Association for the Development of Pakistan

The Association for the Development of Pakistan (ADP) is a non-profit organization with a mission to enhance the lives of the poor, neglected and underprivileged of Pakistan by providing support for carefully selected social development projects in a range of sectors including infrastructure, environment, healthcare, education, gender equality, labor and food rights.

ADP is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and has local chapters in California and Washington DC. ADP is recognized as a 501 (c) non-profit by the Internal Revenue Service.

Operating Model

ADP is unique among Pakistani non-profits operating in the US due to the participatory nature of its membership and its holistic approach to development. ADP members raise funds, primarily in the US, to financially support social development projects in Pakistan that meet its criteria. ADP chapters raise funds from Pakistanis in their communities; non-Pakistanis interested in Pakistani development; and corporate foundations/institutions. The process of choosing which projects to support is incredibly participatory with all eligible members having an equal say. Usually projects come to ADP members' attention through proposals submitted via the ADP website, or through ADP partner NGOs in Pakistan. Once a proposal is submitted, it is screened for a potential match. Most serious proposals are assigned a Project Champion (PC) who is the liaison between the ADP members and the NGO. The PC posts the proposal to the online ADP forums whilst making a case for funding the project. Members submit questions and comments to the forum. The PC aggregates these questions and asks the NGO to provide responses. Based on the responses and member comments, the PC makes a judgment to the extent the project will have member support. If there seems to be enough support, the PC may choose to make a formal presentation to the local chapter at one of its monthly meetings. Based on feedback of the meeting and comments posted on the forum, the PC then decides whether or not to ask for a formal vote on the project. In the event of a vote, all eligible members are asked to post their vote online publicly with a rationale for their vote. If the membership approves the project, the PC then completes final logistical details such as the contract and funding details. The PC is also the ongoing contact for the NGO, periodically reviewing the progress of the project and reporting the findings to the membership.

Response to Earthquake in Northern Pakistan in October 2005

After the October 8, 2005 earthquake that struck Northern Pakistan, ADP reacted quickly to raise significant funds for immediate relief as well as long term redevelopment. Considered to be one of the most successful grassroot fundraising efforts, the organization grew manyfold in both donations, and number of members immediately after the earthquake. Its success in responding to the tragedy resulted in ADP being the subject of several news stories by such organizaions as the Boston Globe and BBC. According to its website, ADP raised more than $400,000 for earthquake relief in less than two months.

External links

* [http://www.developpakistan.org ADP Website]