FINAL REPORT

Spring 2020 Business Administration 3500 EDGE Consulting Project

Project #12: Julianna, Emily, Brooke, Lizzy, Asa, Shane, Arthur, & Phil
05.08.2020
 Table of Contents 
Section One: Introduction & Overview 
About
Goals and Objectives 
Section Two: Fundraising 
Profit Shares
5K Run
Outreach 
Section Three: Marketing
Partnerships
Brand Building
Greek Life 
Handshake
LinkedIn
Section Four: World Refugee Day
Grant Research
Section Five: Final Recommendations & Conclusion 
 Section One: Introduction & Overview

Refugee & Immigration Services of Catholic Charities is a non-profit organization

working with the US Department of State as an agency to resettle foreign refugees in the Central
and Northern Missouri area. Founded on May 17, 2011, Catholic Charities of Central and
Northern Missouri’s Catholic Mission is as follows: “Inspired by the Gospel of the Beatitudes as
proclaimed by Jesus Christ, Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri is committed to
providing care and creating hope for the lives of the vulnerable through compassionate social
services that respect the dignity of each person and engage the local community in our mission.”
Refugee & Immigration Services became a part of Catholic Charities in 2011.
Their core values consist of “believing in the message of Jesus that conveys loved and
hope, affirming the sacredness and dignity of all human life, working in partnership with others
who share in our mission, pursuing excellence and upholding integrity in all they do, offering
service to those in need regardless of background, belief or circumstance.”
Refugee & Immigration Services provides many different services such as job
placement, education, healthcare assistance, housing, household goods and food, introductory
information to government and community assistance, and other everyday tasks and activities.
The organization’s main goals are to “empower refugees to become self-sufficient as quickly as
possible.”
A refugee is “an individual who has fled their country of origin and who have met the
United States criteria of having a “well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion,
nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” These refugees come
from great sufferings and require many basic necessities to create a new life for themselves here
in America. Refugees rely heavily on organizations like the Refugee & Immigration Serves to
assist them and provide community support. The R.I.S. office relies heavily on volunteers and
other outside help to assist the clients. The entire staff is made up of Department of Justice
representatives assisting the clients with adjustment of status, naturalization and citizenship,
legal permanent residency, and deferred action for childhood arrivals. There are many different
positions held in the R.I.S. office from hands on Case Management Assistance, to volunteer and
internship opportunities. The Refugee & Immigration Services hosts events such as orientations,
fundraisers, donation events, and more to create community awareness and to promote
everlasting success for the organization as a whole. 
Refugee & Immigration Services’ Volunteer/Outreach & Adult Education Coordinator,
Grace Wildenhaus, was the supervisor for the following project #12. The group met with the
supervisor in the R.I.S. office on Thursday, February 27th for the initial orientation. Goals and
objectives for the organization were outlined regarding fundraising, marketing, and grant
research. From this moment on, the group has performed research, held meetings, and put
together a presentation to give to the client regarding the goals and objectives given. 
The fundraising goals are to provide ideas for small, but manageable, fundraisers
throughout the year as well as one larger annual fundraiser. This shall include the necessary steps
