Invest in International Development Leaders

Atlas Corps is currently in the process of expanding its program. In 2010 we are bringing our first ever class of Spring Fellows to come work in Washington, DC and Baltimore.

Additionally, we are competing in the Pepsi Refresh online competition to win a $50,000 grant. This money would be a huge asset to Atlas Corps and would allow us to double the size of our program. This would include opening an office in New York City and sending fellows to India in the fall.

Links:

• Please vote for Atlas Corps in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge

Thank you to everyone who helped us win $20,000 from IdeaBlob in December. We couldn't have done it without you!

Scott Beale and Atlas Corps were featured on the Front Page of the business section of the Washington Post:

"I wondered what the possible business applications of Twitter could be. While I was wondering, I got a pitch from entrepreneur Scott Beale, who used Twitter, Facebook, Craigslist and a bunch of other Web sites to win $100,000 from online contests to fund his District startup.

The start-up is a non-profit. Don't press the snooze button yet. Beale approached the project as if he were building the next Google."

To read the article in full, please go to http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washbizblog/2009/03/value_added_17.html.

Finally, here is a quick update on the application process for the 2009-2010 Atlas Corps fellowship program:

As of our application deadline on April 1st, 650 people began the application process: 550 candidates to the U.S. and 100 to Bogotá. We are reviewing nearly 250 applications: 180 to DC and 70 to Bogotá. For the first time, we opened up the program to applicants from developing countries anywhere in the world, and we received applications from 67 countries! Wow:

Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Czech Republic, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia (Republic of), Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Moldova, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Somaliland, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE, Uganda, United Kingdom, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Thank you so much for your support of Atlas Corps!

Last year you helped Atlas Corps win America's Giving Challenge. Thank you! This year, Atlas Corps is competing in a free contest for $20,000 on IdeaBlob.com. The organization with the most votes at midnight on December 31 wins. With less than 3 days left, we have dropped to third place. We really need your vote! Go to http://tinyurl.com/58c5vz to vote for Atlas Corps. It's completely free! Your two minutes could win $20,000 for Atlas Corps.

We need your help in this contest. If you really want to make sure we win, then please consider forwarding the note below to your family and friends.

Thank you for supporting Atlas Corps!

-The Atlas Corps Team

........................................... Happy Holidays!

I am sending you this short note to ask for help with a nonprofit that I support, Atlas Corps. They are in a very close competition to win $20,000 and all they need to do to win is get the most people vote for them on the IdeaBlob.com contest. This costs nothing and only takes two minutes of your time.

Please go to http://tinyurl.com/58c5vz and vote for Atlas Service Corps.

I don't usually bother you asking for help like this, so it would mean a lot to me if you vote and forward this email on to others. Fundraising in this economic climate is tough, so the least we can do is vote for this nonprofit online so they can win $20,000.

Thank you! http://tinyurl.com/58c5vz ...........................................

Links:

• http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/3995--Atlas-Service-Corps-good-idea