FAQS
*Is my donation tax deductible?
YES. WE are a 501c3 organization registered in the USA and you will receive your official donation receipt.
*Can I indicate to which location and the area of focus my donation is directed?
YES. When you donate please specify in the provided space to which country and which area of focus you’d like your donation to be designated.
*How much of my donation will be used on the area of focus to which I am donating?
100%. Right now we are working as volunteers and donating our time. We expect that for the first 3-5 years we will have very zero overhead, and are striving to get as many dollars as we can into the areas we serve.
*There is an immense need for humanitarian aid why focus on small-scale?
There are organizations much larger than ours which cater to mass-scale efforts. We feel that as just a few humans, we can put more effort into helping a few, who may then in turn be able to contribute to others in their family and communities.
*Why are men mainly highlighted in your website photos and not women?
The women we serve and work with (and often their children) already exist within a highly marginalized sector of society. In order to preserve their dignity and privacy we do not put them on "display". If a recipient requests their photo on our site we will absolutely share their photo and details while we celebrate their accomplishments with them. In addition, when working within certain societies, we recognize that some topics are considered taboo. One of those topics is menstruation. While we support the work to break down barriers, we do not wish to ever negate the privacy of the individual in what may be an embarrassing setting for them.
*How do you protect the integrity of people you serve without exploiting their situation?
We feel it is of utmost importance to recognizing the dignity of each individual. Because we respect rights to privacy and consent we will NOT post photos of individuals who may be in difficult situations. Instead, we will work to post photos of the location, the area of focus, and report on positive outcomes. We will ONLY post photos with permission and ONLY of people with whom we have worked directly.
*Can I directly contact the people to whom I have donated?
We do not make, nor do we encourage, those types of connections between individuals and donors.
*Are you affiliated with any religious, political or social groups?
NO. We strive to maintain neutrality in all realms and serve all in need, regardless. We proudly stand with good humans doing good work to create positive outcomes.
*Do you have a policy of transparency so donors can see where their money has gone?
YES. We intend to remain open, honest and engaged with our donors and will post our year-end financial statistics. We will give a full accounting of what we have done and where, and are confident this will continue to build trust in our work.
*How is Provisions For Humanity different than other nonprofits?
To be honest, we may not be!! There are a lot of amazing groups doing amazing work in the world. However, because we focus our support on Women's Enterprises, the small group or an individual, we believe we are strengthening a foundation with excellent staying power. In addition we have worked hard over the years to build trusted and reliable relationships with whom we work. We have seen first hand the immediate effects our supporting role can facilitate. We are also experienced in small-scale successes! (We have an 8 year history of these, but because our organization was recently founded, we will be highlighting from 2023 onward).
*What types of travel opportunities do you anticipate offering and will they be “missions”?
We anticipate traveling to India and Nepal in the fall and spring, and to Rwanda in late summer, but there are easily a dozen other countries we would love to host you in as well. Please note that we do not aim to make travel opportunities a moment in time to highlight the 'have vs. have not'. We do not encourage traveling with us to see people who 'have so little', and bring them 'more'. We simply LOVE the places we have worked, and want to share adventures with like-minded others. When we travel to a community, it supports their local businesses and peoples and we like that. While there may be opportunities to see partners in action, in no way does our travel intend to highlight differences or exploit people in any situation.
*Will travel opportunities include direct involvement with the people receiving donations?
The short answer is probably not and there are a variety of reasons. IF we were going to be traveling specifically to an area and meet a group with whom we will work or have worked, we would only do so under strict protocol. Our aim is to maintain integrity, remove inequality and support creation of opportunities. When we travel, if we are heavily focused on making a big deal of OUR donation TO others, it only serves to reinforce imbalances and inequality. Maintaining clear boundaries between being the supporting cast vs. being a main character or "savior" of any sort is of utmost importance.
*Where can I learn more?
Check out our menu at the top to find out who we are as founders, what drives us to do what we believe in, travel opportunities we envision, why we began PFH and of course feel free to contact us with questions, comments, corrections, and more!