Goodwill Industries International Inc

    Goodwill Industries International Inc. is an American non-profit organization that provides employment training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs for differently able people. Additionally, Goodwill Industries may employ veterans, persons that lack schooling or job skills, or face employment challenges. Goodwill is financed by a huge system of retail prudence supplies which also operate as nonprofits.

     Goodwill operates as a system through 164 independent, community-based organizations in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Panama, the United States, Uruguay, Venezuela and eight other countries. It was initially called Goodwill in 1915.  In 2014, Goodwill organizations received a total of $5.37 billion revenue. Among them, 83 percent was spent directly on programmes. During the time, the association granted 89 million total employment and community services, with more than 26.4 million individuals served and more than 318,000 individuals placed into services.

History

    Reverend Edgar J. Helms of Morgan Methodist Chapel in Boston, Massachusetts, founded Goodwill as an operation of his ministry In 1902. Helms and his assembly assembled used domestic goods and clothing being spared in richer areas of the town which was mended and repaired by trained and hired unemployed. The goods were then distributed to needy people who helped to repair them.

Operations

    Over 84 million pounds of used products were contributed to the supplies in Portland, Oregon as a part of the Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette (GICW) in 1999. In the same year, Goodwill initiated the foremost and single non- profit internet auction site in the United States of America. By 2004, Goodwill Industries International had a system of 207 member groups in the Canada, United States, and other 23 countries.  As of July 2011, there are total of 164 Goodwill members in Canada and the United States. All of these members are autonomous social ventures that function their own local Goodwill retail stores and employment training programmes. Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Boston, is the venture being operated in Boston, where Goodwill was launched.

    The household products along with clothing donated to Goodwill are traded in more than 2,600 Goodwill retail supplies on its Internet auction site “shopgoodwill.com,” as well on eBay and by a number of its regional stores. Most of the goods on online shop portal are items that are considered very valuable. Each local shop will dispatch what they consider valuable, so that the products are bought for what they are value. Antiques, collectibles, comic books, furniture, jewellery and automobiles can be found on the web portal. The incomes finance job training and other services to train people for job achievement. Goodwill sites that function on eBay research contributed goodss for higher proceeds than could be brought in-store, and list those products on eBay for public sale for exchange. In 2010, nearly 170,000 individuals were placed into jobs through their participation in Goodwill's programmes. They are paid $2.7 billion in salaries and wages, and contribution made to the community as tax payers. Goodwill also earned income in a bid to help businesses and the government to fill spaces caused by labour scarcities, time limitations and inadequate space or gears. Local branches of Goodwill teach and employ indenture labour to fill out subcontracted requirements for document administration, congregation, mailing, custodial effort, grounds keeping and more. Goodwill acclaims that more than 84 % of its total proceeds is used to finance education and career services and other important community programmes. In 2010, Goodwill granted people with guidance careers in industries such as banking, IT and health care, in addition to offering English-language training, education, transportation, and child care services.

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

      The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a global non-governmental association established on April 29, 1961, working in the sector of the biodiversity preservation, and the diminution of humanity's marks on the environment. It was earlier called the World Wildlife Fund, which is still official name of it in Canada and the United States.It is the world's biggest preservation group with over 5 million followers globally, functioning in more than 100 countries, funding around 1,300 preservation and environmental ventures. WWF is a establishment, with 55% of financial support from individuals and legacies, 19% from state sources (such as the World Bank, DFID, USAID) and 8% from businesses in 2014. The organization's job is "to impede the deprivation of the planet’s natural environment and to erect a future in which human beings live in harmony with nature."Presently, much of its work centers on the preservation of three biomes that include most of the world's biodiversity: oceans and shores, woods, and freshwater ecosystems. Amongst other concerns, it is also alarmed with endangered species; prolong able production of commodities and climate change.

History

    The Conservation Foundation, a predecessor to WWF, was established in 1947 by Fairfield Osborn in New York City in support of capitalism-friendly environmental practices. The consultative council integrated most important scientists such as Aldo Leopold, Charles Sutherland Elton, Carl Sauer, G Evelyn Hutchinson and Paul Sears. It backed much of the scientific work alluded by Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, as well as that of George Woodwell, John L. George, Robert Rudd, and Roger Hale. In 1990, the preservation establishment was merged into WWF. Following becoming an associate of WWF in 1985, it became a distinctive official unit but with the same staff and board. The association now recognized as the Conservation Foundation in the United States is the previous Forest Foundation of DuPage County. WWF has associated offices and maneuvers around the world. It initially functioned by fundraising and providing donations to subsisting non-governmental institutions, founded on the best-available scientific comprehension and with a preliminary center on the safety of endangered species. As more funds became accessible, its functions extended into other sectors such as the conservation of biological diversity, prolong able use of natural resources, the decline of pollution, and climate change. The association also began to run its own preservation projects and crusades, and by the 1980s initiated to take a more planned approach to its preservation activities. In 1986, the group renamed the organization to World Wide Fund for Nature, to replicate the scale of its actions in better form, holding the WWF initials. Nevertheless, it sustained at that time to function under the original name in the United States and Canada. 

