Academics without Borders USA
Annual Reports
Our Mission: Academics without Borders USA (AWB USA) is committed to mobilizing academic communities throughout the world to assist institutions of higher education (IHE) in developing nations in their efforts to improve both the quantity and quality of their academic programs. Through collaborations with institutions in these developing countries, our goal is to increase their capacity to produce the engineers, doctors, nurses, teachers and other professionals these countries will need to move forward in the 21st century
2017
2017 was another successful year for AWB USA in terms of outreach and project development.
Projects – In 2017, AWB received eleven new project proposals in response to its second call for proposal cycle. This group represented another first for our organization in that the number of projects eligible for our assistance exceeded the funds we had budgeted for new projects. Projects funded in 2017 were located in Uganda and Nepal. The Ugandan project, titled “Increasing Access to Ultrasound and Obstetric/Neonatal Training Education,” first focused on training midwives from 12 medical clinics spread throughout the country in the use of ultrasound equipment and then in advanced life support in obstetrics and helping babies survive. The second phase of this project scheduled for 2018 will focus on further training in how to teach the courses and training provided to the first group to other midwives in the field. In Nepal, two projects were funded. One project focused on improving community development education at the University of Kathmandu and providing an overall framework to guide future efforts to improve the program and student outcomes. The second project focused improving the research skills of the faculty in the Sociology Department of Tribhuvan University, which is the largest university in Nepal.
Fundraising – Building an overall development plan was a major task in 2017. In response to this need, the Board of Directors made development issues a major topic of discussion at virtually every board meeting during 2017. This effort in turn produced an event in May 2017 the purpose of which was to make AWB USAs goals and mission better known and to build stronger relationships with the Davis community and UC Davis. By any measure, the event was considered a success. It was held at the Cannery social hall in Davis and was attended by more than 40 people. Featured at the meeting were brief presentations made by the volunteers of three of our most successful projects (Uganda, Haiti, and Sri Lanka). While the meeting was not designed to be a fundraising event, it has turned out to be an important first step toward formulating our plans for targeted fundraising in 2018.
Governing Board and Staff - 2017 saw changes on our Board of Directors. We started the year with seven members and with the departure of one board member and the addition of five, we ended the year with eleven. Clearly changes in the number and composition of the board are to be expected. And we continue to look for more individuals whose interests and/or expertise are consistent with AWBs values and mission. However, the largest change in 2017 was at the staff level. In October, Joy Cohan our Executive Director, decided to leave AWB to accept a new position. Although her tenure with AWB was relatively short, she made major contributions to almost every aspect of our work. During her absence, the AWB Board of Directors officers covered the responsibilities of the Executive Director while a search process was conducted over the remainder of the year.
Outreach – Extensive outreach efforts were conducted as follow up to the organization’s May event (noted above). The primary objectives were to identify potential board members, partnerships, and donors. As a result, several board members were added, a few key fundraising relationships established, and a critical partnership established with the UC Davis Office of Global Affairs. The latter included the Office’s sponsorship of the participation of Fadi Fathallah, Global Affairs Associate Vice Provost, as a member on the AWB Board of Directors. Additionally, the recruitment of Rahim Reed, UC Davis Associate Executive Vice Chancellor for Campus Community Relations, as an additional board members further opens the door for future collaborations with the university in support of the AWB mission.
Projects – In 2017, AWB received eleven new project proposals in response to its second call for proposal cycle. This group represented another first for our organization in that the number of projects eligible for our assistance exceeded the funds we had budgeted for new projects. Projects funded in 2017 were located in Uganda and Nepal. The Ugandan project, titled “Increasing Access to Ultrasound and Obstetric/Neonatal Training Education,” first focused on training midwives from 12 medical clinics spread throughout the country in the use of ultrasound equipment and then in advanced life support in obstetrics and helping babies survive. The second phase of this project scheduled for 2018 will focus on further training in how to teach the courses and training provided to the first group to other midwives in the field. In Nepal, two projects were funded. One project focused on improving community development education at the University of Kathmandu and providing an overall framework to guide future efforts to improve the program and student outcomes. The second project focused improving the research skills of the faculty in the Sociology Department of Tribhuvan University, which is the largest university in Nepal.
Fundraising – Building an overall development plan was a major task in 2017. In response to this need, the Board of Directors made development issues a major topic of discussion at virtually every board meeting during 2017. This effort in turn produced an event in May 2017 the purpose of which was to make AWB USAs goals and mission better known and to build stronger relationships with the Davis community and UC Davis. By any measure, the event was considered a success. It was held at the Cannery social hall in Davis and was attended by more than 40 people. Featured at the meeting were brief presentations made by the volunteers of three of our most successful projects (Uganda, Haiti, and Sri Lanka). While the meeting was not designed to be a fundraising event, it has turned out to be an important first step toward formulating our plans for targeted fundraising in 2018.
Governing Board and Staff - 2017 saw changes on our Board of Directors. We started the year with seven members and with the departure of one board member and the addition of five, we ended the year with eleven. Clearly changes in the number and composition of the board are to be expected. And we continue to look for more individuals whose interests and/or expertise are consistent with AWBs values and mission. However, the largest change in 2017 was at the staff level. In October, Joy Cohan our Executive Director, decided to leave AWB to accept a new position. Although her tenure with AWB was relatively short, she made major contributions to almost every aspect of our work. During her absence, the AWB Board of Directors officers covered the responsibilities of the Executive Director while a search process was conducted over the remainder of the year.
Outreach – Extensive outreach efforts were conducted as follow up to the organization’s May event (noted above). The primary objectives were to identify potential board members, partnerships, and donors. As a result, several board members were added, a few key fundraising relationships established, and a critical partnership established with the UC Davis Office of Global Affairs. The latter included the Office’s sponsorship of the participation of Fadi Fathallah, Global Affairs Associate Vice Provost, as a member on the AWB Board of Directors. Additionally, the recruitment of Rahim Reed, UC Davis Associate Executive Vice Chancellor for Campus Community Relations, as an additional board members further opens the door for future collaborations with the university in support of the AWB mission.
Click below to access the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Annual Reports
| awb_usa_-2016_annual_report.pdf |
| awb_usa_-_2015_annual_report.pdf |
| awb_usa_-_2014_annual_report.pdf |
