FAQ :: Changes in The Sound of Hope

If you missed our blog yesterday about The Sound of Hope, please check it out!
In it we shared our BIG NEWS about the fact that we are taking the Sound of Hope ‘campaign’ and turning it into our own non-profit! Below, we address some of the Frequently Asked Questions about these changes. We hope this information helps you better understand the coming changes!

Frequently Asked Questions ::

(1) Are you (Ericka) still working for AIM?
Yes and no. Yes, I
am still raising support through AIM, and they are allowing me to
continue doing that through the end of the year (2010) so that I can
focus 100% on starting The Sound of Hope well. While I won’t have ‘responsibilities’ at AIM during that time, I will still be
fulfilling the reason I came on staff – to raise money for their
orphan work in Swaziland and Kenya. The money we raise through The
Sound of Hope will be split between multiple orphanages/children’s
programs worldwide. The money for Swaziland and Kenya will be sent back
through AIM to support the orphans they are working with.

(2) Is Rusty still working for AIM?
YES!
Nothing has changed for Rusty. He will still be working for AIM and The
World Race. He will still be support raised and has no plans of leaving
AIM at the end of the year.

(3) Do you still need my financial support?
YES!
We ABSOLUTELY still need your financial support! Our support accounts
are joined into one, so even after I ‘leave’ AIM in 2011, Rusty will
still be working there and drawing a check from them. At that time he
will be the main ‘breadwinner’ in our home, so we definitely still
need your financial support! You can give HERE.

(4) Will anything change with my financial support?
No.
As I said above – our accounts are already joined. We will both draw
checks through the end of the year, then Rusty will continue to draw
checks after that. You don’t need to do anything different – the money
will get to us just the same 🙂

(5) Can I still donate to The Sound of Hope through AIM?
No. If you would like to donate to The Sound of Hope, you can write a check (to: The Sound of Hope) and mail it to 3130 Range Road, Port Huron, MI 48060. If you want the money to go to our start up costs/admin needs, then write ADMIN in the memo. Otherwise it will go into our HOPE fund (which cares for children in Swaziland, Kenya, & India). After we have our non-profit status and website up, I will let you know where to make future donations.

(6) What will be different about The Sound of Hope when it becomes a non-profit?

#1– We will have our own website, and brand new brochures, posters, and other print media.
#2– You will
be able to write checks directly to The Sound of Hope instead of to AIM
(which has been confusing for many people.)
#3– Instead of 15% of
your donations going to AIM’s Development Fund (which supports multiple projects), the admin fees will go to
directly support our orphan work (fundraising, travel, staff, etc).
#4–
As a smaller organization, we can have smaller admin fees. As our
fundraising levels increase, we plan to make our admin fee smaller and smaller, so that the most amount of money possible gets to the children.
We are starting with a 20% admin fee, with the goal of running with a 10% admin fee or LESS. We will re-evaluate our books/budget every year and reduce our fee by the largest percentage possible!
#5– The Sound of Hope as a stand alone non-profit will make our
advertising much better. Often people get confused with so many
programs/names at AIM (Adventures in Missions, The World Race, Real Life, Ambassador, The Sound
of Hope, The Nsoko Fund, etc etc). As a non-profit we will have a
stronger brand which will make our advertising more effective (which
means more people will get involved and donate!)
#6– We will have full control over
The Sound of Hope. AIM is wonderful, but sometimes working in a large
organization it can take longer to get things done (because of needing
approval, working with multiple departments, etc). This way we have full control and can make decisions
quickly and work efficiently.
#7– It will become a secular-friendly
campaign.

(7) The Sound of Hope is going to be secular? Why?
We
are Christians, and the orphanages/programs we work with overseas are Christian
orphanages. However, many people who have a heart for orphans are not
necessarily Christians. There are many religious organizations out
there who raise funds/awareness for orphans, but few that are
secular. We believe God wants to use EVERY resource available to take
care of His kids. Making our non-profit secular-friendly means there
won’t be any religious lines restricting our fundraising efforts, which
of course means more money for the children!

(8) Does that mean The Sound of Hope can’t come to my church?
No
way! We will definitely be coming to churches, campus ministries, and
working with Christian organizations to raise funds… we just won’t
have to ONLY work with them. This way, we can ALSO work with college
groups, high schools, clubs, and individuals who are not tied to religious groups.

(9) Can I sponsor a child through The Sound of Hope?
No. The Sound of Hope is not a child-sponsorship program, which is one reason we believe so strongly in it – because it offers something NEW and DIFFERENT. We LOVE child-sponsorship programs, and we actually sponsor several children through them. The problem is, there are PLENTY of child sponsorship programs out there. (Compassion International, Children’s Hopechest, and Sixty-1 just to name a few).

There are many people who have a heart for orphans though, who can’t commit to a sponsorship of $30-$50 dollars a month. A lot of these are young people – specifically teens and 20 somethings. We want to make The Sound of Hope an opportunity for them to give what they are able to give, as often as they’d like, without a required monthly commitment. The opportunities to give will be varied. You can give a one-time donation, buy merchandise, host a benefit show, or even take part in an event to give back, like a yard sale, art sale, or carwash for example. We want our non-profit to be a grassroots movement that EMPOWERS people of all ages to get creative and give back however they can!

(10) How long are you planning to run The Sound of Hope?
FOREVER! Okay…well until God tells us differently! That’s one of the big reasons we are doing this. We know this is a call God has placed on our hearts forever. With The Sound of Hope as our own non-profit, we can take it with us wherever we go and continue to raise funds for orphans for many years into the future. It’s exciting to know we are building something that will last!

(11) How can I help?
GREAT question! Right now, you can PRAY for our requests at the bottom of yesterday’s blog. The next few months will be a time of intense research, planning, and applying with the state. After that we’ll start working to incorporate our 501c3 and to get approval from the IRS for our tax-deductible status. (a very challenging and time consuming process.)

You can GIVE to support us during this time HERE, or give at anytime to help us with start up costs (contact us if you are interested in specifically giving to that!)

Once all the preparation is done and our website is up, there will be a TON of ways you can be a part of this! So if you have a heart for orphans, PLEASE stay in touch. We would love for you to be involved!

Do
you have more questions? If so, please comment below or Contact Me
about it. We’d be glad to answer your questions and explain anything
that is hard to understand!