and resources outlining the course of action needed to execute said activities. The fundraising
team researched many possible options for profit shares throughout the Columbia, Missouri area.
Profit shares are often very simple and can help to raise money and awareness for many
organizations. The group decided on a 5K to be the easiest annual event to host for a fundraiser.
A 5K brings so many people together for a great cause. Section Two of this report outlines the
necessary steps and logistics needed to execute the fundraising events. Ideas for promoting these
events are also included.
The marketing goals are to increase the attendance at monthly orientations, and increase
community awareness about refugee resettlement and the R.I.S. as a whole. The idea is to
increase the overall volunteer engagement to reach long-term volunteers such as retirees,
working adults, and committed students. The R.I.S. also wants to reach the community members
who are concerned about or opposed to refugee resettlement. The organization’s goal with
expanding our marketing is to increase engagement and to receive more feedback from both the
community as well as the very refugees R.I.S. is trying to help. R.I.S. wants to partner not only
more with the local business to gain more financial support, but also reach as far as possible into
the community to gain volunteers, spread general awareness, and through that the organization
will eliminate the spread of misinformation and allow the community to work together to
welcome all newcomers no matter where they come from in the world.
World Refugee Day is held on June 20th each year to raise awareness for refugees all
around the world. It is often hosted at the Catholic Charities of Central Northern Missouri
Church and consists of field day activities for the kids, food, talent performances, and more. This
is an important day for the R.I.S. as it brings community awareness and involvement to the
organization, and solely to the refugees and their stories. World Refugee Day was not originally
included in the goals and objectives; however, as the project progressed, the group decided was
important to include in the project goals and plans. 
The goals within grant research are as follows: find grant opportunities for R.I.S. to
expand refugee health and education services, draft ideas that could potentially be included in a
proposal for funding in these areas, and briefly outline important information and requirements
for the grant application. As a non-profit, the Refugee and Immigration Services look to source
funding in a variety of ways. One useful path for this is through grant research and application.
The Federal government offers a number of grants for organizations like the R.I.S which are
made available to organizations whose goals benefit their communities. Grants often are aimed at
the resettlement and stability of individuals coming to America, whether it be escaping from
prejudice, political situations, or economic failures. Another grant program available to the R.I.S
is that of the Catholic Charities in America. Through this connection R.I.S has the opportunity to
expand its role as a faith based organization and offer more help to immigrants and refugees.
Grants are constantly being made available and it is important to find which grants fit the ideals
of R.I.S and which will make a significant, sustainable difference.
Refugee & Immigration Services’ Project 12 for the Spring 2020 consists of 8 members:
Brooke Flahaut, Julianna Campbell, Shane Voetter, Emily Troske, Phil Goldberg, Elizabeth
Wilson, Arthur Gibert, and Asa Pojmann-Ezeonyilo. This group has devoted over 120 hours
collectively to research and prepare a plan of action to accomplish these goals. This report
outlines the details and steps taken to accumulate the information to bring the ideas for the
Refugee & Immigration Services to life. 
 Section Two: Fundraising

