I think we need more funding for social sciences, EWB can just get bunch of big name companies to sponsor them.

I think instead of taking 35 cents from each of us to send a couple of people to a developing nation, we can use it to find a worthy cause and donate it there. Seems like you could help more people that way.

Out of curiousity, how many people would this 35 cents be able to fund?

Can I ask why this club, over the many that do charitable work, deserves special funding? I understand that EWB does amazing work, but if we start with this, how long til there is a 35 cents for doctors without borders, empowerment squared, save the children, and every other social issues club at Mac.

I should have a choice of what charitable organization I want to give to. If I want to donate to EWB, or any other charitable group, I should be able to do so by my own free will.

Please keep the discussion related to the referendum.

On topic, I would tend to agree with Jean-Marc. While 35 cents might not be a lot, you're taking away student choice.

I'd also really like to see a review of the charities our student fees currently support- like the refugee fund, or OPIRG (although you can opt out of the last one, so it isn't as bad).

how come my old post got deleted?

:S

Wow, serious modrape going on in this topic

Originally Posted by Marlowe

Please keep the discussion related to the referendum.

On topic, I would tend to agree with Jean-Marc. While 35 cents might not be a lot, you're taking away student choice.

I'd also really like to see a review of the charities our student fees currently support- like the refugee fund, or OPIRG (although you can opt out of the last one, so it isn't as bad).

You get you're choice taken away with the Mugsi fail and increasing tuition and no one seems to care about that (well most people at Mac don't do anything about it)

In response to the inquiry many of you have on why EWB should be fubded through students and how many students this would send.

So first the 35-cent fee would accumulate to approximately $7,000 which is enough to send ONE student. Each year, each EWB chapter can send 1-2 students and this is dependent on the needs expressed by the long term volunteers known as the African Programs Staff (APS).

As to WHY EWB? WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?

For staters EWB chapters fund these volunteers- as opposed to forcing studentsto fund their own placement. The reason for this is because we as a chapter are INVESTING in these students. The reason we do so is because of the mandate this program follows.

It is this mandate that demonstrates exactly why EWB is different. Unlike many development charities or NGOs that send young people abroad to build stuff, leran about themselves, and come back feeling good about their contribution, EWB strives more. It strives for more in the sense that it is the RESPONSIBILITY of the return volunteer to share what they've learned with not only the chapter (a small group of students) but THE UNVIERSITY as a whole.

This is where it impacts MANY McMaster students, as the way we share our knowledge is very diverse. Not only is it shared through conferences, discussion panels and workshops run by our chapter but also through community events such as the Malawian Tea that return volunteer Erica Barnes has held or the Rural Roots festival as well as through CURRICULUM ENHANCEMENT.

CURRICULUM ENHANCEMENT means working with professors and academic departments to integrate the experiences and knowledge of our return volunteers into your academic experience.

In fact, a workshop that was developed by a return volunteer is now a permanent part of ENG 1P03 curriculum, through a wokrshop called the Root Causes of Poverty, we have also worked with professors in Arts and Science and Peace Studies and have the goal of expanding this integration to numerous faculties and programs.

In fact, EWB McMaster is one of the leading chapters in ALL of Canada when it comes to curriculum innovation- with one of our chapter members presenting as a panelist at the past National Conference.

Also in supporting Mac EWB you are supporting national leaders within the organization, as winners of the 2010 Most Improved Chapter and 2011 Chapter of the Year.

Furthermore, EWB as mentioned is not just for Engineers and has a highly effective approach to development- we don't just go to Africa and build stuff as many people perceive, we go to Africa and work with district governments, local NGOs, and farming co-operatives to assist in building THEIR capacity for sustained development. We don't drill wells or build schools- instead we work with the aformementioned groups on effective planning processes fostered through projects such as the implemetation of spreadsheet databases that determine the location and functionality of vital services such as watering points, schools, health clinics etc.

Other aspects of the organization that highly benefit from the knowledge of our volunteers is the Advocacy Program, which uses the knowledge gained in lobbying for more effective aid policies. For instance EWB is currently rolling out the ACT campaign which stands Accountable, Creative and Transparent Aid in effort to increase aid effectiveness. The tangible action EWB is lobbying for in this campaign currently is for Canada to sign onto the IATI- International Aid Transparency Initiative.

I'm abstaining..

I support the effect this has on both the developing world and as an investment in the students, but I don't feel preferential treament should be given to EWB when there are many other clubs that are just as worthy, and justifiably more important than what this 35 cents will accomplish.. other clubs are capable of raising funds to support their endeavorers such as this, and I don't see why EWB would need a boost. Seeing as EWB is a prominent organization, if anything, they would be more capable of raising their own funds for this, opposed to a tiny, unrecognized club or organization which doesn't have much funding as is.

