In January, a our team got together to plot the course ahead for Epic Change. While plans will change in light of unexpected opportunities and challenges the universe engineers, for now here’s what we’ll set out to accomplish in 2010:

• Finish project in Tanzania: Raise funds to support two final loan installments to Mama Lucy for construction of a boarding facility/orphanage and school cafeteria.
• Pay it Forward: Reinvest repaid loan funds in a new partner(s) to be selected in consultation with Mama Lucy.
• Get Ready to Grow: Establish clear brand identity and develop a scalable financial & technological infrastructure that will support the addition of new Epic partners & fellows.
• Innovate & Lead: Pioneer a new approach or program (e.g., TwitterKids, TweetsGiving) to meet other stated goals and continue to share ideas on the web and at visible live events.
• Pay the Bills: Raise annually renewable funds to support basic operating expenses.
• Get Students Involved: Build a base of support among university students and professors.
• Build the Board: Imaginatively expand the Epic Change board to support organizational growth.

Of course, we’re hopeful about the future because, with your support, we’ve come so far so fast. Just look what’s happened since we received our 501c3 status in September 2007 and made our first investment in Tanzania in December 2007, less than 2.5 years ago:

PS:  We’re just getting started…

*Notes:

• Metrics listed in the “Now” column are cumulative since the date of founding.
• Website Visitors: Counts per year in May 2008 were extrapolated from data recorded at that time about average hits per day.
• Facebook: Friend totals include redundancies and were calculated as the aggregate of Facebook Fans, Facebook Cause members, and Facebook Friends of Epic Change founder Stacey Monk.
• Twitter: Follower count includes redundancies and was calculated as the aggregate follower count of @EpicChange, @TweetsGiving and the personal accounts of staff members @StaceyMonk, @sanjspatel and @meshugavi.
• Blogs: This captures only the total number of blog posts recorded using Radian6 during TweetsGiving as tracking inbound blog links is cumbersome and inaccurate.
• YouTube Videos:  View count includes views of our Gratitude video, which does not appear in the Epic Change account, but instead in the personal account of Epic Change founder Stacey Monk.
• Audits and Forms 990 are available for download at http://epicchange.org/about_us_financials.php. 2009 Reporting will be available in mid-2010, as required by IRS guidelines.

Posted: February 19th, 2010 under The Foundry.
Comments: 4

Many of you have asked about our next trip to Tanzania, which we’re planning for this summer provided that we can recruit several of you to come along. Having now been four times, I can assure you that it’s a truly life-changing experience, so I really hope you can join us. Besides, we have so much work to do! Here’s just a sampling of the types of activities volunteers can expect to participate in during their stay in Tanzania:

• Classroom participation & instruction
• Library setup & reading instruction
• Social Media instruction for teachers & students
• Blogging & documentary storytelling
• Film & photography instruction for teachers & students
• Fundraising Performance preparation & local marketing
• Marketing Epic Change products in local tourist hotels & markets

This voluntourism trip is a rare opportunity to learn about an incredible culture while contributing to it. The estimates below include accommodations, airport transfers in Tanzania, $25,000 in emergency medical insurance, $500,000 in emergency medical transportation insurance and a contribution to Shepherds Jr. School as compensation for the time and effort our hosts will provide in accommodating our visit.

Budget accommodations will be provided at the Arusha Resort Center, where we stayed during our last visit. They offer hot showers, electricity that usually works and a location near town center that’s hard to beat. Deluxe accommodations are offered not far away at the Impala Hotel; a nice, comfortable hotel that is set in a very safe atmosphere that offers some of the best dining in Arusha. Additionally, there’s a gift shop and an internet cafe – albeit expensive – that’s open late inside the hotel.

For most volunteers, we recommend the 2-BR apartment option because it offers spacious accommodations including a living room where volunteers socialize and, most importantly, a kitchen where you can prepare your own meals. We choose this option ourselves because, even though it’s far from luxurious, it offers so many of the comforts of home. More luxurious accommodations that are very near the school are available by request too.

In addition to learning about Tanzania through your participation in at least 25 hours of volunteer service per week, we also would love for you to explore this amazing country further by participating in one or more optional excursions where you can learn more about the Maasai people, go on a wildlife safari in the Serengeti or even climb the highest mountain on the continent of Africa. Optional excursions include:

The very authentic Maasai cultural safari is offered by Kitumusote, a Tanzanian NGO dedicated to ensuring sustainability of the Maasai people’s way of life. The Kiliminjaro climb and the luxury safari will be planned through iExplore. The budget camping safari will be offered by a local outlet in consultation with Mama Lucy. We have personally worked with each of these operators and assure that these experiences are not to be missed, although they may challenge your comfort zone.