Profit Shares are an excellent way to raise money for an organization and are often very
simple. The group has researched restaurants around the Columbia, MO area to find the most
beneficial opportunities for the R.I.S. The most ideal restaurant we found for a profit share was
Chipotle. Chipotle is a very popular restaurant in Columbia bringing in college students, as well
as many people in the community. Chipotle was found to provide the largest percentage of sales
at 33% and require a minimum of $300 in sales. Any day of the week 4-8pm or 5-9pm is
available. Flyers are provided and all promotions must be prior to the event and cannot occur at
the location. Customers may provide a digital or paper flyer, or may simply tell the cashier of
their participation. Catering orders must be submitted over the phone at least 24 hours in advance
and the cashier must be alerted of your participation at pick up. Participants are not required at
the location. The application must be submitted three weeks prior to your event date. Noodles &
Company provided unclear information about the percentage of sales donated. On the official
website, it states 25% of sales are donated and to submit the application thirty days prior to the
event. However, when an account is created to submit the application, it connects to HAMRA
enterprises to fill out the application. On this website, it states Noodles & Company will donate
30% of the sales and to submit the application four weeks prior to the event. Time slots of 4-8pm
on Monday through Thursday are provided and require a minimum of 150 guests attend.  Panera
is another viable option that provides a simple application process. The website provides a form
requiring basic information with submission of a tax form, and it states that all nonprofits are
eligible with a 501c3 or W9.  Panera donates 20% of profits determined by pre-tax sales;
however, they require at least $100 in sales. They also provide flyers to distribute around the
community.  Customers are required to have a digital or paper copy of the flyer when checking
out. Panda Express will donate 20% of sales for dine-in or take-out. A minimum of $100 in sales
is required and to plan up to six months in advance. They will provide digital promotional
materials.  Shakespeare’s Pizza is a Columbia favorite that will donate 15% and require only 150
dollars minimum in sales; this is about 20 customers. Shakespeare’s allows fundraising Sundays
through Thursday at all locations for dine-in, to-go, and delivery, maximizing sales. Flyers are
provided and all promotions must be prior to the event and may not take place at the location.
The next option is Pickleman’s, which provides 15% of receipts collected. A volunteer is
required at the event, giving the opportunity to spread awareness. The application is online and
events can be held on either Monday or Tuesday from 5-8 pm. Another great feature of working
with Pickeman’s is they will promote the event through their social media. Freddy’s Frozen
Custard was mentioned as a previous profit share from the past. Freddy’s appeared enthusiastic
to work with the R.I.S., but had difficulties with the follow-through. They donate 15% of sales
before taxes and do not require you meet a minimum of sales within the 5-9pm time frame. They
do not require a representative at the event, but do require submission of the application two
weeks in advance.
A 5K is a great option for a larger, annual fundraising event because they are easy and
fairly inexpensive to host. 5K runs have the potential to bring in a large attendance, given that
any age can attend the event from families to college students to seasoned runners.  With
participation and low cost, it can result in large profit. When hosting a 5K, the first steps
necessary is to come up with a date, time and location. When picking a location, fill out a park
special use application 90 days in advance, as well as pay a fee which varies by park. Then come
up with a theme such as a glow in the dark run or costume run around Halloween. Other
technical necessities include finding sponsors for the event and ordering bibs, pins, and t-shirts.
Most importantly, follow up with a post-race email and share results from the race on social
media. 
 Regarding the logistics of holding a 5K in Columbia, there are a few things that need to
be done in advance as well as a few fees and deposits to be aware of. Depending on the chosen
park, there are different rules. Through research, Stephens Lake Park was found to be a good fit
for a 5K. First, the Park Special Use Permit Application form is found on como.gov and should
be submitted on the permit system portal 90 days in advance. Within two weeks of submission, a
notification will be sent as to whether or not this event is approved. It is advised to not advertise
the event until the application has been approved. A participation fee of around $2.40 per
participant is commonly charged to most event hosts. Participation Fees may not apply to all
events, however, the full criteria used for participation fees include, “Participation open to the
public, may focus on fundraising and/or “cause” awareness. Donations or pledges possibly
collected on site. Includes races where participants pay an entry fee and follow designated
courses. Events may involve the use of amplified sound, staging, tents, temporary road or trail
closings, and/or the sale of event-related items.” R.I.S. is a religious non-profit organization and
may be eligible for exemption; however, the City of Columbia makes final decisions on a case
by case basis. Documentation of tax-exempt status must be provided, and because the R.I.S. is a
religious organization, registration with the State is not required. Other expected fees are as
follows: $45 Park Special Use Fee, $10 water fee, and $60 Concession Permit Fee (permission to
sell items at this event can be found in the Park Special Use Application). Considering the event
size, shelters may need to be rented in the park; fees are about $45 for a half day and $70 for a
full day. Deposits include a $200 performance, cleanup and damage bond, $20 Gate Key, and a
$50 Water Spigot Key. Other applicable deposits may be required and fees may vary. All fees
must be paid two weeks prior to the event. 
In addition to the Park Special Use Application, other documentation may be required. A
Certificate of Insurance, which must be Comprehensive General Liability Insurance protecting
the City of Columbia. The City Health Department permit is required for publicly catered events
if any food is provided. In addition, a Business License is required for the sale of food and
merchandise; forms to obtain this license can be found at the Business License Office. A list of
food vendors, sponsors, promotional banners/materials, and event related items sold will be
required for approval by the Parks and Recreation Department. Lastly, a detailed route map
and schedule of event activities need to be provided, and ensure all Park Permit fees are paid.
Below is a list of phone numbers for all departments mentioned. 
1. City Health Department permit: 573 874-7345. 
2.  Business License Office: 573-874-7378.
3. Parks and Recreation Department: (573) 874-7460

