Peace organizations are often looking for support, resources and an introduction to the corporate world. I recommend you consider both Rotary and Lions Clubs. Essentially they both have "helping to advance peace in our communities and the world" in their missions. My experience is with Rotary Clubs and so I will share some of that "intelligence":
To locate specific Rotary Clubs, go to the “Where Clubs Meet” section of the Rotary homepage at www.rotary.org/services/clubs/index.html and type in your community.
Below, I have copied an excerpt of "How to Work With Rotary" from the Rotary web site at http://www.rotary.org . Go to the web site and do a search on "peace", "united nations", etc. and see all the good work they do. Among other things, Rotary sponsors Peace Scholarships to about 7 key Universities around the world. You will also be interested to read a letter of cooperation with UNESCO at http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/downloadcenter/pdfs/unesco_letter.pdf .
For information about Lions Clubs, go to http://www.lionsclubs.org/
How to Work with Rotary
Effective collaboration with Rotary International (RI) begins at local or regional levels. This approach works because all projects are developed by individual Rotary clubs or districts. Rotary’s only corporate initiative is the PolioPlus program, which focuses on global polio eradication.
Here are some basic tips to establishing relationships with Rotary at local, regional or national, and/or international organizational levels.
AT THE LOCAL LEVEL
All Rotary clubs meet weekly to share information with members and to decide which projects the club plans to initiate or support. Once you have targeted a specific Rotary club, there are several ways to proceed, including:
Inviting club members to visit a project site or the local office of your organization.
Offering to give a presentation at a Rotary club meeting.
Inviting club members to address your organization.
Providing informational material for club members and/or prepare an article for the club bulletin.
To locate specific Rotary Clubs, go to the “Where Clubs Meet” section of the Rotary homepage at
www.rotary.org/services/clubs/index.html . Alternatively, you may refer to a local Chamber of Commerce or telephone directory for nearby Rotary clubs.
AT THE REGIONAL OR NATIONAL LEVEL
To increase regional or national awareness and support for your organization’s initiative, Rotary recommends that you contact one of RI’s 530 district governors. Each district governor, a volunteer officer, oversees the activities of approximately 50 clubs within a specific geographical region.
To assist the district governor, each district supports a variety of committees which focus on particular aspects of Rotary activities, including community service, international exchanges, youth programs, Rotary Foundation grants, etc.
To supplement strategies for facilitating local level collaboration at the district level, you may:
Arrange a meeting with the district governor (or his or her representative) and members of your
national or field program coordinators.
Contact the district governor to facilitate introductions between your regional program
coordinators and Rotary district chairpersons for parallel programs.
To find the district governor in your region, refer to the “Where Clubs Meet” of the Rotary International Web site at http://www.rotary.org/services/clubs/index.html . Without a specific District Number, you will need to use the Drill Down Function to identify a particular locale with a district number. If no district number is listed, this area or country may be governed by a district in another country.
If you do not have access to the Internet, please contact Rotary International Headquarters for specific district governor contact information. RI Headquarters contact information is listed below.
AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
Under certain circumstances, RI headquarters may agree to distribute general information about your organization regarding funding, conference information and other significant resources to a global Rotary audience.
For international attention, information should be provided well in advance—sometimes even one year prior to an event or activity. From headquarters, RI will use the following criteria to evaluate which materials will be distributed internationally:
1. RI and the organization must have mutually shared goals.
2. The organization’s program must reflect an existing RI program or emphasis.
3. The organization must be of sound reputation & financial integrity.
4. The information will enhance/ support Rotary service.
5. Relationships must include some potential for public recognition of Rotary’s participation in the activity.
6. RI would not incur any ongoing obligation to the other organization.
Working with Rotary often yields considerable long-term benefits. Rotary International hopes that you will be successful in your outreach to Rotary club members at the local, district and international organizational levels.
Note Regarding Annual Changes in Rotary Leadership
Rotary leadership at the club, district, and international levels changes annually on 1 July. If you are seeking support, Rotary recommends that you begin communicating with clubs and districts early in the “Rotary year,” e.g. July or August, before major project commitments have already been determined.
More information is available at www.rotary.org
or from the RI External Relations team at
Rotary International
1560 Sherman Ave.
Evanston, IL 60201, USA
Phone: (1-847) 866-3408/3387
Fax: (1-847) 866-8237
E-mail: ers@rotaryintl.org