On June 1st of 2018, I said YES to a dream job of joining the team at 200 Orphanages as the new Project Manager. As I have now passed my 1 year anniversary, I took some time to reflect on my top 5 favorite moments that have made this one of the most fulfilling years so far!
5) Getting to Know Our Partnering Organizations
We partner with incredible organizations who do life changing work around the world. As part of my job, I communicate to these organizations to find out what their needs are, how we can get their story out, and then eventually circle back to let them know how the goal has been reached by our generous donors – like YOU! It is truly inspiring to watch organizations share their needs and then see our supporters step up and make those dreams become a reality.
Find a list of our partners and learn more about them at the bottom of this page: https://200orphanagesworldwide.org/about/
4) Supporting our Fundraising Events like Tanzania Tonight, Wine to Water, and House to House Parties
Over the past year I have been fortunate enough to assist Jan and our supporters with anything they need to pull off some incredible fundraising events. My administrative background is helpful here as I tackle data entry, marketing, design, and other communication tasks. I am thankful I get to take on these responsibilities so that those who are managing the events can feel prepared and excited to share the mission of 200 Orphanages Worldwide.
Interested in hosting a fundraising event? Contact us at angela@2ooOrphanagesWorldwide.org
3) Building the Party with Purpose Toolkit
Our Party with Purpose toolkit was so fun to build! I used my creative skills, while combining my background in volunteer management to build a manual that will be really helpful and inspiring for those who are eager to fundraise for orphans! Torie Rynning helped guide the process with her expertise on PR/nonprofits and was a joy to learn from and get to know. The toolkit is now live here and can be shared with anyone you think may want to host an event to change the lives of orphaned children around the world.
2) Expressing Gratitude to Our Donors
I love sharing with our donors and supporters how much they mean to us! We want to make sure you know about the impact your donation has made and will continue to make for years to come. We share updates through our monthly newsletter, social media, and annual mailings. If you want to make sure you are in the loop on the latest news, email me at angela@200orphanagesworldwide.org and we would be happy to add you to these communications.
1) Witnessing Jan Hanson Live Her Passion
Did you know our Executive Director and Founder, Jan Hanson, has never taken a salary from the organization? She does this work out of pure passion and love for orphan care and making the world a better place. It has been a true joy and honor to work under her and see the drive she has to make an impact with these orphanages around the world. If you are a donor, you can feel confident that the leader of this organization stewards each donation wisely and always has the mission of the organization as the main focus: to provide safety, shelter, and sustainability to orphaned children.
I share all of this to provide the chance for you to get to see a little behind the scenes of what we work on throughout the year and how much I have truly enjoyed being a part of this. We appreciate our donors and would love to get you more involved in the work we do. Please send us a note to let us know your thoughts and how you would like to be further involved in the rest of 2019 and going forward. We would love to brainstorm with you and talk more!
For the Children,
Angela McDermott, Project Manager