Marketing through social media is a great way to promote all fundraising events.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. are excellent platforms for promoting events and sharing
information. Some restaurants provide flyers and it is also encouraged to create a unique design.
Most businesses do not allow flyers posted in windows promoting events. However, posting
them online and getting members of the community to share them is a great way to get the word
out. It would also be beneficial to hand out flyers, with permission, in front of businesses like
Walmart, or posting them to community bulletin boards. Mizzou’s Speaker Circle is a great way
to get faculty and students to participate in events for the community. Greek life at Mizzou is
always looking for new ways to volunteer and give back. Reach out to these organizations for an
opportunity to come and speak at their meetings and get them involved. This can also help raise
awareness and even gain volunteers. For community outreach, reach out to different local
running or athletic stores, giving them the opportunity to assist in promoting R.I.S. events online
or in-store. Orangetheory Fitness offers 90 minute classes on the weekends and all money raised
is donated to a different organization. 
 Section Three: Marketing

From meetings with Grace, she explained that there was room for improvement when it
comes to the number of volunteers that R.I.S. has, their outreach in the community, funding, and
misinformation about the organization itself. When it comes to marketing for the Refugee and
Immigration Services organization, there are plenty of avenues that they can take to improve
their brand image and get the word of their mission out to the public. One of those many avenues
is to provide an opportunity for youngsters within the community to get involved in this
organization. The R.I.S., and maybe a few more local organizations, can organize something
along the lines of a Student Involvement Day where high school and college students can come
to a seminar to learn about how they can be a part of this organization. It would be beneficial to
include information about how their volunteer work can be rewarding for the students, as well as
the refugees & immigrants. Not only would this Student Involvement Day provide an
opportunity to bring in higher volumes of younger volunteers, but also help to spread the word of
the good things that R.I.S. brings to our community. 
To continuously promote the R.I.S.’s brand image online, it would be beneficial for the
R.I.S. to set up frequent posts and updates about their organization. Whether that be through
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or a combination of the three, even just weekly updates can
improve their brand image to the public via social media. Social media websites like the three
listed above are popular among the individuals who are 50 and under, and providing updates of
the R.I.S. organization in the community’s media feed can serve as a reminder of the
organization and why the organization is so important. Another good idea would be to provide
updates about some of the people who are going through the R.I.S. experience, with the consent
of those recorded. These particular updates could include their testimonials and perhaps their
aspirations for their new lives. These personal stories could potentially increase the amount of
positively influenced information that is distributed throughout the community and improve the
community's opinions about the R.I.S. at the same time.
Something else that the R.I.S. can do to further their mission is to formulate a support
group for those who are going through their transition of becoming a member of the community.
There could become multiple support groups, depending on their age range, of people who are
already part of the community to offer a helping hand, a resource, or even just someone to go to
with questions. There is currently a Buddy System at work within the R.I.S., where students who
are elementary age can have a friend at their school to help the transition into their new lives.
The grant that supports this support system may or may not be renewed this September, but
many believe this is an excellent opportunity for those transitioning into the community. 
Keeping the amount of misinformation from spreading within a community is difficult,
but not impossible. With the updates that R.I.S. would be providing, given that the organization
utilize their online resources, it would serve as a barrier to the spread of misinformation. These
updates would also build a metaphorical bridge that would lead to more people who are
interested in the organization, and more influencers at the same time. These influencers could
potentially bring more financial support to the R.I.S. 
One thing that the R.I.S. could desperately use is funding for their organization. With
more financial support for the R.I.S., the organization could provide more resources for their
refugees and immigrants that they support. The R.I.S. helps their clients establish themselves
within their new community so they can start supporting themselves. One of the ways that Grace
described how they support their clients is by helping them get a car so they can get to and from
their workplaces, as well as other errands that they may run. With the funding that the
organization receives from the government, that funding is always limited. Bringing in more
supporters and advocates to the organization, that would eventually lead to more financial
support from the community. The R.I.S. would be able to do even more with increased funding
and more resources. They could even take on many more clients in the future if things go well.
And not only could the R.I.S. use more funding, but they could also use more volunteers.
With the help of more volunteers within the R.I.S. organization would lead to more
internal support and more hands-on help for their clients. Moving countries and establishing a
new life would be one of the biggest changes their clients experience throughout their lives, and
more hands-on help for these clients is invaluable. The volunteer initiation for members of the
R.I.S. is more extensive than becoming a volunteer at a soup kitchen, with required hours of
training before these individuals can assist their clients in-person. There should be no question
about what is expected from the potential volunteers, so the R.I.S. should include a “checklist” or
“requirements” section to the organization’s online presence. It would also be beneficial to add a
“contact us” or a “get involved” resource provided within the site in an obvious place. With
increased numbers of volunteers for the organization, the R.I.S. would simultaneously be
increasing their community outreach.
With the existence of so many more organizations and opportunities to volunteer within
the community, the R.I.S. is racing against these other organizations for support. With the
utilization of the organization’s online presence and resources, the R.I.S. has a very good chance
of improving their community’s outreach, increasing their financial support, and limiting the
spread of misinformation. The organization’s improvement would also benefit those individuals
who are able to use the organization’s resources, thus increasing their community outreach with
the introduction of new community members. The positive consequences of the improved R.I.S.
are priceless, depending on how much financial support the organization receives of course. 
It can’t just be students who get involved. Partnering with school districts and local
businesses to welcome new faces to the community and show them what it’s like to live there
will help refugees get an idea of everyday life and feel welcomed. To create groups or clubs that
could encourage students and others in the community to help others around them, we need
groups of at least 6 to create the clubs and we can expand from there on whether we want to do
event planning. Getting people involved is better at getting people connected vs just asking
people to volunteer for credit. R.I.S. should look into having our events at schools and around the
community at least once every 3 months. Having other groups in the community through groups
on Facebook or other social media will also help people better coordinate things on their own,
but will help them remember how R.I.S. helped them create the memories and sense of
community from everyone involved. It will be crucial to work around the religious nature of the
group and make sure that everyone feels comfortable. 

