Depending on your site and working situation, you may be quickly approached, even pressured, to assist the community in securing funds for a project, usually for an infrastructure project.  You should always help their communities to seek local sources of funding, for example micro-finance, community, or municipal funds for water and sanitation projects before helping them to seek outside funding.  You should also always consult with your project director prior to helping your community seek outside funding. 

Items to be cautious about related to seeking outside funding for an infrastructure project are:

• Peace Corps does not want its Volunteers to be seen as automatic sources of funds. 
• By facilitating outside funding, Volunteers may unwittingly be creating dependency, perpetuating the idea in the community that progress can only take place if outside resources are obtained. 
• Peace Corps policies (MS  204.3.6 and MS 720.3.3) establish that OPSI is the only Peace Corps office authorized to accept donations for a Volunteer partnership project.  Volunteers may assist their communities to apply for funds, but Volunteers are not authorized to accept donations on behalf of the Peace Corps or on behalf of their communities. 
• Facilitation of infrastructure projects may involve a significant time commitment, which may take time away from other activities that you are involved with in the community.
• It is prudent, and in many countries required, that you send your programming staff a project concept paper for review and approval before moving forward with any plans.
• Be sure to help your community to access the technical (engineering and other) expertise necessary during project planning, implementation, and operation, to maximize the success of the project and avert foreseeable issues.
• Many countries do not permit the facilitation of infrastructure projects during the first six months after Volunteer arrival at site.
• Be sure that the community recognizes the need for the project and is committed to carrying out the project, including dedicating a significant portion of resources to the project.
• Be sure that the community is involved in all phases of planning and implementation, including maintaining and paying for operating costs of the infrastructure after it is constructed.  You should be the facilitator, not the manager of the project.
• Be sure the project can be completed prior to your COS (Close of Service) date.
   

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