| PRESS RELEASE Applications for the $50,000 UNAA Chapter Development Program (CDP) Fund Now Open The Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) is pleased to announce that it will
award grants from the Chapter Development Program (CDP) Fund totaling $50,000 in the 2015 - 2016 Fiscal Year. These grants are geared towards those Local Ugandan North American Communities, Cultural Organizations, Associations ("UNAA Chapters and Affiliates") whose missions, purpose and activities reflect those of UNAA. Grant Applications are welcomed through August 1st 2015. The Chapter Development Program (CDP) Fund was created with proceeds from UNAA Sponsors, Partners, and well-wishers. Please direct all proposals and applications in electronic format to: Dear UNAA Community, Two years ago, the Community Outreach Initiative (COI) was launched and it has since grown into the largest community mobilization and outreach effort in UNAA's history. This effort is greatly responsible for the huge success of the UNAA Dallas 2013 and UNAA San Diego 2014 Conventions which registered historically high numbers. The COI took members of the UNAA leadership and the Convention Organizing Committees to Tulsa, Oklahoma Austin, Texas; Houston, Texas; Dallas, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; Boston, Massachusetts; Seattle, Washington; San Diego, California; San Francisco, California; Los Angeles, California; Washington DC; Atlanta, Georgia; Kampala, Uganda - these constitute the most extensive visits ever made by any single UNAA administration. Less than 5% of a local community's population attends the Annual UNAA Convention and Trade Expo, leaving huge numbers of Ugandans out of the conversations that take place at a UNAA Convention; when a particular convention takes place in a city, the participation rate rises to about 25%. What we observed was very clear to us; 1) The Ugandan diaspora in North America in the local communities felt very disconnected from UNAA as a whole and they were very much appreciative that UNAA had visited them and listened to their issues - for many, this was the first time meeting a UNAA leader. 2) The local communities felt that UNAA should do more financially to assist the local communities with burial costs, health insurance, immigration issues, and assist with the repatriation of the remains of our brothers and sister who may have deceased without health insurance 3) The local communities requested UNAA's support in their efforts to hold community events; like personal development seminars, promoting Ugandan culture and cuisine through community BBQs, picnics, Youth Summer camps, cultural dances, etc; the integration into North America and celebrating milestones like American and Ugandan Independence Days, Uganda Martyrs day. 4) The Ugandan diaspora sends over $1 billion to the Ugandan economy in remittances per year, of which about $500 million, are from North America alone, constituting the single largest contribute, before the Ugandan European diaspora, Ugandan African diaspora, Ugandan Asian Diaspora, etc. Yet, Bank of Uganda states that about 80% of the $1 billion remittances go towards consumption instead of remittances. With the Chapter Development Program, we are fundamentally changing the role of the diaspora and giving them the necessary tools and resources to better organize Uganda's social economic development. In response to the above needs and in an effort to create a more formal relationship between UNAA and the local communities while strengthening UNAA; we are now proud to introduce the Chapter Development Program (CDP); a grassroots fund where UNAA will be distributing $50,000 per year to Ugandan communities and organizations that choose to participate as UNAA Chapters & Affiliates. This effort has the strategic objective of expanding UNAA's grassroots network and also expanding UNAA's community engagement activities beyond hosting that annual convention. We would like to position UNAA to have real and positive impact in people's lives. We believe this initiative will radically transform the organization into a much stronger and efficient advocate for the Ugandan diaspora. The local communities could use these funds to set up local scholarships, health and life insurance schemes, help with the transportation of our loved ones who die without insurance, sponsor community events like celebrating Ugandan and American independence holidays, community picnics, sports events to keep our youth fit, among others. This initiative does not replace the need for local associations to collect membership dues but rather only supplements it. The Chapter Development Program This is a purely voluntary effort designed to benefit only the Chapters and Affiliates which choose to participate. The funds ($50,000) will be shared between the Chapters and Affiliates using the criteria elaborated in the next section. Every Chapter and Affiliate will need to submit a new application every fiscal year. A successful application in one fiscal year does not automatically carry over to the following fiscal year. Definitions Chapter: An example of an organization qualifying as a UNAA chapter is the Pacific Northwest Ugandan North American Association (PNUAA) based in Seattle, Washington. Affiliate: An example of an organization qualifying as a UNAA Affiliate is the North American Masaba Cultural Association (NAMCA). Application Criteria for admittance as a UNAA Chapter: 1) Association must be legally registered in North America with aims, objectives and activities that are legitimate and shall at all times be consistent with those of UNAA. 2) Association will support the efforts of their members to attend the UNAA Convention and Trade Expo by promoting it prominently on their website, mailing lists; social media and on any other marketing paraphernalia at a minimum and by ensuring that the only community activity scheduled over the Labor Day weekend is the UNAA Convention and Trade Expo. 3) Association shall be based in a region that is currently represented in the UNAA Council. Currently UNAA Council Members are listed here - http://www.unaa.org/unaa-council 4) Association must apply annually to participate in the Chapter Development Program (CDP) by the deadline, which shall be COB August 1st. 5) Association must have at least 15 paid up UNAA Members in good standing who are unique to that particular Association and cannot be claimed by another UNAA Chapter or Affiliate. 6) The Association's members claiming UNAA Membership must have paid/renewed their membership in the current fiscal year, but before the deadline for application, COB August 1st. 7) The leadership of the Association shall be composed of directly elected officials. 8) Association must submit proof of its legal status, Bylaws and constitution, leadership structure, proposal on how the funds shall be utilized for community development and commit to annual accountability of any funds received from UNAA. Annual Reports shall be submitted to the UNAA Executive and copied to the UNAA Council Representative in whose Region the Association is registered. Application Criteria for admittance as a UNAA Affiliate: 1) Association must be legally registered in North America with aims, objectives and activities that are legitimate and shall at all times be consistent with those of UNAA. 9) Association will support the efforts of their members to attend the UNAA Convention and Trade Expo by promoting it prominently on their website, mailing lists; social media and on any other marketing paraphernalia at a minimum and by ensuring that the only community activity scheduled over the Labor Day weekend is the UNAA Convention and Trade Expo. 2) Association must apply annually to participate in the Chapter Development Program (CDP) by the deadline, which shall be COB August 1st. 3) Association must have at least 10 paid up UNAA Members in good standing who are unique to that particular Association and cannot be claimed by another UNAA Chapter or Affiliate. 4) The Association's members claiming UNAA Membership must have paid/renewed their membership in the current fiscal year, but before the deadline for application, COB August 1st. 5) The leadership of the Association shall be composed of directly elected officials. 6) Association must submit proof of its legal status, a constitution, leadership structure, proposal on how the funds shall be utilized for community development and commit to annual accountability of any funds received from UNAA. Annual Reports shall be submitted to the UNAA Executive and copied to the UNAA Council Representative in whose Region the Association is registered. Apportioning between Chapters & Affiliates: UNAA Chapter Members shall be weighted by a factor of 1.5 and UNAA Affiliate Members by a factor of 1 in determining how the $50,000 will disbursed to the Ugandan North American Communities. See the example below for 500 UNAA Members. | | UNAA Members | Weighting | Weighted Membership (UNAA Member X Weight) | Distribution | | Chapter A | 195 | 1.5 | 292.5 | $20,893 | | Chapter B | 95 | 1.5 | 142.5 | $10,178 | | Chapter C | 110 | 1.5 | 165 | $11,786 | | | | | | | | Affiliate 1 | 60 | 1 | 60 | $4,286 | | Affiliate 2 | 40 | 1 | 40 | $2,857 | | | | | | | | Total | 500 | | 700 | $50,000 |
The UNAA leadership reserves the right to revise the above guidelines without notice. | 
President Wrn Kizza-Besigye and first son Adam Ampa -- H.OGWAPITI ----------------------------------------------------- "To announce th...
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