Get an official partnership with Mizzou

A big marketing challenge was how to compete with the city of refuge. Getting an
official partnership with Mizzou gives the R.I.S. the upper hand because the organization's
resources get expanded exponentially, including facilities to host events like world refugee day.
Previously, the R.I.S. had to share one of the most significant events of the organization, World
Refugee Day, which took away exposure.  With the university's resources, the R.I.S. will be able
to completely separate themselves from the City of Refuge.  In addition to separation from the
City of Refuge, the R.I.S. will get access to students in academic areas such as business,
medicine, education, and more, which will allow overall awareness to skyrocket. Annual copies
must be submitted through the campus accountability office or campus advancement office of
currently effective articles of incorporation, charter or constitution, and an audited financial
statement.    These documents must also specify the objectives of the organization, its structure,
and its financial arrangements.  Also, it must include the name of the organization, the objectives
of the association, requirements for membership, dues structure, Organizational structure, the
definition of officers, terms of office and basic responsibilities, financial arrangements, method
of the amendment, and other information detailing the not-for-profit status of the organization.

Build Your Board

Build Your Board is an online training program through Mizzou designed for board
members of non-profit organizations.  Joining the program will give a full self-assessment from
professionals to see what resources are needed and how to get them. The program provides
training in areas like marketing to further increase the awareness of the organization.
Participating in a program like this will help the leadership of the R.I.S. to make better strategic
marketing goals. Having strong strategic goals will benefit the organization in the future.

Greek Life
Philanthropy is a long-lasting tradition, a huge part of being in Greek life. More than
26,000 students are involved making up 26% of the student population. These philanthropy
projects raise over 500,000 dollars each year. To Give an example, AEPI raised 132,000 in 2015
and 102,000 in 2017.  The first step to this strategy is contacting exec members of the Greek life
houses to speak at their chapter. Their information is usually posted on the house's website.
Partnering with Greek life is a great way to get exposure not only because of money raised but
because of possible nationwide exposure from philanthropy efforts.

Handshake
Handshake is the main job platform for Mizzou. All Mizzou students have access to it,
allowing reach to thousands. Handshake allows the organization to offer work opportunities to
any major, which allows needs to be filled in areas that must be improved. The professional
profile must be submitted to the career services office. Handshake provides an opportunity to
schedule on-campus interviews, post and manage interviews, browse resumes, and register for
career fairs and other on-campus events. These are great ways to inform people about the
organization. Targeting out of state students on Handshake is crucial in the use of Handshake
because they have to work in the Summer to get the discounted tuition. There are 4000 students
from Illinois alone. Overall, Handshake will improve collaboration with the school, which is one
of the best places to market your organization.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn is Another popular job platform to get a business or organization's name out. It
allows for people inside and outside of Columbia to learn about the organization and apply for
jobs. In order to set up the page, the organization profile needs to be older than seven days. In
addition, the information in the profile has to match all personal information. When the LinkedIn
profile is created, the first and last page of the organization must be on there. The profile strength
must show an Intermediate or All-Star status. The profile strength status is shown on the right
side of the profile to rank the strength of the organization's page. The next requirement is having
multiple connections to demonstrate strong networking skills and also to show that the
administrator’s profile is not a fake. The email address used for the page must be unique to the
organization. Domains such as Gmail and Hotmail can’t be used.
 Section Four: World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day 

The World Refugee Day celebration, usually celebrated on June 20th, has been a very important
way in which Refugee and Immigration Services of Catholic Charities have recognized the brave
people who were forced to flee their home countries to escape persecution. The objectives for
this year’s celebration are to increase attendance of the event, increase community involvement,
and make it more fun for attendees. I will outline ideas for community involvement, location,
and activities for the world refugee day celebration.

