Help Save The World: (Part 2)

Please read on for Part II of this special article on how you can help save the world.

Last week, we covered the New York Foundation UnleashPowerForThePeople.com, a non-profit attempting to solve the world's energy and poverty woes. Global innovator, Dave McCoy believes he (and you too!) can solve many of the world's problems by empowering impoverished individuals in both developing and advanced nations though: Water and energy.

According to the Website, "Unleash the Power For the People Foundation is a charitable organization that raises money for the purpose of enabling people to help those that are truly impoverished in the world. Channeling the power of people to provide power for people."

Previous, in Part I, Dave explained a bit about himself and the foundation... Now, we get down to the nuts and bolts of saving the world...

Dave, thanks for coming back again this week... Obviously saving the world by giving away technology isn't cheap... Can you give us some insights to the solar, wind and desalination technologies you're planning on using, and how much they cost?

Initially we plan on using both wind and solar power generators from brand name suppliers, like GE Solar. These are units that are commercially available today and are currently being deployed throughout the developed world. They harness the power of the wind or sun to provide a non-carbon based solution to delivering energy.

Longer term, we plan to contract with large vendors to partner on the installation of larger projects that would include both power and water (which in turn will advance food production). A typical cost of our first generators is $20,000 to help a community with about 50 people for over 25 years. As time passes and our organization grows influence, we're hoping to implement grandiose projects, helping larger communities... but we have to walk before we run.

By keeping the focus on small solutions initially, we believe that we will best deliver the message and show tangible benefits that can be seen in a relatively short time.

What's your exact implementation plan for these technologies?

That’s easy Mark. We identify the community to donate to, raise the money needed ($20,000 per community initially), and then buy the units already pre-built. GE Solar has a great product that essentially runs right out of the box and since it is portable we don’t have to deal with the construction issues that face larger projects.

Over time we hopefully will develop a network of engineers and installers that will donate their skills to do larger projects, but in the beginning we are going to keep it simple and focus on the education and maximize the implementation time.

So how can individuals help? Can they do more than just donate money?

Individuals can help in many ways. Of course we could always use money and on our homepage we have a place to make a contribution, but just as important to donating money is the donation of time and thought to helping the mission succeed.

Every person can help in some way, whether it is in telling a friend, sending an email to their network of people, doing a school project for us to display on one of our affiliated websites, talking to their company about becoming a “partner”, shopping using our stoppovertydaily.com portal, or even donating their talents to help the organization get more notice.

Every person rich and poor alike can contribute to the mission and if they just give me 1 hour a week, I will find a way to multiply that by 20.

What about small donations from individuals? And are you looking for Corporate partners?

Yes, no donation is too small. We are a 501c3 non-profit corporation and every donation is tax-deductible. $5, $10, $100, or more… it all adds up Mark! As to the Corporate partners, absolutely YES!

We welcome all corporations both large and small to sign up as a “partner”… Corporations can contribute in many ways like becoming a co-sponsor of an specific community, contributing their own products, providing auction items for fundraising, organizing their workforce for specific “donor drives”, or just simply notifying their customer base of the foundation… Everything helps, everything is welcome.

In the bigger scheme of things, where are you now, and what are some of the major hurdles you are facing?

We are in the first batter facing the first pitch in a 9-inning game. We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of what we have planned. As to hurdles, I prefer to look at them as challenges to be overcome…

With focus and drive, everything can be overcome as long as one stays patient. To answer the question though, honestly everything is moving better than I anticipated. With today’s speed of information flow, we have managed to sign up about 300 people in a several month time frame…

While it is just a small fraction of the many millions I hope for, it is a beginning to something that I truly hope will provide a benefit to both communities and to the world in total. If I had a wish though, it would simply be that everyone that reads this article just ask themselves one simple question: If I could be a part of truly changing the world for “good”, would I? If the answer is yes, then I hope they take the time to signup and offer their time, talents, or focus.

Are you getting any negative feedback from people who don't support your cause?

No, not one. I can’t imagine who would not support a cleaner environment and helping the poor achieve a better life. I would say the worst I have seen is “indifference” or “skepticism”, but I’m confident that both of those attitudes are conquered once we as a group demonstrate our sincerity.

Finally, in an ideal world, if 2008 could play precisely as you would like, what would need to happen?

Wow, what a question! You are asking an optimistic Sales Manager that? Haha… I’ll answer it this way. We have set a public goal of raising $1 million, helping 5000 people to receive electricity for the first time in their life, and grow to 10,000 free supporters. But in MY ideal world, those numbers could be 10x those results, and we could be looking at a 2009 goal that would blow your readers minds. The foundation is a pure organization that is extremely focused on its mission of helping both the poor and the environment, and since we take NOTHING in salaries and expenses to achieve that goal, I believe that the concept will be very appealing to many people in all spectrums of life.

Thanks so much for your time Dave… I'm truly thrilled with all that you are doing. It is easy for many of us to bury our heads in the sand, especially when it comes to the needs of others in less privileged countries. However, if we were to all pitch in just a slight hand, this world would truly be a better place.

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Unleash Power For The People is an exciting Foundation with great promise to help people worldwide! Please read Unleash Power For The People: Part I.

Mark Whistler

4/1/08

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