International Development: USAID providing $1 million to support baseball alliance for Dominican Republic

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Peace Corps signed an historic alliance with six well known Dominican non-profit organizations to benefit poor communities in the Dominican Republic. The purpose of the Alliance is to use baseball as a catalyst for improving the lives of the less fortunate in the Dominican Republic through sound community development activities. Baseball is, traditionally, America's game, but it is also the passion of the Dominican Republic and will be helpful in bringing a host of new ideas and contributors to help alleviate the many challenges facing poor Dominicans. USAID will contribute $1 million to the project.

On November 19, P. Robert Fannin, the U.S. Ambassador in the Dominican Republic, and Joe Garagiola, Jr., MLB Senior Vice President, announced the Alliance during a ceremony held at the Ambassador's Residence in Santo Domingo. Many former and active Dominican baseball players and key MLB representatives participated in this event to include Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz and Robinson Cano.

The Alliance has two principal goals: improve the quality of life in Dominican communities and foster long-term relationship between MLB teams, players, and fans with these communities. The projects under this Alliance will focus on education, health, youth development, small scale economic development and job creation for the poor. The Alliance will help increase the impacts of the considerable charitable assistance with which Dominican players are already engaged.

The six non-profit institutions that are participating - World Vision, Save the Children, Plan International, Esperanza International, Batey Relief Alliance, and the Dominican Institute for Integrated Development - have for decades provided community service in the Dominican Republic.

USAID's $1 million over 3 years will serve as a matching fund for any donations received to help fund community development activities. The eventual target of the Alliance is to get every signed MLB Dominican player (over 500 per year) to give back something to his community and also for MLB teams to help those communities where their academies are located. This Alliance seeks to mobilize the entire baseball family (fans, players, teams, sponsors). If a player decides to donate, for example, $1,000, to the Alliance, USAID will then match this with another $1,000. Peace Corps will provide a full time volunteer to assist the project.

The Alliance has an honorary Board of Advisors co-chaired by the U.S. Ambassador in the Dominican Republic and a Vice President from MLB. The members of the Board represent active and former MLB players, the Dominican private sector as well as Dominican journalists, MLB team and Dominican non-profit organizations. Members of Board serve as spokespeople for the Alliance and help market the Alliance with their contacts and help identify possible donors.

For more information about USAID, please visit: www.usaid.gov.

Source: U.S. Agency for International Development

Published by Mike Hitchen, mikehitchenconsulting.com
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