Summary of YPFP’s Tools of the Trade: Starting and Running Foreign Policy Organizations

September 22, 2010
By Debie Waggoner

Panel: Olivier Kamanda-Founder of Foreign Policy Digest
David Burd-Co-Founder of Earth Aid
Saul Garlick-Founder of ThinkImpact

The discussion centered around how these three young men took their ideas and/or their friends’ ideas, developed them, and created organizations that have flourished. As moderator, Joshua Marcuse mentioned in his introduction segment: in addition to hearing why and how to start an FP organization, you will hear why you should not.
Kamanda’s advice: There is a risk whenever you put ideas out there that are not fully formulated-make sure you are willing to take that risk and to formulate your ideas as much as possible. Two types of people end up reading FPD: those who are already aware of and interested in FP issues and those who come across it almost by accident and realize that they are somehow connected to these issues/topics. Focus on empowering people-give them information that will help them understand what is happening and make decisions on what to support and what not to support. Pay attention to the people you are serving (your audience) and the people you have working for you. Manage relationships. Put your thoughts on paper and continually revise your ideas. Figure out what you can handle and what you will need others to handle. Understand the legal status of your organization and marketing. And, he said, the biggest thing he did not realize he was neglecting when he started out: MONEY. Volunteers are great, but a lot more accountability comes into play when people are receiving a pay check.
And, identify what you are not willing to compromise on. And don’t be afraid to approach “big names”. FPD got the CEO of Google to make a promotional statement for FPD. It never hurts to ask.
Favorite quote: “When you ask for money, you get advice. When you ask for advice, you get money.”

Burd: Earth Aid is an online tool that provides incentives and rewards for each family to make their home more energy efficient. Biggest hurdle-getting the message out. You need to get the media’s attention (and not in a Paris Hilton sort of way). Use the partnerships that you build along the way and be sure to cater to people’s self-interest. If you can find a way to meet the desires of people, whether it’s those who want to be involved in making the world a better place or those wanting to make a buck, know how you can cater to those interests. The best part about being a young person running a young organization is that you are more open to new ideas. Older orgs tend to stop doing that-the power of inertia is a strong force and a lot of orgs get stuck in the rut. Be open to new ideas and yet be careful that you stay close to your vision. People will invest in you more than your idea-so be articulate and know your business model.

Garlick: Sometimes starting something just takes doing it. At some point, I just said, F*** it. I’m doing this! There is room out there for new ideas. A lot of young people in America do not have a cause, but we know that we cannot ignore the rest of the world. When I was in South Africa, I realized schools were needed. I raised $10,000 for a new school; then, I went back a few years later and discovered it was in disrepair. I realized I couldn’t just build a school and figure I had helped the world; I got more involved. I lived in the rural villages in South Africa and I started seeing that in a village of 3,000 with a 30% HIV/AIDS rate, there were funerals every week. I saw teachers neglecting the schools that were built and instead of teaching, they were sitting outside drinking tea all day. I saw women marginalized and knew that when that happened, her family was going to suffer because we all know that women give back to their families more than men.

Garlick began taking college students to South Africa to live in these villages, then create a solid plan for development, and then assists them with implementation.

So: have a vision and refer to it every day. It may be grand, but don’t forget the really small things that could make a big difference. Be Fearless-you will screw up. You will fail, sometimes every day for a while. Be Determined.
Ignorance hindered me. Listen to people around you. If you aren’t listening, you may do more harm than good.
For those just starting out: Raise money first. Before you create a website. Go in with nothing but your ideas and strategies-you don’t need a fancy powerpoint. Spend a year raising money, it will save you seven. When you are struggling with raising $2,000 a month to cover expenses, and suddenly that number jumps to $20,000 a month, you have to be ready for that.

For more on each organization:

http://www.foreignpolicydigest.org/

http://www.thinkimpact.org/

http://www.earthaid.net

http://www.ypfp.org/