NetSAP DC’s January Third Thursday Benefiting the Grameen Foundation

Reprinted with Permission from Purti Ruchi Bali, President of the Network of South Asian Professionals DC

Originally posted on January 25, 2010 at http://netsapdc.wordpress.com/

January Third Thursday, January 21, 2010

We (NetSAP DC) held our first Third Thursday of the year at Hudson in Dupont Circle and had a great turnout. By my humble estimate, I think we had about 50 attendees (its hard to gauge as people come in and out of the happy hour). We had free appetizers and great bar specials. To add a professional element to the Third Thursday, we asked all attendees to wear name tags and attach star or smiley face stickers to indicate their professional industry (for example, my purple star meant that I’m a consultant). Most people were good sports and we got a lot of compliments for the simple and effective idea.

Hudson did get crowded as do most of our Third Thursday locations and this only reinforced the fact that Third Thursdays are our most popular event. Our Special Event Director is working hard to secure larger and new venues for this monthly event. We also took cash donations at the door to fundraise for Haiti relief efforts. The cash donations along with 50% of the door cover charge will be donated to NetIP’s National Charity Partner, the Grameen Foundation. In total, NetSAP DC donated $222.00 to the Grameen Foundation! Thank you for your donations! If you didn’t get a chance to attend this month’s Third Thursday, don’t worry there are 9 more to go this year!

Editor’s Note: Proceeds from this event where donated to The Grameen Foundation’s Haiti Relief Fund. The Network of Indian Professionals North America has pledged to support the initiatives of the The Grameen Foundation in 2010.

Edited by Latha Nehru, VP of External Affairs, NetIP NA, www.NetIP.org

Chapter Spotlight: NetIP Dallas’ January Third Thursdays ~ Supporting The Grameen Foundation’s Haiti Fund

President Riya Bhattacharjee, Professional Development Pillar Chair Hosi Kamiya, and VP of Events Jasmin Rohmam signing up a New Member

On January 21st, the Network of Indian Professionals Dallas Chapter kicked off the decade by hosting a very successful Third Thursdays networking event at Bengal Coast Restaurant in Uptown, Dallas. The event was a huge success and drew over 75 attendees, many attending a NetIP event for the first time. NetIP Dallas was able to sign up 20 new members on the spot by featuring a one day onsite membership promotion. Special guest attendee Ajay Patel ,Co-Vice-President and National Liaison of NetIP Atlanta, was quoted on saying how impressed he was with the venue, event execution, and pricing strategy, which he was looking forward to sharing with the NetIP Atlanta Board.

Due to the recent events in Haiti, NetIP Dallas donated all proceeds from this Third Thursdays event to the Grameen Foundation’s Haiti Fund. In line with National’s commitment towards the Grameen Foundation, NetIP Dallas felt that it was critical to donate proceeds towards an effort that not only helps with immediate disaster relief, but will also provide long term relief for the people of Haiti. Grameen’s principle of providing micro-finance loans that will create jobs and help rebuild the city of Port-au-Prince is what attracted NetIP Dallas to this organization.

Unique fundraising efforts of the night included a raffle with 2 pairs of Dallas Mavericks tickets (the best team in the NBA after all), Pearl Earrings donated by Dallas Diamonds ($300 value), and an Aveda spa package. Profits from the raffle ended up raising over $500! Bengal Coast was kind to donate delicious appetizers, which included chicken sticks, vegetable pakoras, and Goan chicken lettuce boats. Dallas’ very own DJ Masai stirred up the night by generously providing his services, getting the crowd to celebrate the new year with a BANG! All attendees went home with a NetIP Dallas t-shirt sponsored by the 2010 Census, perfect for the next NetIP Dallas community service event! This was a great kick off event for the decade and just a hint at what is yet to come!

NetIP Dallas President, Riya Bhattacharjee, was very pleased with their kickoff event and the fact that they have already tripled membership numbers from this time last year. “New year.. new board.. new start .. all you large chapters, watch out for this new addition to your competition!”

Attendees NetIP Atlanta National Liaison & Co-VP Ajay Patel and VP of External Affairs for NetIP North America Latha Nehru

Some NetIP Dallas Upcoming Events Include:
2/13 Tax & Financial Planning Workshop at Bengal Coast
2/18 February Third Thursdays ~ Supporting CHETNA at Red Room
2/20 CHETNA Gala at Fun Asia
2/23 Dinner Circle at Queen of Sheeba
2/25 Investment 101 Workshop
3/06 Job Hunting 101
3/07 Holi at the DFW Hindu Temple
3/13 Carnaval-International Dance Experience at the Hyatt Regency DFW

NetIP Dallas was formed in 1994 and received the 2009 Boscar for Most Improved Chapter. NetIP Dallas began hosting Third Thursday’s in August 2008 after their then Community Service Chair Latha Nehru attended a NetSAP DC Third Thursdays earlier that year and was very impressed with the concept. Third Thursdays continue to be NetIP Dallas’ highest attended event month after month. For more information about NetIP Dallas and any of their upcomming events please visit www.NetIP-Dallas.org or www.Facebook.com/NetIPDallas.

