Post MBA Summer in Cambodia

Aloha, from sweet (and often sticky) South East Asia. This summer I am working with the communications team for an NGO headquartered  in Siem Reap, located in the Northwestern region of Cambodia near the famous Angkor Wat Temples (pictured above.) This small organization focuses on improving education in the nearby rural commune of Chanleas Dai.

The government’s Ministry of Education Youth and Sport mandates and regulates curriculum throughout Cambodia, so PEPY finds that it can be be most effective working outside, but in conjunction with, traditional government schools. This is primarily done through community based programs, as well as supplemental education programs. Through these programs PEPY provides Chanleas Dai children with creative learning, computer science, and leadership education.

My job this summer is to develop a digital fundraising strategy to gain new donors through social media, crowdfunding platforms, and PEPY’s website and blog. Through this process PEPY is developing a new logo, new website, changing many of it web platforms, and revamping all of its digital communications. Our goal is to drive a lot of new traffic to PEPY’s website, raise awareness, and overall donations. Ultimately, these donations will contribute to PEPY’s 2012-2013 annual budget and supplement donations raised through grant writing and existing donor relations.

So far I have developed a map of PEPY’s existing digital resources and have begun to isolate the areas where I can make the most improvement. For instance, did you know that the majority of web conversation around Non-Profits happens on Social Media platforms – but primarily Linked In and YouTube?

Next time I’ll write a little more about my personal experiences in Cambodia and Cambodian Education in general. For now, it is enough to say that South East Asia has always been one of my favorite parts of the world. It is one of the friendliest, most hospitable places I have ever been…