Plan USA
Encyclopedia
Plan International USA is an international charity
with offices in Warwick
, Rhode Island
and Washington D.C., United States
. It is part of Plan International, a global organization founded more than 70 years ago. The stated goal of the organization is to end the cycle of poverty for children.
and refugee worker Eric Muggeridge. Originally named “Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain,” the aim was to provide food, accommodation and education to children whose lives had been disrupted by the Spanish Civil War
. During the Second World War, Plan expanded to work with displaced children throughout war-torn Europe. By the 1970s
, Plan gradually began working with children throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and became known as “Plan International.”
Plan International USA, was originally incorporated
in 1939 in New York
to help connect U.S. donors to a continuously growing number of sponsored children in developing countries. It was one of the first Plan International federation members. By 2010, Plan’s donor countries had increased to 21.
, global poverty, HIV
and AIDS
, child rights and child exploitation, and gender equality
.
program links each sponsor to an individual child in one of the 48 countries where Plan International works. Sponsors contribute money and have an opportunity to correspond with the child and his or her family. Donations are not given directly to the child but are used to support projects for entire communities. Along with microloans, direct sponsorship projects have been described to be an option for people interested in contributing to a do it yourself
style of foreign aid.
Tessie San Martin, Ph.D. is the current President/CEO.
, actress known for playing “Jackie Harris” on ‘’Roseanne’’, is a spokesperson for Plan International USA and a child sponsor through the organization. Other notable persons who have publicly given their support for Plan International USA include David Elliot
, Beau Bridges
, Dina Eastwood
, Scott Bakula
, and Nicholas D. Kristof
, also a child sponsor.
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
with offices in Warwick
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
and Washington D.C., United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of Plan International, a global organization founded more than 70 years ago. The stated goal of the organization is to end the cycle of poverty for children.
History and Development
Plan was founded in 1937 by British journalist John Langdon-DaviesJohn Langdon-Davies
John Eric Langdon-Davies was a British author and journalist. He was a war correspondent during the Spanish Civil War and the Russo-Finnish war. As a result of his experiences in Spain, he founded the Foster Parents' Scheme for refugee children in Spain, now called Plan International. He was...
and refugee worker Eric Muggeridge. Originally named “Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain,” the aim was to provide food, accommodation and education to children whose lives had been disrupted by the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. During the Second World War, Plan expanded to work with displaced children throughout war-torn Europe. By the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
, Plan gradually began working with children throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and became known as “Plan International.”
Plan International USA, was originally incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
in 1939 in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to help connect U.S. donors to a continuously growing number of sponsored children in developing countries. It was one of the first Plan International federation members. By 2010, Plan’s donor countries had increased to 21.
Finances
Plan International USA is a publicly funded American non-profit charitable organization, deriving its income from a combination of individual contributions and private and federal grants. It is exempt from both United States federal and Rhode Island state income tax. The total operating revenue in 2010 for the organization was approximately $63 million. 77% of the organization’s funding was reported to go to programs, while 23% was reported as support for programming through fundraising and administrative expenses.Programs
In coordination with Plan International and its other chapters, in 2010 Plan International USA helped fund and organize the following combined international programs and activities:- The construction or rehabilitation of 1,935 health or early childhood care and development centers, 1,251 schools and 7,531 water points;
- Improvement of sanitation facilities for 90,882 households;
- Support for 767 microfinanceMicrofinanceMicrofinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services....
organizations and 13,636 local savings and loan groups; - Training for 150,007 professional and volunteer health workers;
- Training for 58,229 professional and volunteer education workers;
- Training for 70,917 workers and farmers;
- Vocational and business training to 26,770 people;
- Training for 43,124 members of staff or partner organization staff and 106,544 community members in child protection;
- Increased disaster relief activities in Haiti;
- The beginning of a program to prevent and treat HIV and other related diseases in Benin, Togo and Cameroon, funded by the Global Fund.
U.S. Programs
YUGA, Youth United in Global Action, is a program sponsored by Plan International USA. YUGA aims to educate and involve young people in the United States in issues that affect children and youth around the world. The program’s main focus areas are: climate changeClimate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, global poverty, HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, child rights and child exploitation, and gender equality
Gender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
.
Child Sponsorship
The child sponsorshipChild sponsorship
Child sponsorship allows an individual, typically in a developed country, to sponsor, or fund a child in a developing country until the child becomes self-sufficient. This could mean financially supporting the education, health or security of the sponsored child, or in some cases all of these...
program links each sponsor to an individual child in one of the 48 countries where Plan International works. Sponsors contribute money and have an opportunity to correspond with the child and his or her family. Donations are not given directly to the child but are used to support projects for entire communities. Along with microloans, direct sponsorship projects have been described to be an option for people interested in contributing to a do it yourself
Do it yourself
Do it yourself is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals...
style of foreign aid.
Board of Directors
Plan International USA employs 97 staff and has a separate governing body and Executive Team from Plan International. As of 2010, the members of the Board of Directors include:- Howard Cutler (Chairman)
- Raj K. Nooyi (Vice Chair)
- Eric Chatman (Treasurer)
- Dorota Keverian (Secretary)
- Isobel Coleman, Ph.D.
- Paul S. Dwyer, Jr.
- Georgiana Gibson, M.D.
- Deborah Held
- Ahmed Moen
- Jack Poulson
- Tamer Rashad
- Walter Stone
- Oren E. Whyche-Shaw
- Allison Knapp Womack
Tessie San Martin, Ph.D. is the current President/CEO.
Notable Associations
Laurie MetcalfLaurie Metcalf
Lauren Elizabeth "Laurie" Metcalf is an American actress. She is widely known for her performance as Jackie Harris on the ABC sitcom Roseanne, Mary Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, the voice of Mrs. Davis in the Toy Story film series and as Debbie Salt in Scream 2...
, actress known for playing “Jackie Harris” on ‘’Roseanne’’, is a spokesperson for Plan International USA and a child sponsor through the organization. Other notable persons who have publicly given their support for Plan International USA include David Elliot
David Elliot
David Elliot is a New Zealand illustrator, known internationally for his contributions to the Redwall fantasy series by British author, Brian Jacques. He has illustrated the last six Redwall books and also the Mossflower Anniversary Edition...
, Beau Bridges
Beau Bridges
Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book...
, Dina Eastwood
Dina Eastwood
Dina Ruiz Eastwood is an American reporter, TV news anchor and film actress. In March 1996 she married actor/director Clint Eastwood and has acted in two films which he directed.- Private life :...
, Scott Bakula
Scott Bakula
Scott Stewart Bakula is an American actor, known for his role as Sam Beckett in the television series Quantum Leap, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1991 and was nominated for four Emmy Awards. He also had a prominent role as Captain Jonathan...
, and Nicholas D. Kristof
Nicholas D. Kristof
Nicholas Donabet Kristof is an American journalist, author, op-ed columnist, and a winner of two Pulitzer Prizes. He has written an op-ed column for The New York Times since November 2001 and is known for bringing to light human rights abuses in Asia and Africa, such as human trafficking and the...
, also a child sponsor.