Panda symbol

    WWF's giant panda symbol created from a panda named Chi Chi that had been relocated from Beijing Zoo to London Zoo in 1958, three years earlier than WWF became founded. Being well-known as the lone panda inhabiting in the Western world at that period, its distinctively identifiable physical features and type as an endangered species were seen as perfect to serve the association's need for a strong identifiable symbol that would conquer all language obstructions. Furthermore, the association also desired an animal that would have a bang in black and white printing. The symbol was then designed by Sir Peter Scott from preliminary sketches prepared by Gerald Watterson, a Scottish naturalist.

Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a universal humanitarian support agency involved in intermediary environments that have occurrence some types of shock: conflict, economic collapse, or natural disaster. People working under it budge as fast as possible from fetching in food and supplies to enabling people to reconstruct their nation with society-driven and market-led programs. To arrange the groundwork for long-term revival, Mercy Corps centers on inter-connecting to both government and business for the transformations they would like to see. "We truly center on access to financial services as the vital element for helping to shift people out of poverty", Nancy Lindborg stated who is also Mercy Corps President. Mercy Corps provides an area for unlimited periods of time to promote local entrepreneurship, recreate social capital, and motivate markets on the basis of "cash for work" programs and a range of lending models. Mercy Corps, in the past 14 years, has established 12 different finance organizations. Ever since 1979, Mercy Corps has distributed more than US$1.95 billion in support to people in more than107 nations. Sustained by headquarter offices in North America and Europe, the organization's cohesive worldwide programs provide work for 3,700 staff globally and get in touch with nearly 16.7 million people in over 40 countries. 

History

The organization was established as Save the Refugees Fund in 1979, a task force structured by Dan O'Neill in reaction to the troubles of Cambodian refugees escaping the food shortage, war and genocide of the Killing Fields. By 1982, the organization had extended its work to other nations, was united by Ellsworth Culver (Mercy Corps co-founder) and was renamed Mercy Corps International to echo its wider mission. Following a move from merely distributing relief aid to centralize its mission on long-term resolutions to hunger and poverty, Mercy Corps' foremost development project started in Honduras in 1982. Commencing 2009, Mercy Corps' international headquarters are located in the Old Town locality of Portland, Oregon, at 45 SW Ankeny St. 97204 at present. Opened October 9, 2009, the building addresses the agency's headquarters offices, The Mercy Corps Action Center (a cohort center to The Action Center to End World Hunger opened, October 2009 in Manhattan), Mercy Corps Northwest and The Lemelson Foundation. Also, Mercy Corps has a European Headquarters at 40 Sciences, Edinburgh, Scotland EH9 1NJ. In 1996, Mercy Corps combined with Scottish European Aid and shaped an organization registered as Mercy Corps Scotland in 2000.

Activities

The U.S. economic development office of Mercy Corps aids low-income individuals in Oregon and Washington who have trouble receiving finances because of credit history, lack of guarantee, or unfortunate state of affairs. The loan program offers funding to entrepreneurs with concrete business proposals and helps them to expertise business plans and launch a coordinated savings account. Mercy Corps Northwest works as a petite business incubator and guides new business owners through the start-up stage. MCNW also provides  loan to existing businesses that generate jobs for low-income people. Associating with banks and launching banking institutions, Mercy Corps aids microfinance all around the world.

Finances

The agency's competence has facilitated Mercy Corps to accomplish Charity Navigator's "Four-Star" charity rating (out of four possible stars). At the end of Fiscal year June 30, 2006, Mercy Corps' revenue was US$205 million among which US$81 million (40%) was grants from government, US$63 million (31%) was from in-kind donations ("material aid") in the structure of food, medical, linens, and other supplies and services. Mercy Corps' operating costs were US$191 million, which was spent mainly on the program but comprises salaries and other reimbursement for 3,200 paid staff. Mercy Corps' total assets were greater than US$98 million in 2006.

Compassion International

Compassion International is a Christian child funding organization committed to the long-term progress of children living in poverty all around the planet. Compassion International with its headquarter in Colorado Springs, Colorado, operates in 26 countries including India,  Bolivia, Colombia, Haiti, Mexico and Kenya. The organization distributes aid to over 1,700,000 children. Commencing 2014, Santiago Mellado is the President and CEO while Karen Kemps Wesolowski is the chairman of the board.

History 

In 1952, The Reverend Everett Swanson established The Everett Swanson Evangelistic Association to help children orphaned by war in South Korea. He journeyed there to lecture the gospel to the troops of the army but during his stay he saw children orphaned by the war. In 1953, he started to raise funds and the next year he built up sponsorship programs to aid orphans for a few dollars a month. The name of the organization changed to Compassion in 1963, motivated by Jesus' words.

