In Armenia, philanthropy is an area of society familiar to all, but deeply misunderstood by many. Spurred by “the growing cynicism around donating to charitable causes in Armenia,” Patrick Sarkissian, philanthropist and CEO of the innovative, New York-based design studio Sarkissian Mason, asked his audience at 2013’s TEDx Yerevan conference several boundary-pushing questions. One stood out in particular: “What if you could donate to a charity and know exactly where your money went?”
passengers on the #OneBusa, a community bus that doubles as a creative space, providing free rides to locals all around the city
The for-purpose organization ONEArmenia (1A for short), which has been operating successfully for the last two years, is his answer. ONEArmenia’s largest priority, according to their operations manager, Nora Kayserian, is promoting sustainability and empowering communities in Armenia.
Relying heavily on digital and social media, 1A is changing the face of philanthropy with positive effects for the country’s global image on all fronts. Its presence in the community establishes a decisive shift from traditional approaches. Describing the country as “the coolest place you’ve never heard of,” 1A’s website doesn’t waste time in asserting in large, bold letters that they “don’t believe in charity.” Their approach is game-changing for five main reasons:
- They attract a global community. Particularly in Armenia, organizations have a tendency to burrow inwards, relying primarily on diasporan communities in certain areas for support. Sarkissian’s background in design is evident in ONEArmenia’s emphasis on sleek presentation and pithy, yet compelling content geared towards audiences of all backgrounds.
- Their projects depict Armenia as a contemporary society. ONEArmenia’s initiatives demonstrate that Armenia is a society that is as progressive as it is historic by sponsoring opportunities to stimulate creativity in urban settings. For example, last June, 1A sponsored the production of Yerevan’s very first rock opera.
- Their campaigns have realisticexpectations. They select projects that are smaller in scale, making them feasible, demonstrable ahead of time, easy to monitor, and sustainableeven after their team is no longer directly involved. Their website invites viewers to explore past and current projects and provides links to detailed information about strategy implementation, budgeting, and monetary allocation.
- They recognize the importance of grassroots endeavors. All projects selected by are based off of needs determined by the very communities the projects seek to support. Project ideas are pitched to them on a rolling basis and 1A’s team weeds through the competition to select the very best and brightest. The projects themselves creatively weave between contemporary issues in all of Armenia’s sectors.
- They exercise flexibility as an organization. ONEArmenia is not limited by its role as a crowd-funding platform.Because most of its staff is made up of young people with eyes and ears all over Yerevan’s urban spaces, it’s eager to take on local, grassroots projects, even when the opportunity to raise money is not apparent. The ONEBus is an example of such an initiative—a community bus that doubles as a creative space, providing free rides to locals all around the city. In December, 1A sponsored a short documentary film, LEVON, about a roller-blading philosopher who fearlessly wanders Yerevan’s streets.
Most importantly, as its name suggests, ONEArmenia recognizes the value of one. One idea, one project, one donation, one donor. As a donor, you are informed exactly where your money is headed before the fundraising portion of the campaign is even finished and are kept up-to-date about where it has gone once the project is executed. When you contribute to 1A, it’s not as a passive helper, but as an active participant.
For its current project, ONEArmenia has paired with the Homeland Development Initiative Foundation (HDIF) and plans to launch a Wheat Festival in the town of Vardenis, a region in which half of the population is unemployed and the average monthly salary is $150. The campaign hopes that strategically promoting and preparing small businesses for the festival will provide the town with economic development and empowerment.
The campaign ends Sept. 5. To visit the campaign website, watch their video, check out some of the beautiful donor gifts, and “dough some good” for the community of Vardenis, visit www.indiegogo.com/projects/support-eco-tourism-small-businesses-in-armenia.
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