Originally Posted by RyanC

I'm abstaining..

I support the effect this has on both the developing world and as an investment in the students, but I don't feel preferential treament should be given to EWB when there are many other clubs that are just as worthy, and justifiably more important than what this 35 cents will accomplish.. other clubs are capable of raising funds to support their endeavorers such as this, and I don't see why EWB would need a boost. Seeing as EWB is a prominent organization, if anything, they would be more capable of raising their own funds for this, opposed to a tiny, unrecognized club or organization which doesn't have much funding as is.

Ryan thanks for the reply, I respect you outwardly stating what you're choice in regarding the referendum.

One thing I would like to note is that other clubs that take on "similar" development endeavours most times require the members to fundraise for their own trip- as opposed to EWB who funds these student volunteers and that EWBs program is different in that it is not just 4 months abroad, but a 16 month volunteer comittment to the organziation that involves 4 months ofpre departure training, 4 months abroad, and most importantly and where it is most relevant to all students is 8 months of SHARING what was learned with the McMaster and Hamilton comunity as a whole.

Although EWB is a prominent organization, corporate or external sponsorship is not a common practice at the level of student chapters. It is done at National office for the support of long term African Programs.

But I am aware that, that is not a very clear response, so I have passed this question regarding external/ corporate sponsorship and funding to people working within National office who set the student chapter fundraising mandate and will get back to you with response.

But with that being said, it is not a common student chapter level practice and although we receive some funding from the MES and faculty of Engineering, we still are required to fundraise $7,000- $14,000 for the JFs (student volunteers, 1 is $7,000 and 2 is $14,000) along with fundraising at least $2,000 to support long term African Programs Staff, an additional amount for our youth outreach projects, and National office initaited fundraisers student chapters are expected to partake in .

Taking all of these fundraising figures into accout that means our chapter could be needing to fundraise between $15,000-$17,000 for the year approximately and with only one person on the executive team on fundraiain events (though other chapter members support them) is a huge undertaking. Also take into account we are students- aka our studies come first and althiugh many people devote time into the chapter as if it is their job, realistically speaking it is very difficult to reach this fundraising target while working to reach out to students in a meaningful way (such as the curriculum enhancement projects and public outreach/ campus engagement projects).

If the referendum were to pass this would provide secure and sustainable funding to a highly beneficial program while taking a great deal of stress off fundraising as a chapter, which will alllow ourselves to maximize the impact we are having in reaching more students. Aka less energy in fundraising= more time devoted to engaging students in our classes, across the campus and in the local community so more people can stand to benefit from the knowledge that EWB return volunteers share with the community

Originally Posted by mlangille

...
But I am aware that, that is not a very clear response, so I have passed this question regarding external/ corporate sponsorship and funding to people working within National office who set the student chapter fundraising mandate and will get back to you with response.
...

Thank you.

Originally Posted by mlangille

If the referendum were to pass this would provide secure and sustainable funding to a highly beneficial program while taking a great deal of stress off fundraising as a chapter, which will alllow ourselves to maximize the impact we are having in reaching more students. Aka less energy in fundraising= more time devoted to engaging students in our classes, across the campus and in the local community so more people can stand to benefit from the knowledge that EWB return volunteers share with the community

So basically: more money, more time spent on educational programs instead of fundraising...okay. This pretty much is the same for any charitible organization, but I suppose EWB has more of an impact than most...hmm

Here is as promised, a respnse from EWB National Office regarding external corporate sponsorship at a chapter level:

It comes from Ian Froude, a member of National office management who has worked as the Co-Director of Chapter Development, member of the Youth Engagement team and now Co-leader of the National Advocacy team.

"Hi Meaghan,
Student chapters are allowed to do corporate sponsorship with local companies as long as they communicate that they are doing it with their chapter buddies at the national office. One reason for this communication is to make sure that there is no overlap in who the corporate engagement team in the office is approaching and who chapters are approaching.

Regarding corporate sponsorship from an effectiveness level: It is rarely worth the time and effort by a chapter to pursue corporate sponsors because it typically takes 16-24 months of relationship building to get any sponsorship from a company. This is a huge challenge, largely because of chapter member turnover."





So to sum it up- it is allowed but it is a huge challenge due to the large amount of time it takes to establish these corporate relations, since EWB functions to create corporate partneships as opposed to going to a variety of corporate sources simply asking for money.

If anyone has anymore questions or coments, fire away

How did you arrive at 35 cents? Is it based on what you want, or what you think would be fair for the student population to chip in (and why)?