Hello Friends! I will be posting more soon as I prepare for my departure as a Jesuit Volunteer but for the meantime here is some information about the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, the school I'll be working with, and the importance of my fundraising efforts in the broader picture of the program. Please read below and check out my fundraising page here: Send Me To Serve--Ryan Knott
A Brief History of JVC
The seeds of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps were planted in 1956 when Fr. Jack Morris, S.J., and the
Sisters of Saint Ann formed a partnership to open the Copper Valley School for Native Alaskan
children. A small group of college students began serving the native people at this school,
forming the first JV community. Five decades later, more than 13,000 Jesuit volunteers have
served tens of thousands of individuals and families at hundreds of sites around the world.
They’ve worked tirelessly for social justice, while exploring their spirituality and faith through a
framework of Catholic, Ignatian values. In 2009, four regional Jesuit Volunteer Corps offices
and Jesuit Volunteers International united to form JVC. Bringing together groups with shared
history, values, and mission, this merger gives us additional resources and capacity.
Domestically, Jesuit Volunteers serve full-time for one or two years in non-profit organizations and schools, working in direct service, advocacy, and community organizing. There are currently 325 Jesuit Volunteers living and working in 39 cities in the United States and there are 50 Jesuit Volunteers serving in six nations: Belize, Chile, Micronesia, Nicaragua, Peru, and Tanzania.
Internationally, JVC responds to requests from works of the Society of Jesus, the local Church, and other organizations seeking to alleviate poverty. Jesuit Volunteers are sent to live, work, and learn with and among poor people as teachers, social workers, and pastoral ministers.
Domestically, Jesuit Volunteers serve full-time for one or two years in non-profit organizations and schools, working in direct service, advocacy, and community organizing. There are currently 325 Jesuit Volunteers living and working in 39 cities in the United States and there are 50 Jesuit Volunteers serving in six nations: Belize, Chile, Micronesia, Nicaragua, Peru, and Tanzania.
Internationally, JVC responds to requests from works of the Society of Jesus, the local Church, and other organizations seeking to alleviate poverty. Jesuit Volunteers are sent to live, work, and learn with and among poor people as teachers, social workers, and pastoral ministers.
St Peter Claver High School--Dodoma, Tanzania
School Motto: to learn, to love, to serve.
Our school is meant to develop young men and women to become leaders in every aspect of life in Tanzania (government, business, education, religion, etc.). As a Catholic schoolsponsored by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), we also consider it our duty to form young men and women to be “beholders of God’s grace,” to see how God’s love is active in the world — and to respond to the divine love in service to God and service to humanity.
Fundraising for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps
“Fundraising is proclaiming what we believe in such a way that we offer other people an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission.”
—Henri Nouwen
The Spirituality of Fundraising
In order to run the JVC program this upcoming year, JVC needs $4.1 million.
WHY?
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1) It makes volunteers' experience possible; flights, training, housing, food, etc
- 2) It allows domestic agencies to save somewhere around $20,000 a year, since volunteers work for a fraction of what would be paid to a regular, salaried employee. International agencies save even more.
- 3) Do the math. With about 260 domestic placements a year and 50 international
- placements, JVC saves local non-profits and schools over $6 million dollars EACH year.
This means that agencies are able to spend more money helping the people they serve.
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● Society of Jesus: $170,000
- ● Assessment fees and health insurance, paid
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by agencies: $2.33 million
- ● Parishes, foundations, volunteer fundraising
- through Send Me To Serve, and individual gifts: $1.58 million
What does that money actually pay for?
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Each Jesuit Volunteer is supported by staff members who journey with each community throughout the year; provide support, advice, and encouragement; and work with our partner agencies. JVC also has staff members dedicated to recruiting, website management, fundraising, FJV relations, finance, and
administration. Together, the entire JVC staff works to support our agencies and
volunteers and ultimately support those that these agencies and volunteers serve. The
staff needs salaries and benefits, which costs $1.85 million.
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We spend another $1.73 million on volunteer support. This includes providing retreats,
visiting each of you in community twice during the year, and administering your health
insurance and FJV programs.
- Another $100,000 is needed for things like sending recruiters to college campuses, developing marketing materials, maintaining the website, and printing applications and magazines.
- Finally, $370,000 is spent on running our office. Rent, computers, photocopies, phones, fundraising efforts, etc. can become costly.
peace & love,
-Ryan-
