Baalu Girma Baalu Girma Foundation Foundation

Po Box 530892Po Box 530892

Livonia, MI 48153Livonia, MI 48153

Foundation Fact SheetFoundation Fact Sheet

Founded: February 14, 2009Founded: February 14, 2009 Tax status: non-profit-Tax status: non-profit-501(C)(3)501(C)(3) The Foundation operates in: Ethiopia The Foundation operates in: Ethiopia

& USA& USA Current board members:Current board members:

Meskerem Baalu Girma – President Meskerem Baalu Girma – President Zelalem Baalu Girma – Secretary Zelalem Baalu Girma – Secretary Mesfin Feleke - TreasurerMesfin Feleke - Treasurer

Our MissionOur Mission

Empowering journalists & creative Empowering journalists & creative writerswriters

The Foundation believes: The Foundation believes: Creative writing and journalism professions Creative writing and journalism professions

play vital roles in our lives by: play vital roles in our lives by: Engaging & expanding our imaginationEngaging & expanding our imagination Adding insight & understanding to our world-Adding insight & understanding to our world-

viewview Helping us protect and preserve important Helping us protect and preserve important

values values

Our VisionOur Vision Partners: We will work hard to foster mutual Partners: We will work hard to foster mutual

respect and collaboration. We will remain respect and collaboration. We will remain responsive and accountable – and expect the same responsive and accountable – and expect the same in returnin return

Programs: We will offer programs that will Programs: We will offer programs that will continue to be stimulating and relevant. Working continue to be stimulating and relevant. Working with our partners, we will invest in innovative with our partners, we will invest in innovative ideas to empower others. The foundation will be a ideas to empower others. The foundation will be a powerful resource.powerful resource.

Associates: We believe people are our most Associates: We believe people are our most important asset. We will create a work important asset. We will create a work environment where people have opportunity to environment where people have opportunity to learn, seek challenges, and be reward for their learn, seek challenges, and be reward for their accomplishments. accomplishments.

Vision Continued…Vision Continued…

Participants: We pledge to treat everyone Participants: We pledge to treat everyone with respect and fairness. It is our wish with respect and fairness. It is our wish and belief that people will use their and belief that people will use their knowledge and personal advancement to do knowledge and personal advancement to do greater good for others. greater good for others.

Management: We realize we make Management: We realize we make mistakes. We also believe it is more mistakes. We also believe it is more important to learn from our mistakes. We important to learn from our mistakes. We will remain open-minded, continually invest will remain open-minded, continually invest in our learning, and commit to learning in our learning, and commit to learning from the best. from the best.

Our Guiding PrinciplesOur Guiding Principles

Passion for what we do & relentless Passion for what we do & relentless pursuit to be betterpursuit to be better

Attracting those who are committed to Attracting those who are committed to their own success and are driven by their own success and are driven by service to othersservice to others

Building an organization that Building an organization that encourages learning & creative thinkingencourages learning & creative thinking

Maintaining expertise & focusMaintaining expertise & focus Integrity, encouraging diversity, and Integrity, encouraging diversity, and

enterprising attitudeenterprising attitude

Organizational Organizational StrategiesStrategies

PartnershipsPartnerships Acquiring, developing, and Acquiring, developing, and

maintaining leadership talentmaintaining leadership talent Working with clear & measurable Working with clear & measurable

goalsgoals Adopting proven and innovative Adopting proven and innovative

methodologies methodologies

Programs in Programs in Development Development

Distance Learning Opportunities Distance Learning Opportunities Grant writing Grant writing Professional Development Programs Professional Development Programs Scholarship AssistanceScholarship Assistance