Bellows Incubator Services To Small Education and Civic Engagement Groups
Part of The Bellows Foundation mission is to be an incubator for education and civic engagement groups that are trying to move up to a higher level of activity.
The Bellows Foundation is developing this service for small organizations that wish to outsource one of more non-operational services such as certain aspects of administration, legal, and marketing, thereby freeing up their small staffs to concentrate more on their operational activities. In turn, field practicums can be arranged with such groups, allowing Bellows students to gain a familiarity with grass-roots efforts in practicum education, civic engagement and other activities that broaden student perspective and connect classroom theory to applications and practice in real world learning environments.
Bellows involvement in supporting education and civic engagement groups include:
STEP: Student Expedition Program
Bellows is assisting STEP: Student Expedition Program, a Tucson, Arizona-based 501(c)3, which brings STEP’s Alaska Leadership Expedition, involving kayaking treks, to talented, low-income high school students to prepare them for pursuing a college education all the way through to graduation. STEP was $10,400 short in their goal to cover their airfare budget for upcoming treks. Bellows provided $5,000 of matching funds to help close the gap and offered time-tested Bellows-designed marketing materials, as well as carrying out a mailing to promote the fund-raising campaign. The Bellows offices are within STEP’s fund-raising campaign area, and, accordingly, a free biplane ride was offered to any donor who provided $1,000 or more. The biplane is owned by the founder of The Bellows Foundation.
Asociacion de Promotoras de Nogales (APN)
The Bellows Foundation is assisting Asociacion de Promotoras de Nogales (APN), a Nogales, Arizona-based, bi-national, 501(c)3 non-profit, whose mission is to support and promote the well-being of families and individuals in the Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora communities. Through a variety of educational and preventive programs, this organization is addressing economic, health and social issues faced by residents of this bi-national community.
Constructing Circles of Peace (CCP)
The Bellows Foundation is assisting CCP, a Nogales, Arizona-based non-profit, whose mission is to provide services in domestic abuse situations, using the principles ofrestorative justice , namely, an emphasis on bringing the family and community together to heal dysfunctionalities that are caused by violent behavior. CCP is at the center of an important research project sponsored by New York University.
KPUP: Patagonia Community Radio
Some time ago, The Bellows Foundation provided $5,000 of matching funds, as well as designing and carrying out a mailing campaign to raise money forKPUP: Patagonia Community Radio , to help close a time-sensitive gap in their fund-raising efforts. Because Bellows was within KPUP’s fund-raising campaign area, a free biplane ride was offered to any donor who provided $2,500 or more. Subsequently, KPUP closed the gap, including one donation of $2,500.
The Arizona/Sonora Renaissance Group:
The Bellows Foundation has assisted in the formation of The Arizona/Sonora Renaissance Group to rejuvenate and reinforce a shared vision and set of values, and to help develop the future economic prospects of the bi-national Arizona/Sonora region.
Katrina Response:
The Bellows 14-passenger van was driven from Patagonia, Arizona to Baton Rouge, Louisiana several days after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf states to provide transportation to evacuees traveling to Red Cross evacuation shelters in Texas (click on “Project Fundings of The Bellows Foundation”).