WHAT is Boneem's History?
WHAT is Boneem's Purpose?
WHAT is Boneem's Operational Philosophy?
WHO is Boneem?
HOW is Boneem Funded?
HOW Much of Boneem's Money Goes to Overhead?
HOW Does Boneem Choose a Project?
WHO Coordinates Boneem's Work?
WHAT Does Boneem Presently Support
FOREIGN WORK
DOMESTIC WORK
Ways to Support the Work of Boneem International
HOW to Contact Boneem International
BONEEM'S HISTORY
Boneem International was founded in July of 1993 and is registered with the Virginia State Corporation Commission. Boneem provides charitable support, crisis intervention services and advocacy assistance domestically. On the foreign scene, Boneem provides a vast array of services.
In September of 1993, Rick Trader, the Executive Director for the agency, was invited to serve with another agency on a two week project in eastern European Russia. During that journey Rick received a strong invitation to come back to Samara to begin developing multi-faceted intervention systems for use in Russia's public schools, in business, and in the community. In March of 1994 Rick went and spent a month working in the Samara Region (the second largest economic region in the country). During that month liaisons were established with five of the thirteen universities in that region of nearly 3 million people, as well as with the city government and the Region's Ministry of Education.
In October of 1994, Boneem, along with representatives of about 20 other agencies, met with Russia's Deputy Minister of Education, in Moscow, along with representatives from fifteen of Russia's largest cities to determine what our agencies could do to help these cities move forward in their development.
In September of 1995 Rick and wife, two children, and two dogs moved to Samara for close to a year, in an effort to more firmly establish stronger foundations within that society from which itinerant work would prove more effective. Being the only American family living in that entire region made for interesting work.
Over the course of the 7 years between 1993 and present day, Boneem (having received invitations to thirteen of Russia's largest cities), through its volunteers, has gone on to sponsor/coordinate over 50 professional exchanges (both sending to Russia and hosting in the USA) in the fields of education, business development, substance abuse intervention, hospice, and medical services (to include five surgical exchanges both on Russian soil and hosting Russian medical officials in the USA). Boneem has worked with the highest echelons of Regional government. As well, Boneem volunteers have invested nearly 10,000 hours of teaching and hands-on leadership development in helping develop Samara's social support infrastructure. Boneem volunteers have spoken in international symposiums, taught and developed curriculum at the undergrad and graduate levels, and conducted thousands of hours of workshops in numerous venues.
Through Boneem, a variety of curriculum has been developed in a variety of fields. Boneem materials and concepts run throughout the educational & substance abuse recovery system in the Samara area. Besides work in the area of education, one of the only functional hospice agencies in the country found its beginnings with the support and influence of Boneem, and multiple printing projects have been funded. Additionally, numerous video & customized written materials have been distributed in the business and educational communities offering training to teachers to bring their teaching methods into step with a democratic society's needs, and training to the first generation of Russia's business & personnel managers. Boneem-sponsored work in Samara State Medical University even received national recognition in Russia for developing (led by Boneem volunteers and Boneem trained nationals) a first of its kind program.
Boneem is committed to developing strong families. By developing strong families, society is strengthened and the next generation has more fertile soil in which to prepare for the task ahead. Strong families are built one parent, one person at a time. Therefore, helping individuals (one-on-one and through strategically implemented leadership development) find hope, relief, help, and on-going support where, for many, there has previously been none, is the cornerstone of Boneem's work. Many, if not most, of the involvements (be that with individuals or groups) Boneem volunteers invest their time into are with entities that don't have the fiscal resources to afford conventional services. For many people Boneem is truly their last resource.
In line with this perspective, Boneem's purpose in Russia, quite simply, has been to honor the invitation received in Moscow in Oct of 1994. That invitation being, "Please show us what a social support network looks like". In a society where alcoholism runs as high as 70-90% amongst adult males (40-60% amongst the women) and an ever increasing drug problem and huge unemployment figures further threaten an already struggling society, the need for social support is enormous. In a society with no toll free numbers, no concept of "counseling", thus, no school counselors, no substance abuse counselors, nobody to develop strong managerial concepts, etc. Boneem has served as the net weaver for pulling together many of that Region's highest ranking officials and key pioneers in a unified effort to bring a greater level of societal health to the Region. This network has had to be built from the ground up and still has a ways to go. All of Boneem's work in Russia is under educational visas with invitations coming from universities, medical agencies, regional government, and the regional school system. Boneem operates under the Christian principle that each individual is of infinite worth regardless of age, capability, or productiveness (concepts that were quite contrary to the Marxist-Leninist philosophy on which Russia had built its society for the previous 70+ years).
WHAT IS BONEEM'S OPERATIONAL PHILOSOPHY?
Boneem is a "muddy shovel" agency, driven totally by volunteers, including the Director's position. Behind every gardner who stands and shows off his prize winning vegetables, is a muddy, rusted out old hand trowel sitting on the back porch. The shovel never gets much credit for work done, but without it the garden would have never been tilled. Boneem works in areas where larger agencies don't see a large enough "bang for the buck" or where they see the requirement of too extensive a work to be done just to establish a foundation. A number of the projects Boneem has begun have been picked up by larger agencies once the work reached a point where it drew the attention of larger resources.
