Challenges Spring 2009

Team Leader: Nicole Ceci

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Design Spring 2009 Challenges

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• Update the top level wiki pages to reflect the current state of the project.
• Coordinate translation to Spanish with Leopoldo Rodr�guez Rodriguez (mailto: leoaryroar@hotmail.com)

Challenges

Fundraising

Overview: In the Spring 2008 the Outreach team worked to make contacts to develop relationships for future funding and potential partners. The Fall 2008 Team took the opposite approach and devoted much effort toward applying for grants and creating the materials that would make it easier. The next Outreach Team needs to go back and reach out to the contacts made last spring through presentations, newsletters, and any other applicable means you feel would be effective. In the future we hope that communities will be able to outright buy an AguaClara plant based on their affordability. Until that day comes we rely on grants and donations to see us through. It has also been proposed that microfinance partnerships could benefit us, although it seems that it would be a direction that needs to be well research and thoroughly planned before implementation could occur. (See Business Team below).

Specific Fundraising challenges:

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1. Plan events to present to Alumni (Reunion, Cornell Clubs?)
2. Apply to some grantsfor some grants: search for foundations that share our goals and then contact them to discuss the possibility of gaining their support
3. Write an update to thank donors who supported the Cuatro Comunidades plant when the plant comes online (expected mid February)
4. Raise funds for Agalteca plant in coordination with the team in Honduras

Publicity

Overview: Publicity Awareness
Overview: Awareness ties in with both our fundraising and recruitment efforts. Our current awareness initiatives include the conferences we attend, the fliers, brochures, and posters we create, and the presentations we give. Awareness challenges include those that we already do, but a few new ones have been suggested.

Specific Publicity Challenges:

1. Update brochure about the project and keep a constant supply in rack next to the engineering admissions office.
2. Work with Anne Ju (Cornell Chronicle writer) to create new stories on the AguaClara project
3. Write a blurb and submit it for inclusion in the Water Advocates listserve
4. Follow up with and maintain contact with organizations and contacts from both D.C. trips in Spring 2008
5. Write an update to thank donors who supported the Cuatro Comunidades plant
6. Raise funds for Agalteca plant
7. Continue with AguaClara newsletter using the Google Group on an every 3 month schedule
   1. Update AguaClara Alumni to include grads from last semester
   2. In the future ask students if they wish to be on the list serve for the newsletter.
8. Finish the Demo Plant Instructions Manual, laminate for the suitcase, and make available on the wiki
9. ESW Conference scheduled for Fall 2009, keep an eye out for any new deadlines or correspondancecorrespondence
10. Lesson plan for local schools present about Honduras/water/aguaclara AguaClara at local schools
11. Organize trips/events for people to presentteam members to publicize the project

Recruitment

Overview: Recruitment initiatives continue to be based on Presentations to freshmen's Intro 1050 Classes. Other initiatives have included attempting to get CEE 255 2550 cross listed, so more non-engineering majors might enroll, but hasn't proceeded very far. Assess what is required to get students from other disciplines into the project. The goal is to recruit students interested in graphic design, communication, education, and business.

Recruitment Specific Challenges:

1. Organize ENGRG 1050 presentations, host meetings open to class to go over using the demo plant and the presentation aka training for 1050 presentations
   If you still think it's a good idea (less important than other challenges):
2. Get CEE 255 listed for interdisciplinary courses for the fall
3. Work on syllabus for interdisciplinary purposes

Business Team?

If there is interest in creating a separate business team, it could be 2-3 members. Tasks (suggested by last spring team) could include:

1. Need to decide grants/microfinance
2. Microfinance proposal with help from someone with business experience (there is interest in a revolving low interest loan to make it possible for communities to self finance the water treatment plants)
3. Better projections of global demand
4. Better generic public health statistics about the importance of water
5. Follow up on contacts made by Larry Harrington...lots of contacts so figure out a way to reach more of themLearn more about microfinance specifically towards AguaClara
6. Contact Engineering firms/Government Agencies about the potential for partnerships.
7. Follow-up with SEA and figure out a strategy that can work for both groups to keep them involved