Seminarians in the computer lab of De Paul Seminary, Morogoro, Tanzania (March 2021)

St. Vincent considered fundraising as an important means for showing the poor that they are loved. Fundraising for projects can help a mission buy a boat, equip a computer room, distribute protective masks, teach gospel values, generate income, and train youth for meaningful work. It’s challenging work if you are just beginning. That’s why the VSO is offering to help confreres who want to begin this work or get better at fundraising for projects. Do you want to put smiles on the faces of the elderly, parents, children and youth? The VSO wants more confreres to do what we already are doing through our office, and please God, to accomplish ever greater initiatives.

The VSO is pleased to announce our Forum on Vincentian Development to train confreres as project managers. The goal of this training is,

  • to introduce project-based fundraising for mission work with the VSO;
  • to design a project that solves a clear problem within the community;
  • to develop a budget and funding plan; and
  • to incorporate methods of management and evaluation that result in a report to the funding agencies and VSO.

The VSO has contracted AVISHA – a learning platform that can be accessed by internet. The training consists of 10 virtual sessions in English from May 25 to July 2.  An expert in project management will present the training. Participants will be able to join live or watch recordings at their convenience. They will learn to design, manage, and report on projects. During the training, the participants will be guided in the various steps of designing a project. By the end of the training, participants will have prepared a project application for their own ministry. The VSO is taking care of all costs for this training. The participants only need to have their own stable internet connection and preferably, a What’s App account. We have a limited number of openings still. Any confrere (or even lay collaborators) interested in participating should first contact their Visitor to be recommended.

The VSO is following St. Vincent’s example of equipping confreres to evangelize and serve the poor by learning about project-based fundraising. In the years ahead, the Forum will be offered in French and Spanish also. Please pray for the success of this initiative to train confreres in this rewarding work.