The Exec Director's role, after having lived in-country for close to a year and after having led 10 other exchange journeys, and having worked in every venue imaginable, is to: 1) Orient each participant to the environment he/she will be entering, 2) Who has gone before the
m and how the present work fits in to work that has gone on before, 3) What pitfalls to watch for, 4) Cultural sensitivities needed to be observed and, 5) How his/her work will fit in to the larger picture of developing a comprehensive social support network in that community.
Although Boneem supports work on three continents, the majority of Boneem's volunteer labors are in the USA and Russia. Boneem commits to providing support literature to the projects it's involved with, as well. We have trade agreements with over 6 dozen publishing houses to purchase literature at 40-60% discounts. Seeing as we are normally working with individuals and agencies that are under hardship themselves, we pass those discounts right along to the folks those materials are going to---often times providing the literature free of charge.
Boneem is its volunteers. Boneem's volunteers come from all walks of life. The Exec Director holds an undergraduate degree in Education being certified K-12 in Phys Ed and Health, and 4-12 in Psychology. He also holds a Masters Degree along with 20+ years of experience in crisis intervention (i.e. suicide, sexual abuse, substance abuse, domestic violence, etc) and many years of business background having started two companies, traveled 18 countries and 48 of the United States.
Other volunteers and American host agencies have included top surgeons, a general practice doctor, nurse managers, hospice nurses, school teachers, medical administrators, social workers, university professors, top rated universities and business colleges, environmentalist, chemist, EAP (Employee Assistance Program) coordinator from one of America's largest corporations, state government staff worker, 12 Step veterans in AA, NA, CODA, and AlAnon, six of Virginia's finest hospitals to include two psychiatric hospitals and one geriatric hospital, key business professionals, Virginia Society of Medical Assistants, a local high school, a middle school (hosted a Boneem sponsored Russian student for a semester), and the list goes on.
Presently, Boneem receives the vast majority of its funds from private donors. Due to the fact that all of our volunteers work outside jobs to support their families (including the Executive Director), it is quite difficult to invest the time needed to "court" more corporate and philanthropic support.
Boneem would welcome a larger base of support---designated or undesignated. The following pages of this web site will give you many ideas of how you and/or your company can support Boneem's foreign and domestic efforts.
HOW MUCH OF BONEEM'S MONEY GOES TO OVERHEAD?
About 95% of funds received by Boneem go directly to the projects for which they have been given. Boneem is a project driven agency with virtually no monthly support as yet (not that we wouldn't welcome some.)
Boneem's assets presently consist of about $14,000 in newly obtained digital video editing equipment and a fax machine. The Exec Director of the agency has accepted the responsibility of producing support videos for any project Boneem is involved with (presently 10 on-going projects). Other than that, all expenses are borne directly by the volunteers themselves or those who support them.
HOW DOES BONEEM CHOOSE A PROJECT?
Boneem is a very low bureaucracy agency. However, we do have a process by which we review potential projects.
When Boneem was first organized it was done so with the intent of it being used as a "tool", rather than being used as an "empire builder". We realize that there are a number of folks out there doing "charitable" work but without the umbrella of a charitable agency. We also realize that there are other agencies out there doing charitable work but the bureaucracy of their agencies is so involved, even the simplest requests can take weeks or longer to process. Boneem is different.
Our main tool of evaluation is, "Will this project strengthen families"? If we can find some positives in this realm we move on to the next consideration---finances.
How is the work presently being funded? What are the accountability factors that are in place to insure integrity in the work? Are those who are spearheading a particular work willing to be accountable for every penny received through our agency? Once we have investigated these issues we move forward with planning---who will bear the responsibility for "overseeing" the work?
Since Boneem is presently an all-volunteer agency, there is no one person or group of people who "manage" EVERY project. We have those who spearhead the work at the drug center in Pestravka. We have those (both American and Russian) who spearhead the work in the schools. We have those who spearhead the work in the medical community. Boneem is most truly a team effort. So we take great pains to insure that before taking on a new project we have the confidence that those who will be the driving force in that project know that the ball is in their court to make it happen. Yes, Boneem will provide logistical, administrative and strategy support (as well as now the opportunity to provide media support). However, the burden of "execution" of the project rests with those who have the vision for that particular work.
As for smaller charitable needs at the local level (i.e. food, clothes, other types of support), Boneem can respond in mere moments to a need. Boneem has provided a tax exempt conduit for numerous people wishing to help a needy family while remaining anonymous. We have also provided thousands of dollars worth of burial arrangements to families who have lost children without the means to give them a nice burial (made possible by the donations of cemetery plots, vaults and markers by people who have moved out of town or who have decided for one reason or another not to use their own prearranged cemetery arrangements).
One footnote to all of this, presently Boneem is committed to its extremes---time wise. Until Boneem can secure a paid director or paid staff person who can devote full time attention to the administrative tasks involved with coordinating multiple projects, we must stay limited in those things to which we commit. This is why support for a full time director is so important at this time.