Programs

Compassion facilitates those in impecunious areas using a holistic three-stage approach. This approach goes well further than simply distributing food and medical support and also engages education and training to set up the individuals for contributing back to their society.

Child Survival Program

The initial phase of Compassion's model is Child Survival plan. This program offers health care, nutrition, prenatal care, infant survival training, education and spiritual guidance, and sustain from the local church for mothers of at-risk babies.

Child Sponsorship Program

The second phase is financing of children. Children in the program are given food and clean water, education, medical care,  life-skills training and spiritual guidance from a direct funding. Financed children are chosen by the sponsors and two-way communication is persuaded between the financed child and the sponsor. As per March 2014 the cost to fund a child through Compassion is $38 for each month. There are presently more than 1 million children globally in this program. Financers are proficient to visit their funded children through trips designed by Compassion International. Compassion's objective is to offer a trip to each country every other year. Compassion organizes every facet of the trip including travel, meals, tips and gratuities, fees related to the travel, and sightseeing fares.

Leadership Development Program

The Leadership Development program is the final phase of Compassion's approach. This program is accessible to graduates of the Child Sponsorship program and offers leadership associated training from diverse sources. This program makes sure that poverty is not a barrier for tomorrow's leaders to achieve their full potential. This program is presently being combined with the Child Sponsorship Program to arrange a wider range of children for life once they graduate.

Ratings

At present, Compassion International holds a rating of 4stars out of four from Charity Navigator, a mark of "A" from the American Institute of Philanthropy and met the "20 Standards for Charity Accountability" from the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. An experimental study published in the Journal of Political Economy demonstrated that the financing of children through Compassion International affected in considerably higher rates of children finishing school and significantly enhanced adult employment results. The study, carried out by Professor Bruce Wydick of University of San Francisco and relating over 10,000 individuals in six countries, illustrated that the Compassion child backing program improved the likelihood of primary school completion by 4.0–7.7%, secondary school completion by 11.6–16.5%, and university completion by 2.1–2.4%. It also amplified the prospect of salaried employment in later life by 5.1–6.3% and the chance of white-collar employment by 6.5–6.7%.

Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is a New York based international private foundation with the aim of advancing human wellbeing. Founded in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford, it was initially funded by a US$25,000 contribution from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the demise of the two founders, the foundation possessed 90 % of the non-voting shares of the Ford Motor Company. (The Ford family maintained the voting shares.) Between 1955 and 1974, the foundation vended its Ford Motor Company holdings and has no value in the automobile company. The foundation was the biggest for years and one of the most prominent foundations in the world, with worldwide reach and particular interests in democracy, economic empowerment, education, human rights, the creative arts and Third World development.The foundation funds through its headquarters and ten global field offices. For FY 2014, it detailed assets of US$12.4 billion and permitted US$507.9 million in grants. The contribution support projects that center on reducing poverty and inequality; promoting democratic standards; and advancing human acquaintance, creativity and achievement.

Current issues, initiatives and goals

The foundation works on eight significant human welfare issues:

Democratic and accountable government: The foundation works to raise involvement of minority communities at all levels of civic and political life, to amplify the effectiveness of civic organizations by intensification of their infrastructure and dictatorial environments, to eradicate barriers to democratic involvement so that minority populations in the United States are represented fully, to progress the transparency, accountability and completeness of government institutions and processes and to make international financial governance systems more apparent, accountable and effective.

Educational opportunity and scholarship: The foundation works to rediscover public schools through more and improved learning time in localities of intense poverty, so that students are equipped equitably for college, career and civic involvement, to promote policy and institutional modifications that develop disadvantaged people's access to and achievement in high-quality higher education.

Human rights: The foundation works to protect equal rights and better opportunity for racial and ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples, to aid national, state and local organizations sheltered and guard migrant rights and combine them into a broader societal justice agenda, to make certain access for minority groups to a vigorous criminal justice community dedicated to fairness and equal security under the law, to brace fresh voices to make the human rights movement more approachable to the requirement of the poor and minorities with a particular emphasis on the Global South, to assist people required basic economic and social rights, and access remedies when those rights are dishonored, to develop the lives and livelihoods of low-income women by purposefully addressing inequality and discrimination, to defend and progress the rights of people affected by HIV/AIDS.

Sexuality and reproductive health and rights: The foundation works to guarantee evidence-based sexuality and reproductive health and rights research, informs public policy and understanding, to develop national reproductive and sexual health policies and laws supported by provincial and international values, to precede policies and programs that guarantee the improved sexual and reproductive health of minorities young women.

Sustainable development: The foundation works to progress the livelihood of rural poor by increasing access to and decision making on, natural resources, to encourage climate change policies that meet the requirements of rural poor communities globally.