Community Involvement
Community partnership is important for this event not only to get the word out and reach new
audiences but to minimize costs. They will want as many partnerships, sponsorships and
donations as possible. I created a list of local organizations and restaurants with whom R.I.S.
could share a mutual benefit, including some immigrant-owned businesses and organizations. All
partners, sponsors, or donors would be mentioned in the event programs. 
They discussed having a potluck style portion of the event and it is a great idea to get people who
have shared food at the event in the past as well as these local restaurants to donate a few pans of
food. This would be a ticketed event, with tickets being about $5 per person. 

Jamaican Jerk Hut  (573) 607-9779

Comedor Popular (Centro Latino)  (573) 449-9442

Sagua La Grande  (573) 818-1766

La Paleteria El Tajin  (573) 447-6595

Thai Express  (573) 442-3998

India's House  (573) 817-2009

A&Y international market  (573) 875-8724

These other Businesses and Organizations I found are all about community involvement and I’m
sure would want to help in any way possible. This could be through advertisement, donation of
materials, having an info booth at the event, or monetary donation. 

Jabberwocky Studios  (573) 239-9899 - jabberwockycomo@gmail.com

 Mizzou International Center  Executive Staff Assistant Hilary Baumann - baumannh@missouri.edu

573-882-6007

City of Refuge               (573) 454-1552

African Students association                  mizzouasa@mail.missouri.edu

Artlandish Gallery  Lisa Bartlett - (573) 442-2999

Orr St gallery  (573) 875-4370

Makes Scents                 (573) 445-1611

Stephens College  (573) 303-4800

Columbia Art League  info@columbiaartleague.org 

Location
There are two potential alternative locations for the event. Firstly, Stephens Lake park. It’s huge
and a great event space, there is an amphitheater for events so we would not have to bring our
own stage for performers, the city bus stops here so there is easy access for those without cars
and it's a beautiful park. 
Medium Shelter $60

Tent Fee $40

Water Fee $10

Concession Permit Fee $60

Concession Permit Fee  $15/ each booth above 7

Gate Key  $20

Ticketed Special Event Fees $100/Acre + $1 per every ticket sold (est 100 attendees)

Performance cleanup and damage $200

bond

Water Spigot Key  $50

Other Applicable deposits TBD

Estimated Total  $655 - 200 deposit 

Another option would be to partner with Centro Latino - a community center that helps Latino
families navigate the health, social and legal services of the Mid-Missouri area. They have a
similar mission to R.I.S. which makes them the perfect partners. The owner, Eduardo Crespi is
hoping to open his Comedor Popular within the next few months that will sell a variety of Latin
dishes. An event this big would be a great opportunity for both organizations to reach new
audiences and connect with those who need services. To schedule an event, contact Nicole
Crespi - (573)-673-7942 or njp444@gmail.com.

Activities
To showcase talent from all around the world, I would recommend R.I.S. to ask those who are
affiliated with R.I.S. if they have any talents that they would like to share first. I have a personal
connection to the performers that I’ve listed and they would be willing to perform at the event. 
Louder Than A Bomb Slam Poetry - TK Thomas 573-489-4638
Pass the Light Mbira Group - Anand Prahlad 573-239-1327
OneMic- TK Thomas
Made in Africa (MIA) Dance Group - Mayowa Adekunle 314-755-5081

Children's activities may include racing, a bouncy house and guided arts and crafts. This could
be taught by a volunteer, but I did recently look into a nonprofit here in Columbia called
Jabberwocky Studios. It’s an amazing organization focused on teaching young kids different
forms of art and expression. They serve immigrants, incarcerated youth, and school children. I
think this could be a great collaboration. 