WHO COORDINATES BONEEM'S WORK?
Presently, all work is coordinated by the Exec Director of the agency. Rick Trader (our present director) has committed to providing the international support needed to maintain all projects. His job is to handle all visas, all invitations, all in-country logistics, all international banking issues, all volunteer briefing, in-country transportation, interpreters, supplies, etc. Rick handles all correspondence with various agencies, oversees all proper filings with the IRS regarding our 501c3 charity status, all registrations with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and all other "corporate" obligations.
That said, each project has its key volunteers and those volunteers are the ones responsible for structuring, as best as possible, what it is they wish to accomplish on each mission. Once those plans are placed into the Director's hands, he then moves forward handling the logistical and financial end of things.
Volunteers returning from a term of service on any given project are responsible for providing accurate accounting of all financial expenditures. These records are then kept on file for review by anyone wishing to see them. Rick is accountable to a Board of Directors (by the way, we are in a search for some additional Board members) and every penny of Boneem's finances are accounted for faithfully.
WHAT DOES BONEEM PRESENTLY SUPPORT?
Please click on any of the links listed below to learn more about each project or area of work in which Boneem is involved.
FOREIGN WORK
- Becoming a low bureaucracy conduit for humanitarian support to other countries
- Heavier involvement in working with eastern block nations to establish student exchange opportunities for primary & secondary students
- Heavier involvement in locating Christian families eager to host foreign exchange students for 2 weeks, and for 6-12 months
- More substantial support of Unity Foundation, Samara, Russia (the only agency in that Region working to distribute 12 Step materials---video available)
- Hiring a full time staff worker for Boneem (this is our #1 priority)
(click on the following links to read more about these projects)
Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center, "Salvation"
Pestravka, Russia(video available)
Medical Company, IDK, Samara, Russia (video available)
Samara Hospice (video available)
University Student and Professor Exchanges to/from
Samara State University, Samara, Russia
High School Student and Teacher Exchanges
Unity Foundation--Providing 12 Step Literature Throughout
Samara, Russia (video available)
Scholarships for Foreign Youth to American Universities
Boneem Provides Extensive Literature Resources
(to request more information on the following efforts
please contact Boneem)
Medical Professional Exchanges, Samara, Russia
Translation Projects
Work in Ivory Coast, West Africa
Areas in Which Boneem Would Like to Become More Involved
- Providing extensive literature resources at discount rates
from virtually any publisher
- Charitable support for the needy
- Public speaking on numerous topic areas
(to request more information on the following efforts please contact Boneem)
HOW TO SUPPORT BONEEM INTERNATIONAL
Presently Boneem is seeking donors willing to give undesignated contributions. As always, we are willing to accept designated gifts for any of the projects and programs that we have listed on this site. Presently, over 95% of Boneem's present support comes in designated for specific projects. This is a good thing in some ways. However, it does make it very difficult for Boneem to tend to some of its "incidental" expenses (i.e. annual fees to the State Corporation Commission, maintaining a web site, storage space rental for humanitarian supplies, etc) or to expand its capabilities. Presently, Boneem is in donated office space, but that may not always be the case.
We welcome your gifts in any form. If you would like to give on-line, please just click on the Helping.org icon on this page. Your credit card donation will be conducted through a secure transaction and your donation will be direct deposited to Boneem's account. If you would like to know more about Helping.org please visit www.guidestar.org (where, by the way, Boneem also has a listing). Guidestar hosts one of the largest available listings of public charities. If you have questions you would like to submit directly to us, please send us an email at info@boneem.org
If you would like to give directly to Boneem, please feel free to forward your check to us at the following address. We thank you for your support and your input.
P. O. Box 36260
Richmond, VA 23235
Phone: 800-475-6963Fax: 804-897-1160
If you would like to make Boneem the beneficiary of an insurance policy or an endowment gift, please contact us directly. We would most certainly welcome such generosity.
If you own your own business and you would like to add an employee to your payroll---an employee for Boneem International---please contact us directly and we will map out how your commitment to a specified period of support (i.e. two years) could greatly help Boneem move toward having a full time staff. We have a Russian national we would like to hire. We only need now to secure funds to sponsor her position.
If you have unused cemetery property in a NON city-owned, perpetual care park in your area or city and you would be willing to donate those arrangements to Boneem, please contact us for information.
If you have real estate that you would like to make available to Boneem for use or for re-sale, please contact us directly.
All donations are acknowledged immediately. Additionally, at the end of each year Boneem sends out a year-end summary of donations received during that year. Boneem operates on a calendar year.
One note on Boneem finances---after a year or two of "rest" in an effort to structure Boneem more effectively so the administrative responsibilities of the agency would be better distributed among its volunteers---Boneem is once again operating in an affirmatively upward mode. Just in the past year Boneem's receipts have gone from $9K to over $64K plus tens of thousands of dollars in medical supplies and humanitarian aide. Won't you help in Boneem's efforts to reach a needy world?
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