http://www.denguerelief.org/

Founded in 2004, the Dengue Relief Foundation (DRF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Sonoma County, California.  The target mission of the Foundation is aimed at reducing the burden of dengue fever and the attendant economic and epidemiologic disparities throughout Central America.  The DRF has dedicated itself towards the eradication of dengue fever through the provision of relief support to Central America and the nation of Nicaragua specifically.

The DRF was originally founded by Dr. David Copenhaver from Columbia University, Dr. Rajan Kulkarni from UCLA, and Dr. Luis Sandoval from UCSD.  This team of physicians founded the DRF after jointly studying the spread of dengue virus and assessing its economic impact on Nicaragua.  They quickly realized that a concerted effort would be necessary to target this scourge and bring relief to the peoples of Nicaragua and Central America. 

The goals of the DRF are to enhance education and prevention efforts, to provide direct relief, and to promote research into the dengue virus in Central America.  In fulfilling this mission, the original group of physicians were joined in 2005 by Amanda Copenhaver, a Master’s student at UCLA in public health, and Erika Copenhaver, a law graduate from Golden Gate University.

More recently, the educational mission of the DRF has been enhanced through the establishment of a fellowship program for medical students at the Columbia University School of Medicine in New York.   In collaboration with physicians and surgeons at Columbia and at three medical schools in Nicaragua, medical students will have the opportunity to apply for summer or year-long fellowships to Nicaragua to study the epidemiology and burden of infectious disease.  The DRF is actively expanding this program for students at other medical schools nationwide through the establishment of a DRF Scholars program.

In addition, the Foundation has recently formulated a partnership with a Bay Shore Ambulance, an ambulance provider serving the greater South Bay.  This partnership allows surplus ambulances to be allocated to the DRF where they can then be transported to underserved pueblos (villages) throughout Nicaragua.  These ambulances will provide a key lifeline to these communities and allow critically ill patients to be safely transported for appropriate care. (see pictures of the ambulances you will help purchase!) 

The DRF works closely with MINSA, the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health.  Together, they continue to work on methods involving the development of new technologies for the detection of disease, epidemiological research, and public outreach to communities.  The Foundation is actively working to establish closer ties with the Ministries of Health in neighboring countries in Central America.  Through these projects, the DRF remains committed to its goal of eliminating the burden of dengue fever afflicting the peoples of Central America.




 
http://www.donorschoose.org/homepage/main.html?zone=0

onorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.

Proposals range from "Magical Math Centers" ($200) to "Big Book Bonanza" ($320), to "Cooking Across the Curriculum" ($1,100). Any individual can search such proposals by areas of interest, learn about classroom needs, and choose to fund the project(s) they find most compelling. In completing a project, donors receive a feedback package of student photos and thank-you notes, and a teacher impact letter.

Fulfilling Student Projects

DonorsChoose.org performs a good deal of work to ensure the integrity of its philanthropic marketplace. Here's how it works:

1. Public school teachers create student project proposals at DonorsChoose.org. This consists of writing a one page essay and listing the exact resource(s) needed.
2. DonorsChoose.org volunteers screen each project proposal before posting to the website. Volunteers verify that the teacher and project meet our eligibility requirements, emailing follow-up questions to the teacher if anything is unclear.
3. Concerned individuals fund the student projects of their choice—in whole or in part—and are emailed immediate email gift acknowledgments from DonorsChoose.org which can be used for tax deduction purposes.
4. DonorsChoose.org emails the school principal, alerting him/her to the funded project.
5. Within the next week, DonorsChoose.org forwards the donor an "e-thank-you" from the teacher, which notes the date by which the donor can expect his/her full feedback package.
6. DonorsChoose.org purchases the student materials and ships items directly to the school along with a disposable camera, guidelines for preparing feedback packages, and a stamped envelope in which to enclose the feedback.
7. Students experience the project that the donor made possible! The teacher photographs the students participating in the project and writes an impact letter to the donor. Students write their own thank-you notes. This feedback is then mailed to DonorsChoose.org headquarters.
8. DonorsChoose.org develops the photos, and compiles the letter and thank-you notes. This feedback is mailed to the donor(s) who completed the project or made a partial contribution of $100 or more.

Here's an example of a proposal:

Adapted Keyboards for Special Ed Class Computers

$66 Needed

$166 Total Cost

$100 Already Given

Proposal: It is hard work for my students to write but they push through their frustration with the writing process to get their thoughts down on paper. After this struggle they tend to be dissatisfied with their final product because of their poor handwriting.
My students need 4 color-coded keyboards to make typing at the computer easier

DonorsChoose.org works equally hard to strengthen the framework which enables citizen philanthropists to connect with classrooms in need. In order to ensure a secure, efficient, and effective exchange, we:

• Negotiate discounts and partnerships with vendors to get the best prices available.
• Continually upgrade our web technology to make DonorsChoose.org more user-friendly and effective for donors and teachers.
• Acquire and update databases of all the public schools in the regions we serve. We track everything from the principal's name to the number of students who receive free or reduced price lunch (a measure of poverty) to ensure the information we provide donors is accurate.
• Create community awareness about DonorsChoose.org to increase funding of student projects.