Now, Team Twisted Blister offers up the incredibly fun gimmick of surviving a team running relay across the relatively flat, yet lightning-prone and steamy state of Florida. You get the benefit of experiencing a running relay (by reading this blog) without any of the drawbacks (e.g., body odor, sweat, and tears), and with the knowledge that you are supporting a GREAT cause. Every dollar donated goes directly to a student in need, and provides supplies to help a student complete his or her education. I am always more compelled to give to a charity when I know where my gift is going, and when I know the recipient will appreciate the services provided. No where have I seen students more determined and enthusiastic than in areas of the world where the funds, facilities, support services, and supplies for a quality education are so clearly lacking. I see this when I read books like Three Cups of Tea, and when I read about the students helped by KEF.
To read more about Team Twisted Blister, the relay, and KEF, please check out our donation site. Any amount will go a long way toward boosting team morale (especially considering the whole B.O. factor), and toward helping a motivated student receive an education!
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. -- Nelson Mandela
The ladies of Team Twisted Blister after the September 2009Zoo Run Run 5K at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo.
[10/23/2009 UPDATE: I wanted to add some more information about KEF, which I received from Brad Broder, the Executive Director of KEF, for those of you wondering about KEF's track record as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization:
...Regarding how the KEF "rates", the only website that I can direct you to is Guidestar.org, which is the leading nonprofit watchdog out there. Nearly all 501c3's are listed on their website (you just type in Kenya education fund), with some having more information about their organizations on there than others. I've been meaning to update our profile on the site. After I complete this email I will go ahead and post our 2008 Audit on there, along with the past couple of tax returns (form 990's).
It's so good that you're investigating before giving. SOOOO important for donors to do that. Few actually do and therefore most people give irresponsibly. Having said that, I've never seen a site that rates the KEF against other similar organizations. I'm not sure what metrics would be used in such a comparison. Obviously rating on the basis of an overhead /project cost ratio is one way, but that often doesn't speak to the ever-important effectiveness of an organization. Effectiveness is such a hard thing to rate.
I'm happy to answer any questions you have over the phone or via email. To tell you a little more, I am the only paid employee in the US and have been doing this full time since November 2006. Our annual revenue is between $250,000 - $300,000 and we are currently paying school fees for 246 students in over 100 high schools throughout Kenya. We have an office in Nairobi which has 1 full time director and another part time assistant. We get virtually no grant money and rely on private donations, fundraisers and gifts in kind.
There are two distinct ways to support the KEF. The first is to give a "general" donation that is used at our discretion for both project implementation and overhead. The second way of giving is through a "direct sponsorship" of a Kenyan student. This gift supports a poor boy or girl through 4 years of high school at a boarding school. This gift is a $2000 pledge (payable at $500/yr or all at once) and almost 100% of it goes to the student's eduction. The sponsorship includes the cost of school fees, uniforms, textbooks, pocket money, tutoring and bed nets to prevent malaria. In school, students are given three meals a day, they get medical attention and are always in a learning environment. As an organization we sometimes lose money when school costs are more than $500 a year, but for now, we're making it work.
I hope this email helps. I'm always available to talk if you need to know more. I appreciate that you are doing some due diligence on charities, although I would encourage you try to look past the numbers of some other organizations and focus on their mission more. Education, for example, is the only way to build human capacity and help break the cycle of poverty and a country's dependence on foreigners. Other charities focus on water, food, micro lending and disease - all of which have their own merits and save lives - but none of which are sustainable and reduce dependency. In the end, my job is to work myself out of a job. I sometimes find that other organizations don't share this view and get to wrapped up in the "business" of charity.
Thanks again.
Bradley Broder
Executive Director
Kenya Education Fund
Office: 212.792.6300
Fax: 212.792.6350
Mobile: 646.266.6950
www.kenyaeducationfund.org]
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