Charitable Giving to OCSI

Walkathon 2009! (Saturday, November 14)

This year's Walkathon was great! The weather was not too hot, not too cold, and after watching it rain for two days straight beforehand, we were worried! But God is good- the rain went away and we had a great day enjoying a great walk in a beautiful place. Results from the Walkathon are below, and for fund-raising results scroll down even further or click here.

Athletic Award Winners (for the fastest times):

This year's Walkathon is continuing to support the ADVANCE Campaign (see below) and its efforts to fund the latest classroom technology.

Fund-raising results: (to be posted ASAP)

Please write to walkathon@ocsi.org if you have any questions about the Walkathon.

The ADVANCE Campaign

OCSI's vital mission to provide a quality, Christian education is always in need of support. Each year OCSI sponsors two primary fund-raising events, the Walkathon (mid-November) and the Bazaar (late March). The proceeds from these two events in addition to funds raised directly from supporters of OCSI (through the Friends Program) are combined each year to form the ADVANCE Campaign- a fund devoted to completing expansion or improvement projects vital to the day-to-day educational mission of the school. By giving to the ADVANCE Campaign through your participation in one of these events or by contributing directly you will impact Okinawa and leave a legacy for future generations! Proceeds from the SY2008-09 ADVANCE Campaign will be used to put in a new iMac computer lab in both the Elementary and Secondary schools, as well as provide more advanced teaching tools, such as the Mimio Electronic Whiteboard and the ELMO Projection Devices, into the classrooms. These goals are derived from OCSI's Technology Plan, which was updated in April, 2009. For more information about the ADVANCE Campaign and its goals, please e-mail the Development Director, Tracy Bezner, at tracy.bezner@ocsi.org, or call 098-958-3000. Visits to the OCSI office are also welcome.

The final report for the SY2008-09 ADVANCE Campaign is complete:

A New Way to give to the ADVANCE Campaign- The FRIENDS PROGRAM

For the price of a monthly trip to Starbucks you can help OCSI continue to grow and strengthen its programs! The OCSI Friends Program allows you to make small bi-monthly donations from your Japanese bank account (yen only) or through the safe, online Pay-Pal system (¥ or $ by credit card) as shown in the sidebar at left. To minimize fees, transactions (donations) are only conducted bi-monthly (every other month).

Rather than try to recruit large gifts that only a few can afford to give, we have decided with the Friends Program to make the suggested amounts small so that it is easy to give! The goal for SY2008-09 is to sign up enough participants to equal 500 "units" of ¥1,000 per month!

HOW TO SIGN UP:

1. Japanese Bank account option. Please come to the OCSI office with your Japanese bank book and inkan, and fill out the easy application form. In just a few minutes you'll be set!
2. On-line Pay-Pal option. See "Friends Program Enrollment" in the sidebar to the left.
3. If you would rather simply make a one-time donation, click here to go to the One-time Donation page.

OTHER DETAILS:

** To minimize fees, Japanese bank account debits are bi-monthly (Feb., April, June, Aug., Oct., Dec.) on the 17th of the month.

** Pay-Pal Subscription donations are also bi-monthly, but the debit day will depend on the day you "subscribe."

** You may withdraw from the Friends program at any time. Please download and fill out this form, which will e-mail itself automatically to OCSI. If any problems arise, please e-mail the form manually to advance@ocsi.org or bring it to the OCSI office.

The Combined Federal Campaign

OCSI is proud to participate in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). We invite Federal government employees to consider us when selecting an agency to financially support each Fall. Please use the following information when selecting your donation recipient(s):

Agency Name: OKINAWA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL MISSION

Federation Affiliation: Christian Charities USA 2007

CFC #: 11068

CFC 25 Word Statement: Provides a quality, affordable, fully accredited, biblically integrated American-style K-12 educational program to Okinawa's international community. Donations support tuition assistance for needy families.

The Seal of Excellence

The Independent Charities Seal of Excellence is awarded to the members of Independent Charities of America and Local Independent Charities of America that have, upon rigorous independent review, been able to certify, document, and demonstrate on an annual basis that they meet the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness. These standards include those required by the US Government for inclusion in the Combined Federal Campaign, probably the most exclusive fund drive in the world. Of the 1,000,000 charities operating in the United States today, it is estimated that fewer than 50,000, or 5 percent, meet or exceed these standards, and, of those, fewer than 2,000 have been awarded this seal.