G.I.V.E. Global Initiative to Advance Entrepreneurship

"To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition. To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived ... this is to have succeeded."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Program Overview:

Global Initiative to Advance Entrepreneurship (GIVE) is a nonprofit organization that will work to address the growing problem of diminishing job opportunities in the United States and the developing world.

The overarching mission of this project is to teach youth (grades 8-12) and young adults (ages 18-30) essential business skills, including the ability to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, create a sound business plan, launch their own small businesses, and improve their local communities.

Steven Van Yoder established GIVE in 2005. The organization includes board members and supporters drawn from the small business, corporate and non-profit sectors, including author and marketing guru Jay Conrad Levinson of Guerrilla Marketing book series. Cincom Systems, Inc., a Cincinnati-based software firm, provided initial seed funding and will play a role in the execution of this initiative.

GIVE will forge global alliances with businesses and organizations with a stake in targeted communities. We will utilize established entrepreneurial curriculum models to form the basis of GIVE entrepreneurial training programs.

Mission Statement:

The Global Initiative to Advance Entrepreneurship (G.I.V.E.) will work to reduce global poverty by initiating, developing and supporting micro-business initiatives around the world. Our overarching mission is to create job creators, rather than job seekers, through entrepreneurial education and development projects, forging complimentary relationships between the for profit and nonprofit sectors, and linking proven models and resources toward the alleviation of global poverty.

Bali Pilot Program

In its initial phase, GIVE will focus on bringing proven models for poverty alleviation and microbusiness creation to Bali, Indonesia. Our goal is leverage success in Bali to further expand the initiative to greater Indonesia and other countries in Asia, including India, Thailand Malaysia and China.

Bali was chosen as the initial program site because it needs alternatives to a tourist-based economy. We believe that one way is to teach entrepreneurship to potential and existing Balinese entrepreneurs.

Our pilot program will be launched in collaboration with local business associations and Balinese non-profit groups.

Program Goals:

• Bring entrepreneurial training initiatives to Bali
• Rely on proven models to guide and promote the initiative
• Connect students to local entrepreneurs and mentors
• Reach out to existing small business owners
• Open global markets to Bali entrepreneurs
• Attract interested individuals and investors
• Create business partnerships around the world

Bali has many fundamentals that make it a viable starting point for this initiative, including a stable government, an educated population, and a tourist economy. Bali also occupies a unique place in the global consciousness, which we will leverage to publicize GIVE.

Bali holds the promise of setting a positive example for the rest of Indonesia. If our efforts are successful in Bali, we intend to replicate our model across Indonesia, one the world's poorest and most at-risk countries, plus other regions throughout Asia and world-wide.

Program Details:

GIVE will provide each teacher and student a hands-on, interactive, dynamic and technological experience in creating and operating a business.

Curriculum Descriptions

We are developing a variety of specialized curriculum products that have been designed for students, as well as educators and youth workers. The curriculum covers a wide variety of topics such as return on investment, supply and demand, opportunity recognition, competition, skills for success, cost/benefit analysis, sales and marketing, ethics, and taxes.

Students will be involved in the following activities during the project:

• Learning concepts of entrepreneurship and business-building
• Actively applying the concepts of building a business. For example, students will “learn by doing” by visiting a wholesaler and purchasing products and then selling those products at a trade fair, thus learning the importance of inventory control, brand marketing and the profit principle of “buying low and selling high”;
• Acquiring leadership and team-building skills through educational and recreational activities;
• Interacting with local businesspersons who will lecture students on specific business activities and personal experiences;
• Participating in classroom.

Fund Raising and Earned Revenue Goals:

We will pursue a variety of approaches to garner support and raise funds, including traditional donor and foundation fundraising, grassroots individual fundraising via the Internet and other marketing channels, celebrity sponsorship, and philanthropic joint ventures.

The goal is to raise funds from sponsors and supporters to implement the program, purchase books and materials, hire necessary staff and teachers, and cover related expenses including computers, Internet access, etc.

The budget for the pilot portion of this project is still in development. These figures do not factor in donations of products and services from interested parties and donors.

Public Relations and Marketing Goals

Local, national and international media campaign will be designed to promote the initiative as well as provide positive publicity opportunities for donor and sponsors.