The Virtual Foundation - your donation makes it happen
What Can I Do After I Donate ?
- Normally the group receiving your contribution should have funds
in their hands within three weeks.
Your donation is sent to a local Consortium Member which will disburse the
funds and supervise the implementation of the project that you funded.
- The organization receiving your contribution is required to
provide a final report after completing the project. Many organizations also
provide progress reports. The Virtual Foundation staff publishes these
reports on our website as soon as they come in. You may find reports by
clicking on Progress
Report or Final Report in
the summary of the project that you funded.
- After you donate to the Virtual Foundation, you have the
opportunity to make direct contact with the organization which received your
donation. This occurs only if both the donor and grant recipient agree to such
communications.
Donor or Donor-Partner ?
If you are reading this sentence, you have at your fingertips the tools of a
new age and an opportunity to change the world. Your donation to the
Virtual Foundation has already demonstrated your willingness to help solve
global problems. Now, by combining the communications technology of the
Internet with your donation to the Virtual Foundation, you can take
another important step.
Become a partner with the individuals or organization that you have supported.
Using e-mail, you can easily make a direct connection with these people. The
contact that you make can be as valuable as your financial contribution. It
can provide the moral support that people working in difficult conditions need.
You may also be able to provide information that is useful.
We encourage you to become a donor-partner, and communicate directly with the
group that you supported.
Quick Tips on Becoming a Donor-Partner
- The Virtual Foundation staff can assist you in making your first
contact. We can provide e-mail or postal addresses if you don't have
them.
- Focus your initial communications on common interests.
- Use simple and direct language. Avoid expressions and words which
do not cross cultural boundaries.
- Include photos and other visual materials.
- Ask questions. Your partner may not know what is an appropriate
topic for correspondence. Your questions can provide direction and
help everyone to feel comfortable.
- If you expect a reply to your communication, make this very clear.
- Be patient with long breaks in communications. International
postal delivery can take weeks or months. E-mail often breaks down for
days or weeks in developing countries.
Cross cultural communications are a great adventure. Like all adventures,
there will be many surprises and a few problems to be solved along the way. It
is best to approach international communications with understanding and as
much information as possible. A good sense of humor also helps.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Cross Cultural Communications
The following FAQs may be helpful to your efforts to become a donor-partner.
If you have a question which we have not answered, contact the Virtual
Foundation staff by e-mail at
ecologia@ecologia.org or call our
toll-free number at (888) 801-7101. We also encourage you to submit your
recommendations for posting on this site.
- May I write in English ?
- Yes. If you can only read English, make it clear that a reply must be
written in English.
- What do I do if I don't receive a response ?
- If you are using e-mail, resend the message after one week. If you are
using the mail, contact the Virtual Foundation about communication
problems.
- What should I do if the group I am corresponding with asks me for
additional support ?
- The policy of the Virtual Foundation is that all funding requests must
go through local Consortium Members in order
to ensure reliability and prevent fraud.