The World Refugee Day celebration would be a time where everyone is together and a
collaborative arts project  could reflect the vision of refugee and immigration services and the
people that it serves. Though the deadline for one of these grants have passed, they should keep
them in mind for the next World Refugee Day celebration in 2021 since it is likely there will not
be a 2020 celebration. 
GRANTS
Grants for Organizations | NEA

If they are unable to get a grant, that is okay. Columbia is full of artists who love community
involvement and would be happy to help. Madeleine LeMieux is the founder of Resident arts and
she worked on a mural with North Village Arts District Farmers and Artisans Community on a
mural for their Art of food Fundraiser. She has experience in collaborative arts and would likely
be willing to help. Madeleine LeMieux - 573.303.7195 or info@residentarts.org
 Section Four: Grant Research

The Refugee and Immigration Services operate as a non-profit organization in central

Missouri, helping to welcome and resettle immigrants and refugees. Through operations the
R.I.S is in a unique place to get financial aid from many government programs. Further, because
of the connection with the catholic church and catholic charity groups there are already funding
programs in place for organizations including the R.I.S. 
One mission of I.R.S is to provide safe and hopeful refuge for those forced to flee. The
target is to benefit those fleeing political turmoil, seeking protection from government conflict,
and economic disasters. With operations and efforts addressing this issue there are grants
available which are intended aid for a variety of topics. These grants are in place to offer a
simpler transition for removed individuals, promoting economic success and the development of
strong community based organizations.
The grant research highlighted five current Grant programs available which would
benefit the R.I.S in an immediate and substantial way. An important factor to remember is that
new grants and positive financing opportunities come constantly. 

Grant 1: Community Solutions Program

This grant was made available to 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations and Cultural Affair
Organizations like the R.I.S. This program has been rooted in Africa for several years and aims
to bring African community leaders into the United States. By placing important figures of
African communities in the US there is an increased rate of comfortable transition and economic
success for future immigrants. The program aims to assist leaders and secure jobs in American
economic, political, environmental, and social positions. 

Financial information:

Grant Floor: $0 Grant Ceiling: $2,500,000

Grant 2: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Migration and Refugee Service
General Grant

This grant has been made available to Catholic Church and affiliate partners like the R.I.S. This
grant serves the primary purpose to confront adversity and victims of religious prejudice and
economic chaos. The mission of the Catholic church and vision behind this grant is to improve
the lives of those around the world. This grant is structured to provide recently relocated people
with financial and mental emergency aid. 

Financial Information:

Grant Floor: $0 Grant Ceiling: remaining funds not already allocated elsewhere

Grant 3: Ethnic Community Self Help Program

The Ethnic Community Self Help Program grant is available to all 501 (c)(3) nonprofit
organizations and refugee assistance programs. The base to this grant is the goal of funding
greater opportunities for advancement for current or former refugees. A unique factor of this
grant is that it intends to provide distinctive services for each location for newly placed people.
In the case of R.I.S this would mean Columbia specific programs designed to challenge the huge
differences when coming from a second or third world country. This is offered to provide
improved ethnic community based programs and help integration to American society.

Financial Information:

Grant Floor: $100,000 Grant Ceiling: $200,000

Grant 4:  Programs Benefiting Refugees and Vulnerable Populations in: Burkina Faso,
Mauritania, Niger and Senegal

This, like other grants, is available to 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations and refugee assistance
programs. In the position of R.I.S this provides an opportunity to build new relationships with
different African countries. The grant aims to provide migration assistance and promote a
community approach for new refugees. Coupled with the desire to build lasting activities and
organizations this serves a special purpose. This focuses on vulnerable populations, particularly
those facing gender based violence. 

Financial Information:

Floor: $400,000 Ceiling: $1,500,000

Grant 5: Voluntary Agencies Matching Grant Program

This is a grant not yet available but which will soon be offered to Faith Based organizations and
refugee assistance programs. The objective of this opportunity is to fast track new arrivals for
economic self-sufficiency and has been created for organizations that work with reception and
placement programs. Ideally this program will lead to maximized offers of employment,
housing, transportation, and health benefits.

