 FOM sent 12 Gobi Students to Ohio in 2008 In 2009 Friends of Mongolia turns 10 years old. The organization was founded in 1999 by enterprising members of the 7th training group of Peace Corps volunteers in Mongolia--known as M-7s in Peace Corps Mongolia parlance. Since 1999 the organization has had it share of ups and downs, notoriety and obscurity, but at the beginning of its 10th year the organization has never been stronger. As part of the celebrations FOM is determined to increase its membership base and to have a sizable percentage come from the hundreds of returned Peace Corps volunteers (RPCV) who have served in Mongolia. To date over 600 volunteers have served in Mongolia, so there is a sizable pool of people to draw from. Why should RPCVs be interested in joining? It's a great question that can be answered in this way: Friends of Mongolia is your organization. It is a grassroots organization that lives and dies by the commitment of volunteers. It reaches out to small communities in Mongolia changing lives in positive ways. It promotes greater understanding of Mongolia in the United States. It does all this by raising money each year from private donors and ensuring that at least 95% of each donation goes directly to support educational and cultural exchange programs as opposed to administrative overhead and salaries.  FOM Funded 18 Scholarships in 2008 Friends of Mongolia requires approximately $15,000 per year to fund its scholarship program, community grant program, and other outreach activities. Base membership is $25 per year, so if only 50% of Mongolia RPCVs paid annual dues, that would raise 50% of the annual total needed, or $7,500. Currently Friends of Mongolia has just over 100 members paying anywhere from $25-$250 per year in dues. These contributions provide a substantial part of the organization's ability to meet its mission of promoting cultural and educational exchange between the United States and Mongolia. Keep an eye out for initiatives in 2009 to bring Mongolia RPCVs back into a contributing role for Mongolia. And, if you're not an RPCV? Well, we want your support, too. About 25% of FOM's members are not Mongolia RPCVs, and we want members from all walks of life who have a passion for Mongolia and giving back to the community. Join today at www.friendsofmongolia.org/join. |