I am delighted to share the news that the IRS has approved Yo Ghana! as a 501(c)(3) organization! This has two major implications: 1) Those who donate to us can deduct that donation from their taxes; 2) We have much more legitimacy than before.
That said, several of our board members have already been warning me not to lose sight of the importance of accounting for every penny of what is donated to us, even as those pennies start becoming a bit easier to come by. We shall continue to be an all-volunteer organization, with our funds going to facilitate both connections between schools in Ghana and the Pacific Northwest and to strengthen the educational prospects of Ghanaian students.
It is always tempting to try to solve problems by "throwing money" at them, and this is especially so in Africa, where needs can seem overwhelming and local resources meager. But more and more informed people are arguing that the best development incorporates local ideas, labor, materials, and money. Hence Yo Ghana! will seldom, if ever, simply fund 100% of a given project or scholarship. We will expect our local partners--schools as well as students--to continue to blend our resources with their own. In fact many Ghanaians tell me that the best thing Yo Ghana! can accomplish in a given school or community is to encourage local initiative--which is often the exact opposite of what a big wad of cash from an outside NGO does.
And, by the way, if you are interested in contributing to an organization that is trying to help in a way that respects local initiative, there is a Paypal button on our website: http://www.yoghana.org/. I promise that we'll do our best to make sure that your gift is used not only with good intentions, but with good results. Not only that, but your gift is--and I have the pleasure of at last being able to say this with certitude--tax deductible.
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