Project Ahimsa - Part of Patel Foundation for Global Understanding

Mission: Project Ahimsa is a global effort to empower youth through music. What is Project Ahimsa? Inspired by the non-violence practices of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama, Project Ahimsa believes that music is another path to non-violence. Music is one of the life-changing outlets for self-expression and creativity while also offering an escape from gangs, domestic violence, self-doubt and depression. How do you raise your funds? For Project Ahimsa, fundraising is a community based effort involving the financial contributions of a broad range of supporters in addition to innovative approaches to event hosting (sponsorship generation, minimizing expenses, and maximized volunteer participation). What percent of funds go to charity? 100% of all donations made to Project Ahimsa are reinvested into community based music education programs and initiatives. Additionally, 90% of revenues raised through strategic initiatives such as events or music sales also support new and existing music education around the world. Most operating costs are covered by annual dues paid by Project Ahimsa's founders and board of directors. What has your organization accomplished? Since 2001, Project Ahimsa has provided seventy grants for award-winning youth music education programs around the world. These Grants have impacted over 10,000 children in eleven countries and twenty three cities. What is your biggest challenge? For Project Ahimsa, the central challenge is raising enough funds to support all the quality programs we locate throughout a year. Presently, we are working to develop funding streams to support more programs. What do you want people to do to support the organization? While there are numerous ways to support Project Ahimsa, charitable contributions are the most effective way to join our efforts. How was the organization founded? Project Ahimsa was founded in 2001 for the purpose of raising money and awareness in support of cross cultural understanding. In the year to follow, our mission of Empowering Youth Through Music Education emerged through recognition of shared values and interests among our board and their communities (professional and personal). Why music education? Music is a universal language allowing individuals and societies to communicate across culture, religion, race, gender, and geography. Moreover, the process of music education involves central elements of empowerment (mentoring relationships, discipline and practice, confidence in performance, and creativity). Who are your board members? Project Ahimsa's Board are business and community leaders representative of a broad range of industries such as non-profit, entertainment, marketing, and music. Can I visit one of your programs? Yes, Project Ahimsa encourages our supporters to visit our programs. In addition to building community awareness of our global programs and efforts, site visits by supporters offer new information and media central to programming innovation. How can I volunteer? Volunteer opportunities exist in the production and promotion of outreach activities such as events and programming initiatives (note: labor needs vary from general work required to set-up/breakdown events to more specialized activities involving design and communications/reporting or evaluation). To learn more about these opportunities contact james@projectahimsa.org.