The war in Syria – now in its 5th year – has unleashed the worst humanitarian crisis of our time, leaving millions of innocent citizens homeless and vulnerable.
According to the UNHCR, over 15,000 Syrian refugees have found refuge in Armenia since the start of the Syrian war in 2011. Silver lining -- due to Armenia’s urban infrastructure, Syrian refugees in Armenia are urban refugees and not living in tent cities.
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#RootsForRefugees builds on best practices and is a continuation
of UNHCR’s rent subsidy program that started in 2014 in Armenia, which benefited
hundreds of families. Our partnership was launched in February 2015 in Yerevan
through the same operating partner UNHCR utilized: Mission Armenia NGO.
Impact
Our aim is to augment the absorptive capacity in Armenia to
benefit newly arriving refugees, and other vulnerable families who have taken
refuge in Armenia. The campaign will allow vulnerable refugees to have a safe
sanctuary to raise children. It also provides a safe place to start the
long overdue healing from the traumas of war.
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We firmly believe that investments in rent subsidies for
children & families is a sustainable approach in the long-run; even
though it will require continued charitable giving by private donors and its
International partners until these families make adjustments in their lives.
How it
Works
Your charitable donation (minus the
Indiegogo processing fees) will directly go into funding the rent of refugee
families.
For planning purposes we have calculated
that rent subsidies will cost $200 per month, per household on average. That is
about $6.6/day.
Subsidy rates will fluctuate, as
certain households will receive certain rent subsidies based on their immediate
family circumstances and according to intake criteria set up by our partner
Oxfam in the field. It is also important
to note that $220,000 was raised offline at the beginning of the year from a
combination of grants from Oxfam, Syrian Armenian Relief Fund and various small
family foundations. The #RootsForRefugees campaign goal of $30,000 will
complete the collective commitment of $250,000 made with our partners for
Syria’s refugees in Armenia in 2015. That said, donations raised in this online
campaign are being leveraged 1:7 (if we consider the $220,000 that were raised
already). This also means that the program is already operational and we’re 99
% sure it will happen in 2015!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are you a non-profit? Can I
write-off my contribution with my taxes?
Yes, ANMF Inc. [one of
the backers of ArmenianRedwoodProject] is registered as a public 501(c) (3)
nonprofit. Contributions to ANMF Inc. are tax-deductible to the extent
permitted by law.
If you are a US tax-payer looking to make a tax deductible donation of $75 or more and you are receiving a gift, this will constitute a quid pro quo contribution. We have estimated that the value of each of our gifts will constitute 20% of the value of your donation. Per IRS guidelines, a charitable organization must provide a written disclosure to
donors of a quid pro quo contribution in excess of $75 during its solicitation. A quid pro quo contribution
is a payment made to a charity by a donor partly as a contribution and
partly for goods or services provided to the donor by the charity.
How can I get a tax deductible
receipt?
When you contribute,
you will receive an email from FirstGiving (Indiegogo’s nonprofit payments
processor) confirming your contribution. This email receipt can be used
for tax deductible purposes.
How will the funds be used?
Our approximate
cost breakdown is as follows. Note: the costs below do not account for all
our staff costs as those have been already funded. The costs below are to the
best of our knowledge given our experience to-date. Affordable housing subsidy economics are not always as simple as this chart makes it seem, but you get the idea.
Where are Syrian Refugees renting houses?
Unlike
large refugee "tent cities" in other host countries, Yerevan the
capital of Armenia has hosted the majority of Syria. There are some
refugees that are choosing to live in other cities in Armenia as well.
The program does not put any constraints on the beneficiaries. And since
most Syrian refugees in Armenia are choosing to live in urban settings,
they are finding rental units that are suitable to their particular
conditions (i.e. work, school, budget, household size and public
transport).
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If major development organizations are already supporting you, why should
I help? To date,
we’ve been privileged to have the support of many generous individuals and
foundations. We have also partnered with Oxfam in Armenia and agreed to match
part of the cost of the rent subsidy program to Syrian refugees in
Armenia.
Our offline
capital campaign in the last 6 months has allowed us to jump start the program
starting February 2015. To finish our commitment for the 2015 rent subsidy
program, we need to raise the last $30,000 from friends & community
members.
What happens when we surpass our goal of $30,000?
Beyond the
$30,000 mark, all donations, regardless of the amount, will help further our
mission and allow us to reach more refugees. And because all gifts are matched
by our existing donors and partners, your support is leveraged for greater
impact.
While we have a goal for the 2015
program of $30,000, almost half of this year has already elapsed, and
while we have already launched the program in early February 2015 (i.e
families are already benefiting) we are thinking about 2016 which is
approaching quickly.
In
the case of a pleasant surprise, where our fundraising goal is
stretched beyond the $50,000 mark, we will also consider allocating the
extra funds to extend the program into the 2016 calendar year.
Please note that even
if (somewhat miraculously) a meaningful political settlement and ceasefire inside Syria are
achieved, Syrian refugees are likely to remain where they are for many
years; the crisis therefore requires long-term planning on the part of
refugee host governments in collaboration with global civil society and
multinational institutions.
Can I donate from
outside the USA?
Absolutely! Indiegogo
only accepts international credit cards, not bank or debit cards. Unfortunately
we can’t accept PayPal, so the way to donate internationally is with a credit
card.
Can I send in a donation via check/Money order ?
Yes, you can mail your donation to the following :
Make checks out to: ANMF Inc.
Address: 12400 Ventura Boulevard # 261, Studio City, CA 91604
Large Contributions -
How can I make a contribution over $10,000?
The nonprofit payment
processor (FirstGiving) that is handling the transactions for this campaign is
able to accept direct wire transfers for contributions of $10,000 or more. If
you are interested in making a large contribution through a wire transfer to
FirstGiving, please contact us at armenianredwoodproject@gmail.com. We’ll
connect you with a specialist at Indiegogo who will assist you with the
contribution transfer process.
I have more questions.
Who do I ask?
Please use the contact form to ask your question. We’ll get back to
you as soon as we can.
_____________________________________________________________________
For your contribution:
Artist Ashot Harutyunuan
Cavalier At Work Oil on canvas, 47" x 47" (2013)
Artist Ashot Harutyunuan
The City Oil on Canvas, 35" X 27" (2010)
Artist Zadik Zadikian
Mariam and Jesus 16" x 20" LE silk-screen print
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Other
Ways You Can Help
- If you cannot
donate, please spread the word. Share this link inviting friends to
join our campaign. Let friends know it's
worthwhile supporting #RootsForRefugees
- Use the
Indiegogo share tools, and send this out to everyone you know, via
Facebook, Twitter, and email. Let's go viral!
- Use the hashtag #RootsForRefugees
- If you read this far, thank you for caring!