AMIGOS is a non-profit organization entirely funded by contributions from  individuals, corporations and civic groups in the greater Houston area.  This funding is used to to support chapter operations and for scholarships for volunteers who cannot afford the full cost of the program. The Houston Chapter would like to thank our generous supporters who make our work possible!

 

AMIGOS Volunteers  also participate in fundraising to cover a portion of the cost of this program. The funds that are raised go to cover the cost of the training program, domestic and international airfare, safety, in-country transportation, project materials, and program project staff in country.

 

In the Houston Chapter, many different methods of fundraising have been tried over the years.  We have found that the current fund raising strategies offer the organization the most return for the effort expended.  The Houston Chapter  funds its activities through the following activites:

 

Letter Writing Campaign
The Letter Writing Campaign is the main source of AMIGOS' fund raising and we need the participation of everyone to make it a success. Each volunteer is asked to write and submit to the AMIGOS office 125 letters soliciting funds for the organization. We encourage volunteers with a large number of contacts to send more than the 125 required letters.

Last year the effort produced over $100,000. It is only by covering a broad audience that we can hope to reach our goal. Family friends, church groups, and professional offices (doctors, dentists, accountants, etc.) are some of the ways to gather 125 names.

Donors may contribute online through our Donations link or by check.
 

If you need help arriving at 125 names, help is available. Ask a trainer to pair you with a mentor who can assist in coming up with a list of potential contributors.

 

Individual Web Pages

Interested volunteers are invited to design their own fundraising web page to solicit contributions from friends, family, and anyone else who would be interested in supporting the volunteer. The web pages are supported by Razoo.org and volunteers can update their web pages as often as they like to keep their supporters informed about the volunteer’s AMIGOS experience. Volunteers can add photos, video clips, text, and the amounts of any offline donations received through the Letter Writing Campaign. Volunteers may link the web page to their social media accounts.

Participation Fee
The fees paid by each family offset part of the costs for the volunteer experience. They also represent a personal investment in the goals and long-term benefits of the organization.

 

Houston Business Ambassadors Program

The Houston Business Ambassadors Program raises funds from the Houston business community, while raising awareness of AMIGOS. 2012 HBA volunteers worked with MBA students from Rice University to prepare team presentations to business groups to explain the AMIGOS program and solicit financial support. 2013 HBA volunteers worked with Rice MBA students to prepare fundraising letters to send to the business community. The HBA volunteers will also participate in a workshop in February 2013 to prepare team business plans for fundraising in the spring semester, with coaching from Rice MBA students. 

A select number of volunteers are chosen to participate in the HBA program. Financial aid recipients are required to participate in the HBA Program.

 

Grocery Cards
Randalls offers the opportunity to have a percentage of your grocery expenditures returned to a non-profit organization of your choice.  The AMIGOS organization number for Randalls is 1447.