What better time than now?

It has been only nine months since a small group of volunteers with a special place in their heart for Bangladesh got together. They wanted to help Bangladesh deal with the pandemic, the aftermath of cyclone Amphan, and the destruction left behind by one of the worst cases of flooding in decades. The need was urgent. Today, we are a registered charity, fundraising for 14 rigorously vetted NGOs and grassroot volunteer groups. So far we have funded approximately half a million meals through dry food and cash transfers to 25,000 individuals in 24 districts of Bangladesh. Whether it be flood-affected households in Satkhira, Covid patients in Severe Acute Respiratory Infection - Isolation and Treatment Centres, slum dwellers of Dhaka, Rohingya refugees in the camps of Cox’s Bazar, transgender individuals in Sirajganj, sex-workers in the brothels of Bagerhat, poor children attending school, disabled individuals in Rajshahi, or the low-income households in Kurigram, thanks to our implementing partners and donors, Nourish Bangladesh has provided support to a very diverse group of economically deprived communities throughout Bangladesh.

Our primary strengths remain our rigorous vetting process, transparent internal protocols, no operating costs, commitment to diversity, and the incredible drive of our team members to do good, efficiently. We consider it our deep responsibility to make the most out of every penny. Consequently, we are very careful about choosing our implementing partners and monitoring the work we fund. Nourish Bangladeshvetted NGOs and volunteer groups are indeed very special; they are not only doing some tremendous work in the field during these very difficult times, but passing our vetting process and continuing to deliver on their promises.

No organization can be successful without the dedication of its worker bees, and it is no different for us. Our advisors are the best. They are creative, dedicated, and, most importantly, not afraid to share their constructive insights while patiently listening to the ideas of others. Because we applied for federal tax-exempt status in the US (501(c)(3) status), we were required to form a Board. However, all important Nourish Bangladesh decisions are made democratically by roughly three dozen advisors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Bangladesh through a consensual decisionmaking model. In late May, we will be launching a drive to invite additional members to join our organization.

We are thankful to each and every donor, supporter, and advisor (current and past), as well as our implementing partners in the field, and our sponsor. A special thanks to Kamran Ahmed, Melissa Scholz, and Ashley Toombs (BRAC USA) for your guidance, advice, and letting us tap into your network. We are very grateful to Edina Realty (Northfield, MN, USA), Cape Sands Inn (Cape Cod, MA, USA), AaBea Bangladeshi Engineers & Architects (NE, USA), NEBAC (NE, USA), and Rotary Club of Northfield (MN, USA) for being our sponsors. Special thanks to Bengalis of New York (NY, USA), Thrive (MI, USA), the Northfield News (MN, USA), Dana Asia (Sydney, Australia), and Carleton College (MN, USA) for helping us with logistical support, ideas, and promoting our work.

Sincerely,

The Board of Directors
Nourish Bangladesh