants. I am trying to help my brother and his friends. They are medical students who are planning a trip to Kenya this July to set up medical outposts to test for HIV and educate locals on AIDS/HIV, including the proper use of condoms. They are not receiving money for this. However, it will cost about $5000 for each one to go.

So, if anyone has ideas about where to scrounge up some money, airline tickets, condoms, free printing (for brochures in English and Swahili), or anything I else, I would be much obliged.

Again, this is NOT a fundraiser, in that I am asking any DU'er for money!!! I just need leads!

This is their letter....

We are a group of third year medical students at {an east coast medical school}. We are planning a fourth year elective rotation to Kenya, Africa supervised by {advisor} in July 2005. This trip should provide us with a great learning experience, as we see disease processes not commonly seen here in the United States, learning how to diagnose diseases without using expensive tests, and discovering the way of life in a third world African country. All of us as students have different career interests, but believe that this experience will make all of us more well rounded as future physicians.

In the four weeks that we are there, we will be serving the public in a number of local clinics throughout Kenya. We will be treating a wide variety of illnesses, but mostly malnutrition, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and gastrointestinal infectious diseases.

In order to sufficiently prepare us for the trip, {advisor} will be providing us with seminars approximately once a week, where we will learn about the culture of the people as well as how to treat all the different diseases that we will be seeing. Finally, to share our experience with others, upon our return we will be doing presentations and sharing our stories with the community.

In order to make this trip successful, we need help from the community in raising money to help fund our upcoming expedition. The money would go towards our plane flights over to Kenya, transportation to each of the clinics, and our room and board. In return for your support, you will receive a thank you photo of our journey in Kenya. This is a wonderful opportunity for intellectual and personal growth for each member of this group, and a magnificent chance for the people of Kenya to get medical care that they truly need. {Offical solicitation of funds.}

Thank you for your time and support,

Any help is appreciated.

on edit: stupid brackets!

[punpirate]

1. First of all...

... write the condom manufacturers, and explain. They might even want to fund part of it. They can write it off as goodwill and advertising--and, that has the additional advantage of sidestepping the fundies in the administration.

Ask for technical and logistics support from Medicines Sans Frontieres. Get some publicity. Press release, etc., seeking funds and so forth.

Cheers, and good luck with it.

[Behind the Aegis]

2. Thanks!!!

I hadn't even thought about the manufactuers. I was thinking GMHC and the like. Great idea!

[MissB]

3. Doctors Without Borders?

[kliljedahl]

4. That was said in Post #1

Keith’s Barbeque Central

[MissB]

5. Ah yes, I apparently read it too fast.

Thanks :hi:

[EC]

6. Maybe, President Clinton's, William J. Clinton Foundation

Maybe they could underwrite it, or at the very least on the Care Consorteum page is a list of other org's that may be able to help...


http://www.clintonfoundation.org/

Health Security
President Bill Clinton has made the battle against HIV/AIDS a focal point of his Foundation's activities in global Health Security.
> The Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative http://www.clintonfoundation.org/programs-hs-ai.htm




http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/30/health/main614849.shtml

In the past month, the Little Rock-based William J. Clinton Foundation, through its Boston-based HIV-AIDS Initiative, has struck agreements with China and the U.N. World Food Program to deliver cheaper services to AIDS patients.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. That's something I need to check out too!

That could be a good place to tap for a reoccurring grant (they want this to be a yearly thing for 3rd year med students).

[GiovanniC]

7. If I Had a Nickel For Every Time I've Uttered That Sentence...

I'd be tempted to keep Bush's tax cuts permanent.

[OneBlueSky]

8. here ya go . . .

U.S Philanthropic Commitments for HIV/AIDS
http://www.fcaaids.org/publications/documents/resourcetracking2005.pdf

report on the top U.S. foundations and corporations what fund AIDS/HIV programs . . . two smaller foundations that aren't listed are the Chicago Resource Center (312-759-8700) and the Paul Rappaport Foundation in New York (check with directory assistance) . . . to apply to any foundation or corporation, you'd probably have to channel your request through an exisiting tax-exempt nonprofit organization . . . possibly a local gay/lesbian group? . . . the two I mentioned are small enough that they might be a little looser with their restrictions if the cause is a good one . . .

good luck . ..

[Behind the Aegis]

9. Sweet!

Thanks so much!!! I can't wait to give this info to my brother and his friends.

[Behind the Aegis]

11. Any ideas from the late shift?

I already have some great leads, let's see if the night crew has anymore! :)

[flygal]

13. No ideas - but keep us posted on their journeys

I'm very interested on how this turns out. I would think they could find a lot of help - Brad Pitt is all over the news with this lately. Maybe find who he works with and write them. Hope it all works out.

[crispini]

12. Well, you seem to be looking for "big" ideas

but don't overlook the small sources either.

Take their letter and send it out to all of your friends and relatives, adding a header that explains why you are sending it to them. Send snail mail, it doesn't get overlooked the way email does. Include a SASE to really get results.

Hit up coworkers. How many boxes of Girl Scout cookies and band candy have you purchased? Payback time.

Request donations in the form of gift certificates and merchandise from local merchants. Hold a houseparty for your neighbors and have a silent auction to raise money.

Look over your contacts in the community. Do you know any restaurant owners, bar owners, musicians? Charity shows raise lots of money. Other functions can be profitable as well. Are you a church member? Will they let you set up a table or speak at church about your cause? maybe they'll be willing to sponsor someone, even, especially if you go to a nice liberal church.

Can you set up a table outside of some public establishment? We do a lot of voter registration, and some of the independent bookstores and some of the grocery stores are always willing to let us solicit outside.

That's all I got.... good luck! :thumbsup:

[Behind the Aegis]

14. Some really great ideas!

My brother and his crew have sent out snail mail. I may see if I can do something here. I have no co-workers...teh economy turned the corner, feel down the stairs, and I went with it! Two years and counting....but I do have former colleagues, but they are in higher education, so no big bucks...LOL!

I am Jewish and live in Oklahoma, in a town with no synagogue...but maybe I could hit a UU church, I think there is one here. I hadn't even thought about that!!! That is a GREAT idea!

I don't go out of the house often, but I do have a very good relationship with the local pet store owner and she knows LOTS of people.

Thanks for the GREAT ideas! Sometimes, when doing things like this, there is a tendency to overlook the small donations, but they add up, and quickly!!! Thanks so much!

This is WHY I told my brother I would ask here...so many wonderful minds just a keystroke away!