Edited by Latha Nehru, VP of External Affairs, NetIP NA

Help Rebuild Haiti by Creating Jobs with Long Term Micro-finance Loans through the Grameen Foundation

Dear NetIP Family,

For more than a week now you have all seen the devastating images from Haiti and read heartbreaking accounts of surviors from the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck one week ago today. While there has not been an official estimate of the tragic loss of life that has occurred, the figures appear to be in the tens of thousands.

According to the CIA World Factbook, roughly 80% of Haiti‘s population lives below the poverty line, which further underscores the urgency of this crisis.

Our non-profit partner the Grameen Foundation has setup a fund to collect donations to support not only immediate disaster relief and much-needed humanitarian aid for Haiti, but also long term relief through micro-finance loans that will create jobs and help rebuild the city of Port-au-Prince. NetIP North America has pledged to assist in these fundraising efforts and we urge you to donate today. If every single one of our members donates just $15, we can raise over $150,000!

If you have already donated to this important cause, then Thank You! However, Haiti‘s path to recovery can be further accelerated with your additional support and generosity. When the news cameras are gone and Haiti is no longer the cause of the moment, The Grameen Foundation will still be there providing long term sustainable development through micro-credit and micro-finance loans.
An important mission of the Network of Indian Professionals is to bring the South Asian community together in a common movement to support those in need during such catastrophic times. Again, please CLICK HERE to donate now.

To read about the work Grameen is doing in Haiti please visit their Blog

Thank you for making a difference,

The 2010 NetIP North America Team

www.NetIP.org http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_of_Indian_Professionals

Donate $27 on the 27th with NetIP & Grameen Foundation

You can make a difference in the fight against global poverty.  On the 27th of each month, Grameen Foundation and NetIP ask supporters to make a donation of $27 to let the world know that poverty is unnecessary and one person can help change the lives of the world’s poorest.  To jump start the efforts, a group of friends of Grameen Foundation will provide a dollar-for-dollar match up to $200,000.

We have a special page set up just for NetIP members so that the total we raise as an organization can be accurately tracked. Click here to read more about Grameen Foundation and see the special NetIP donation page.

NetIP Announces Support of The Grameen Foundation

The Network of Indian Professionals of North America (NetIP) is both honored and proud to announce its support for Grameen Foundation at the North America (NA) level.  NetIP has pledged to raise funds through various programs, events and fundraising efforts between 2009 and 2010 through its 24 chapters.  NetIP has been at the forefront of community support through various programs both at its national and local chapter level. This community Service initiative is a key component of NetIP’s community service pillar, one of 4 foundations that the organization hosts all its events on. The initiative is led by NetIP North America’s External Affairs Team.

“We evaluated various not-for-profit organizations that we’d like to support through our North American initiative. Grameen Foundation stood out given its mission and shared vision with our goals to use innovation & technology as a driver for social empowerment. We are honored to be associated with such a dynamic organization, and excited to use NetIP’s success to help drive support for our communities through the Grameen Foundation,” said Sundip Arora, NetIP’s vice president for external affairs and President-elect for 2010. NetIP’s membership consists of young South Asian Professionals. This demographic gives the organization its unique characteristics and ability to strategically place them as a premier networking organization in North America. With its diversity in programming and events, NetIP assures its members an all inclusive networking avenue for all their needs.

“Grameen Foundation has been supporting microfinance’s expansion in South Asia since 2000 and we are pleased to have been chosen by NetIP as its 2009 Community Service organization,” said Sandra Adams, Grameen Foundation’s vice president for external affairs. “Diaspora organizations can play an important role in advancing development in their home countries and we would like to applaud NetIP for supporting our efforts to give millions of poor women and men in the region the opportunity to build new lives.”

Grameen Foundation uses microfinance and technology to help the poor, especially the poorest, create a world without poverty. Microfinance helps these individuals by giving them collateral-free loans, savings, and other financial services to support small businesses. As each loan is repaid, the money is redistributed as a loan to another person, thereby multiplying the impact of the funds. Professor Muhammad Yunus, founder and managing director of Grameen Bank, is a founding member of its board of directors and currently serves as member emeritus of its board. He is the recipient of several awards including the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama and the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, which he shares with the Grameen Bank.

Together, both organizations hope to create an impact on poverty in South Asia as well as to encourage young South Asians in North America to make a difference. A small donation is enough to make a big change for someone needy. Each individual contribution makes an actual effort due to the small scale loans that are involved in microfinancing.