Meals: Food is not provided in the cost of the trip. The cost of restaurant food is significantly lower than we are used to – a safe bet is $25 per day (not including bar drinks) for lunch, dinner and snacks. The 2-BR apartment also has a full-sized kitchen with a microwave, mini-fridge, oven, hot plates, pots & pans and silverware for making home-cooked meals.

Airfare: Participants are responsible for booking their own flights into Kilimanjaro (JRO) airport. As an estimate, NYC or DC to JRO with one stop is less than $2,300, and as cheap as $1,800 with more stops or a longer layover. Do not book your flight until your trip has been confirmed. If we book together, we may be able to arrange a group discount. Flights into neighboring Kenya (Nairobi – NBO) tend to be cheaper but would require a short flight or long bus ride to arrive into Kilimanjaro. If you choose to fly into NBO, you’ll have to arrange your own transport to JRO – be aware that most international flights arriving into Nairobi come in after the last bus to Arusha has departed meaning you would have to overnight in Nairobi. We can definitely assist you with finding the best airfare and itinerary for your trip.

Funding your trip: All costs are estimates until time of final payment & booking. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is due by 4/1/10. 50% of the remaining balance is due by 5/1/10, and the full balance of your trip cost is due by 6/1/10. All payments are non-refundable. You’re welcome to fundraise to pay for some or all of your trip. Please contact us directly so that we can provide you with support for your fundraising efforts.

A few final notes:

• Participants are responsible for all airfare, passport & visa fees, required immunizations, anti-malarial medication, trip interruption/cancellation insurance, as well as food & spending money in Tanzania.
• Shared accommodation rates are dependent upon our ability to identify roommates.
• The 2-BR apartment requires a full month’s payment regardless of whether or not it is booked for fewer weeks.
• The required minimum stay is two weeks. If you plan on staying only 2 weeks, you will be expected to come for the final 2 weeks of July from 7/18 – 7/31.
• Optional excursions are subject to minimum participation.
• An end-of-term school fundraising performance is expected to occur on 7/30.
• Participants assume all risks and liability associated with travel, and will be expected to abide by rules and regulations published by Epic Change.
• Be flexible. While you may specify your preference of volunteer activities, your assistance may be required on many tasks, including but not limited to the list above.
• Each participant will be required to contribute at least 1 blog entry per week throughout his/her stay in Tanzania.

If you’d like to participate, download and complete the trip application and submit it by 4/1/2010. Questions? Contact Avi Kaplan at avi@epicchange.org or at 202-495-1464. To confirm your trip, an application and a $500 non-refundable deposit is required by 4/1/10. You can make this payment online or by check.

We hope you’re as excited as we are. Mama Lucy and nearly 400 smiling children just can’t wait to see you!

Posted: February 16th, 2010 under The Foundry.
Comments: none

This post is by Epic Change Co-Founder, Sanjay Patel.

On January 20th, the Silicon Valley Tweetup held it’s first event of 2010 for Shepherds Jr. School in support of the Twitterkids of Tanzania. Over 200 people braved the rainy weather to gather in the heart of Silicon Valley, and I had the great pleasure of attending this fun event. In addition to meeting an incredible group of individuals, over $2,300 was raised to support Mama Lucy’s efforts!

All of the funds raised will go toward a much-needed orphanage/boarding facility at the school. The total estimated cost of the facility is USD $50,000 which will accommodate approximately 50 children. Every $1,000 raised will ensure that one more child has a warm, safe place to call home, with a loving Mama from their community to make nutritious meals and tuck them in at night.

I was just amazed by the turnout and felt great pride knowing that such a large number of people support Epic Change and Shepherds Jr. School, a primary school many thousands of miles away in Tanzania. I want to thank Michael Brito for organizing this incredible event and for personally inviting me to attend.

Here’s what Michael had to say about the event.

I’m humbled. I’m humbled because the people of Silicon Valley stepped up big time. The fact that we raised over $2,300 for an awesome cause justifies every stressful moment we had planning this event. And for this reason, we will continue with these tweetups and make an even stronger effort to support local & global organizations.

You can read more of Michael’s reflections on the Silicon Valley Tweetup Blog, view event photos here, or click below to see video from the event.

Posted: February 15th, 2010 under The Foundry.
Comments: 1