On January 30, 2020, The HOPE Foundation will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a gala in New York City. Founded two decades ago by Maureen Forrest, a native of Cork, Ireland, the NGO serves the slum-dwellers and street children of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India, who are otherwise frequently homeless, malnourished, lacking in access to medical care, and at risk for human trafficking. Since 2000, HOPE has grown into a global non-profit that manages over 60 projects in Kolkata including 12 child protection homes, a hospital for the poor, a restaurant, and a life skills training center. In addition, HOPE organizes programs for high school students and adults from the U.S. and Ireland to visit India and volunteer in HOPE homes and schools.
Maureen Forrest founded The HOPE Foundation to serve the street children and slum-dwellers of ... [+]
The HOPE Foundation has mainstreamed approximately 66,000 children into formal education, many of them first-generation learners. Nearly 7,000 children have been protected from abuse and neglect. 2.8 million individuals across Kolkata now have access to healthcare services through HOPE interventions in 35 slum communities. And over 8,000 youth have engaged in HOPE’s skill enhancement and empowerment program.
Conor Goold, an engineer, is a HOPE Foundation volunteer from Cork who now lives in New York City. “I have been to Kolkata with HOPE four times so far, and I can honestly say it has changed my life,” he says. “The work Maureen Forrest is doing for the street children isn't only changing the lives of the people in India, but it is changing the lives of people around the world who get involved. She's an inspiration to us all. She is the change we want to see in this world.”
Actor Jeremy Irons volunteers at a HOPE educational project in Kolkata.
Forrest says the non-profit’s achievements are an inherent part of her lifelong dream to help create a world in which it never hurts to be a child. “All of us have been given talents and we have a choice on how we use them,” she says. “I have never regretted my commitment to the children with whom we work. I never regard the HOPE Foundation as a charity, but rather as an organization that invests in the sustainability of human life, affording people with necessary skills and an opportunity to become self-sufficient.”
Here, Forrest offers her top 10 tips for operating a successful global NGO:
1. If you are passionate and believe strongly in what you are doing, then make that passion your purpose.
2. Surround yourself with good people who believe in the work.
3. Once you make a commitment, always start your day by remembering that the commitment is at the heart of your work.
4. Be resilient. Sometimes your journey might be very difficult. Don’t ever give up. Remember the reason you started the work.
5. Work closely with colleagues in your home country and internationally. Maintain good working relationships and listen to advice from the people around you.
6. Always recognize your colleagues’ loyal contributions, especially those working with you for many years.
7. Always make sure that you operate to the highest standards of good governance and integrity.
8. Lead your staff by your own example. Be prepared to work even harder than they do.
9. Always thank your donors, regardless of the size of their donation. Value and treasure every one. Remember that they trust you to manage their contributions wisely.
10. Embrace an “attitude of gratitude.” This will serve you during tough times and ripple throughout your entire organization.
Volunteers from The Law Society of Ireland visit children at a HOPE-funded project.
Forrest says she finds fundraising to be one of the most challenging and stressful aspects of her job. The road to securing donations is often fraught with disappointment. However, she remains committed to supporting the children in the care of the HOPE Foundation. “Failing to honor our commitments to them is simply not an option,” she says.
To other people looking to found NGOs, Forrest encourages you to remain resolute, good humored, and positive, especially in difficult times. One of her personal positive mottos is, “We never lose. We either win or we learn.” This takes her out of the problem mindset and towards solutions. “If you see the opportunities in the challenges you face, you will immediately be on the road to overcoming them,” she says.
