Friends of Mongolia (FOM) is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, and developmental purposes, not-for-profit. Friends of Mongolia exists to develop partnerships with the people of Mongolia in furtherance of cultural exchange and human development.
FOM is an incorporated non-profit organization 501 (c) 3 conducting activities in both Mongolia and the United States. It is affiliated with the National Peace Corps Association, but membership is open to anyone with an interest in Mongolia.
Friends of Mongolia operations are overseen by a board of directors who are elected for three year terms and managed by officers (two Co-coordinators, Treasurer, Communications Coordinator, and Membership Coordinator) who are elected annually. A Mongolia Country Representative and Deputy Country Representative are appointed by the board to oversee activities in Mongolia.
Operating Strategy
FOM relies almost exclusively on support from volunteers to initiate and administer programs. This method of operation allows the organization to maintain low direct administrative costs relative to programmatic expenditures, running less than 5 percent per year. However, it also makes coordination and implementation of programs more challenging when compared to other organizations with permanent paid staff. This is due to the fact that volunteer work is a free time activity for most contributors, and FOM work is often secondary and tertiary to paid employment.
Community Development
Maintaining group cohesion and explicitly defining roles, responsibilities, and organizational goals are inextricably linked challenges that FOM as a volunteer, grassroots organization aims to address in its operating strategy.
Strategic Goals
FOM programs are divided into three categories, and they reflect FOM’s mission of promoting cultural exchange and human (or community) development. These categories are Education Promotion, Community Development, and Community Outreach. Each category comprises specific programs with explicit objectives linked to administrative, fundraising, promotional, and evaluation activities. Each objective reflects careful consideration of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization as a decentralized, volunteer operation, and they appear in FOM's strategic plan because of their high potential for supporting FOM’s mission.
- FOM Scholarship Program
- Girvin Scholarship Program
- Community Development Grant Program
- Peace Corps Volunteer Alumni Program
- Mongolia Peace Corps Employee/Counterpart Alumni Program
- Discretionary Stakeholder Outreach and Engagement Activities
Organizational History / Newsletters
Friends of Mongolia was incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of New York in 1999 by a group of volunteers from the seventh training group of Peace Corps Mongolia volunteers, also known as the "M-7's." FOM was founded by volunteers, and it has remained a volunteer operated organization ever since. Membership was and remains open to all people with an interest in cultural and educational exchange between the United States and Mongolia. Although the majority of people participating in the organization have been former Peace Corps volunteers from Mongolia, several people who have served in other countries or have not served in Peace Corps at all have contributed to the continued growth and strength of the organization.
Below are links to archived issues of the Friends of Mongolia Newsletter. These provide an interesting tour through the evolution of the organization through its changing programs and lists of officers and board members. The newsletter also demonstrates an evolutionary process through its changing format and style.
Friends of Mongolia Newsletters
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aut2011final.pdf
3653k - Dec 6, 2011 6:49 AM by FOM Administrator (v1)
Winter 2011 Newsletter
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SPR2011.pdf
1310k - May 18, 2011 6:39 PM by Sunaree Marshall (v1)
Spring 2011 Newsletter
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FOM AUT2010.pdf
884k - Nov 17, 2010 6:58 AM by FOM Administrator (v1)
2010 Autumn Newsletter
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spring2010.pdf
970k - Jul 2, 2010 12:15 PM by FOM Administrator (v1)
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fall2009.pdf
1668k - Jun 22, 2010 12:19 PM by FOM Administrator (v1)
Access older newsletters here
