June 5, 2003

CHARITY GETS PRACTICAL FOR ARMENIAN DONORS

As emerging nations grow thirstier for aid and the global economy grows leaner, Armenia Fund USA provides donor-friendly gift options to help fuel assistance to the homeland.

It has been getting harder to write away money these days, as bills and payments seem to spinning a compelling case of their own. Nevertheless, the need for international aid grows stronger as global markets and political systems shift. Young nations such as Armenia and Kharbagh require more attention than ever before, as the world map seems to be up for redrafting. One particular organization, Armenia Fund USA, which focuses on ground-level infrastructure in the motherland, has taken on the challenging giving environment by launching new ways to donate, which turn charity around into an option that benefits the donor on a personal level.

Nonprofits have long been employing incentivized giving for businesses through corporate sponsorships. The era of donations that benefit individual patrons has come upon us at a time when every dollar counts, for everyone. The charge of introducing progressive programs in the Armenian non-profit realm is being led by Armenia Fund USA, which is introducing a planned giving option and an interesting program called “In Lieu”, which encourages Armenians to make a pledge to rebuilding Armenia and Karabagh instead of a traditional gift.

“In Lieu is a way for Armenians to make lasting gifts in the name of another,” says Armenia Fund USA’s Chairman, Kevork Toroyan. “At one point or another, we have all found ourselves wondering what to give for a baptism, a wedding, a birthday, or in the event of a passing. We want to give Armenians an option for commemoration or celebration with a deeper meaning and a lasting effect.”

Yet another practical method of supporting a charitable organization, which has gained popularity in the past five years, is the planned gift. As people begin to consider tax advantages and financial planning on a long-range basis, the establishment of trusts or bequests becomes a viable method for making a contribution that directly benefits one’s financial position.

“We have to start thinking about offering our constituency more dynamic avenues for making charitable gifts,” commented Dany Beylerian, acting executive director of the Fund. “We all have Armenia and Karabagh in our hearts, but that may not always be enough to spur aid. We are committed to building a sustainable future for the motherland, and we want to involve the Diaspora in a way that makes them feel like investors as well as benefactors.”

As Armenians, we have many vibrant and crucial non-profits building, advising, and supporting Armenia as it establishes itself as a functioning democracy and secures a stable economy. The truth is that the success of Armenia’s future as a sustainable nation is dependent on the Diaspora’s ability to give, nurture and protect. Armenia Fund USA is one of the charitable organizations that has taken stock of the current giving environment and the burgeoning needs of the homeland to come up with proven and innovative options for supporting social welfare and sustainable infrastructure.

We are all feeling the strain of purse strings, but it is helpful to remember, that our need is but a fraction of what so many across the globe have been feeling for decades past.

For more information on Armenia Fund USA’s “Planned Giving” and “In Lieu” programs, please call (212) 689-5307, email [email protected], or visit the office at 152 Madison Avenue, Suite 803, New York, NY 10016.

ABOUT ARMENIA FUND USA: ARMENIA FUND USA, founded in 1992, was the first of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s 19 international affiliates and serves constituents in all states east of the Mississippi. As a non-profit, non-governmental, nonsectarian organization, the Fund represents all Armenian constituents.

Armenia Fund USA is the largest contributor among the 19 international affiliates – supporting strategic infrastructure projects in Armenia and Karabakh, and having helped build 138 miles of roads, 100 miles of waterways, 36 schools, 3 electric transmission networks, 210 residential buildings and 15 healthcare institutions.

Armenia Fund USA’s Mission is the development of strategic socio-economic infrastructure in Armenia and Karabakh, focusing on major projects such as major highways, schools, drinking water to communities and humanitarian programs in education, training and medical facilities. The Fund has adopted a policy to go “Beyond Bricks and Mortar” to provide sustainability for projects it sponsors.

To learn more about Armenia Fund USA, please visit our website at
www.ArmeniaFundUSA.org or call us at 212-689-5307.

Armenia Fund USA
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 301
New York, NY 10038