Dear Friend,
We are writing to seek your assistance in compiling information on Bangladeshi Diaspora (Non-Resident Bangladeshi) philanthropic initiatives for a project being jointly undertaken by the Bangladesh Freedom Foundation (www.freedomfound.org) and Drishtipat (www.drishtipat.org).
Remittances from Bangladeshi migrants play a critical role in the country's economy with its contributions to the development budget estimated to be ranging from 30% to 40%. While most of the remittances are directed at the household level, a very small portion is said to be transferred in the form of individual and faith-based charity. There is also a gradual increase in the number of Non-Resident Bangladeshi (NRB) or Diaspora groups organizing and arranging for collective transfer of resources for development purposes in their home country beyond individual to individual giving. Organized Diaspora philanthropy remains largely untapped, not well documented and an area with potential for further organizing and strengthening.
To address this knowledge gap, the Bangladesh Freedom Foundation and Drishtipat are undertaking research for building a database on Diaspora philanthropic organizations and select case studies with the long term objective of increasing the flow of information, resources, knowledge, and expertise. The research is being supported in part by a grant from the Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium (www.asiapacificphilanthropy.org).
As a first step we are requesting for information on different Bangladeshi Diaspora philanthropic initiatives and organizations that you may be involved with or are aware of. We would greatly appreciate any contact information and website addresses that you can share with us and also if you could share this letter with your friends and colleagues so that we can reach a wider audience. We hope that this will help more Diaspora members to contribute to Bangladeshi causes in an informed manner.
If you know of or are a part of any organization who is engaged in philanthropic or charitable programs in Bangladesh from abroad, it would be greatly appreciated if the organization's name and contact email address/phone number/website can be emailed to sadia@drishtipat.org by September 15, 2009.
Thank you again for your time in this matter and we look forward to your continued cooperation.
Sadia Faruque
Project Coordinator
On behalf of,
Asif Saleh Safi Rahman Khan
Executive Director Executive Director
Drishtipat Bangladesh Freedom Foundation
asif.saleh@drishtipat.org ed@freedomfound.org
The Bangladesh Freedom Foundation is an independent grant making organization that supports the growth and advancement of philanthropy in Bangladesh towards freeing people from poverty, ignorance, and oppression.
Drishtipat is a non-profit, non-partisan volunteer organization committed to safeguarding human rights in Bangladesh through action-oriented projects funded by its Diaspora Bangladeshi members and implemented by its Bangladesh based partner organizations.
__._,_.___
