Creative Cost-Cutting: One of the Many Ways Coptic Orphans Keeps Overhead Low

At Coptic Orphans our goal is to have the children reap the largest benefit from each donation. Below are some of the creative ways we have saved on administrative costs to ensure that every dollar is used for maximum impact, including donated goods and services.

You can support our efforts by donating one or more of our most urgently needed items.

In the office

• We maintain a wish list for needed items to be donated by individuals or companies.
• We use scrap paper to print all internal documents.
• We acquired much of our office furniture from donations, including: 8 desks, 1 conference table, 3 file cabinets, 2 sofas, 3 bookshelves, 7 desk chairs, 13 office chairs, 2 printer stands and two computers.
• Prrinted materials (newsletters, business cards, brochures and miscellaneous material) have often been donated by Infinity Print.
• We have used donated services to produce annual financial audits.
• We purchase heavily discounted software and office supplies
• We reduce costs by utilizing available free technology, such as instant messenger, and dyndns software
• Technology enables us to call between the Egypt and US offices as local calls.

Travel

• We use organizational and personal frequent flyer miles for travel.
• Our accommodations in the US are graciously provided by supporters
• Our accommodations/meals in Egypt are graciously provided by staff, board members and Bishops
• Our gas/transportation costs are paid by staff
• We use personal vehicles without reimbursement.

Donated Services

• Non Profit Management Consultation: consultation utilized the balanced scorecard for non profit management
• Board Governance Consultation: facilitated by Brad Sterl and Co
• Legal Services: memorandums of understanding between the main office and its branches, review of by-laws and articles of incorporation, employee contracts
• Direct Social Services: Egypt Representatives to the children
• Data Entry: volunteers
• Computer maintenance and network setup
• Professional photography capturing the children in Egypt
• Shipping: Correspondence to and from Egypt is hand carried by our supporters.
• Clothing: donations to the children in form of clothing and toys are hand carried by the donor or by staff by utilizing the extra baggage letter.
• Video transfer services: Vulcan Media has transferred the Channel 9 Interview and thr Plight of the Orphans video from VHS to .mov. They also edited a Valuable Girl video for the Gala, a Server to Learn instructional video, and a new general Coptic Orphans video.

Events

• Location: the 2002 (Austrian Embassy) and 2004 (Cannon-Caucus Room) Gala location were donated.
• Printed Material: the 2002 Gala materials were donated by Infinity Print.
• All events are staffed by volunteers.
• All items needed for these events are donated by staff, donors and organizations.

 

You can support our efforts by donating one or more of our most urgently needed items.