Financial Information:

Grant Floor: $1,000,000 Grant Ceiling: $26,400,000

 Section Five: Final Recommendations & Conclusion

The Refugee & Immigration Services as a program of the Catholic Charities of Central
and Northern Missouri is an outstanding organization, benefiting the community and the country
as a whole. The R.I.S. is an amazing organization to work with. The group had no conflicts in
communication, understanding the objectives, and executing the presentation to its fullest
potential. The project goals were categorized into Fundraising, Marketing, and World Refugee
Day/Grant Research. The recommendations and conclusions are as follows: 
Fundraising: In providing ideas for small manageable fundraisers throughout the year,
the team found profit shares with local restaurants to be easy and effective. There are many
options provided for profit shares, as it is encouraged to host multiple throughout the year to
maximize the amount of money and awareness raised for the R.I.S. 
A 5K is a great annual fundraising for the R.I.S. It brings the community together and for
an amazing cause. Stephens Lake Park was found to be the best location to host the 5K and all of
the steps necessary to execute this event are outlined in Section Two. The most important step is
filling out the Park Special Use Permit Application and the necessary fees and deposits are
subject to change, however, the details provided are accurate examples. 
As far as marketing the fundraising events, social media is a great platform. It is
important to stay consistent and ahead of the game when it comes to promoting a certain event.
Collaborating with other businesses in the community should be used to the organization’s
advantage as well. 
Due to the sudden changes with the pandemic, not all of these goals will be achievable as
they once were. That does not mean these plans cannot still be incorporated however. For the
fundraising events the profit shares should be able to happen as soon as some of the restrictions
are lifted and more people are able to leave their houses. Profit shares will still be viable options
with curbside pickups and delivery services, but the 5K provides more of a challenge will the
new normal. It is unknown how long it will be before large groups are able to gather together,
but it is a great plan to keep in mind for the future.
Marketing: Partnering with Mizzou is the best option for resources and exposure, which
are both crucial for the R.I.S. to succeed. With the increase of resources, the R.I.S. will have
access to Mizzou’s facilities, programs, and students from various majors. In addition to a
partnership with the school, getting involved with Greek life can be an essential initiative. Greek
life philanthropies raise thousands of dollars every year for a cause of their choosing. If the
organization gets a fraternity or sorority to sponsor them for their philanthropy event, it would
substantially increase exposure and funding. Also, entering Mizzou’s Build Your Board Program
can assist in creating strategic marketing goals, as well as filling needs where the organization is
weak. Onto the next recommendation, putting the R.I.S. on Mizzou’s Handshake and LinkedIn
will effectively increase exposure. They will allow the organization to acquire the best talent
from Mizzou and all of Columbia. These recommendations will prove to be indispensable for the
organization's marketing efforts. Also, in unpredictable times like with COVID-19, having the
increased resources and exposure from the recommendations will provide a cushion to fall back
on. Having pages on LinkedIn and Handshake will provide continuous exposure to the
organization, even if people are forced to stay inside. 
World Refugee Day: As R.I.S. is centered around integrating immigrants and refugees
into the Columbia Community, community involvement is a crucial aspect of the World Refugee
Day celebration. Partnering with local organizations allows R.I.S. to reach new audiences and
spread brand awareness. Activities for the event will be reflective of the values of R.I.S. and the
people that they serve. This includes food, art and poetry from different cultures and a
collaborative art project created by attendees. 
Grant Research: The two grants that stand out the brightest are the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops Migration and Refugee Service General Grant, and the Ethnic
Community Self Help Grant. These two offered benefits that would impact the R.I.S.
immediately and with significant changes. Further, they were also most compatible with the
missions of R.I.S, meaning that the grant application would likely go smoothly. Demonstrating
operations and actions to why R.I.S could benefit from the aid and how the organization has
already worked to support the goals of the grant. In addition, one grant comes from government
funding while the other from the Catholic churches charity foundation which allows for
diversification in grant requests. 
The information on these grants was found through the Federal Grant application and
information sites, as well as background research of the organization. From understanding the
mission statement and operations of the R.I.S, linking grants that fit the needs with the
organization became simple. The information on each grant could be researched including
financial dates, who the grant was available and intended for, and also what the grant would do. 
By finding the most critical areas to improve with grants, and developing an
understanding of the R.I.S capacities, grant research could be improved to focus only on the most
important areas. 
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