Q: What is Join My Village?

A: Join My Village is a new approach to fighting global poverty. It channels the power of online communities to help real communities in Malawi create lasting change. By breaking down barriers of culture and geography, Join My Village strengthens the bonds that unite women everywhere.

Q: What makes Join My Village different from other African relief programs?

A: Several things make Join My Village unique:

You can impact the level of support in Malawi: General Mills has already provided $200,000 to start the projects there. Another $250,000 has been made available for participants, like you, to “unlock,” via simple online activities, like answering a quiz question, joining a village team, and inviting others to participate (maximum of $25,000 per village team). On top of this, General Mills will be matching personal donations to Join My Village, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000 per village team ($50,000 in total). Join My Village is a community effort – General Mills, CARE and you.

You can follow the progress in the villages we are helping: Regular online updates, in the form of stories, statistics, and photos, will enable you to stay connected with the village you are following - as well as the nearly 75 other villages that are benefiting from Join My Village. You’ll be able to follow the life of a woman in Malawi as she joins a village savings and loan association (VSLA) for the first time, saves money, and takes out her first loan to start a business or ensure that her kids can go to school. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about her life and watch real change happen.

You can be part of an online team that is championing a real village in Malawi: Join My Village leverages the power of online communities to rally support for some of the poorest communities in Africa. Being part of a village team enables you to connect with others who share your desire to empower women and girls to become catalysts for change in their communities.

Q: Can anyone participate?

A: Join my Village is intended for U.S. residents who are at least 18 years of age.

Q: How do I get started?

A: Getting started is easy. Take a little time to explore the villages and select a village team. If you can’t make up your mind, we’re happy to help select one for you! Once you’ve joined, you can start unlocking dollars (up to $5 per person, per day) that will go directly to the villages in Malawi.

Q: Can I join more than one village team?

A: Not at one time. Join My Village is designed to encourage relationships with one village (and one online village team) at a time to promote a sense of connection, teamwork, and community.

Q: How many villages will benefit from the Join My Village program?

A: Join My Village will benefit approximately 75 villages in central Malawi. We are featuring 10 of these villages online to provide an up-close look at the people, their stories, their challenges, their triumphs, and their dreams. All money raised and released as part of the Join My Village program will go into a centralized fund that benefits all 75 villages.

Q: What are the goals of Join My Village?

A: The vision of Join My Village is to empower women in Africa to realize sustainable change that nourishes their families and communities.

During the first year, Join My Village will work in approximately 75 villages in Malawi. The goal within these villages is to increase economic and educational opportunities in order to create long-term solutions to poverty. These programs will provide a foundation on which the communities can build for years to come. Specific goals include:

o Establishing at least 150 village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) impacting 2,400 members and their families in total

o Supporting School Management Committees (SMCs) serving approximately 15 primary schools

o Providing at least 150 new reference items to schools

o Providing at least 150 four-year scholarships for top female students to attend secondary school

o Constructing at least three school sanitation blocks that include separate facilities for boys and girls

o Building at least 15 houses for female teachers

General Mills hopes to release up to $500,000 to support CARE’s work in Malawi through the Join My Village program. $200,000 is already working hard to benefit approximately 75 villages in Malawi. Another $250,000 can be “unlocked” by participating in simple online activities, such as joining a village team, answering a quiz question, or inviting friends and family to get involved (up to $25,000 per village team). The remaining $50,000 will be released via donation matching (up to $5,000 per village team).

Q: What is a village team Contribution Goal?

A: Each of the ten village teams has a Contribution Goal of $30,000. $25,000 per village team can come from participating in simple activities on the site, such as joining a village team, answering a quiz question, or inviting friends to become part of the program. Each of these activities “unlocks” $1 in donation money from General Mills (limit of $5 per person, per day, up to $25,000 per village team – or $250,000 in total). The remaining $5,000 per village team can come from matching funds that are released via personal donations. General Mills will match personal donations, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000 per village team (or $50,000 in total). It’s a great way to double your impact! If each of the ten village teams unlocks $25,000 and secures another $5,000 in personal donations, the Join My Village community will have reached its collective Contribution Goal of $300,000 for Malawi!

Q: What happens when my village team meets its $30,000 Contribution Goal?

A: When your village team meets its $30,000 Contribution Goal, you’ll have achieved a very important milestone. It means that your team has “unlocked” the maximum donation of $25,000 – and has also secured at least $5,000 in personal donations, matched dollar for dollar by General Mills. You have the opportunity to keep the momentum going by making and/or inviting more personal donations to your village team (donations will not be matched beyond the $5,000 limit per village team). Your participation will be helping to raise more awareness of – and funds for – Join My Village to benefit communities in Malawi.

Q: Where is Malawi?

A: Malawi is an inland country located in the southern part of Africa. Tanzania lies to the north and Mozambique lies to the south. Malawi shares its western border with Zambia.

Q: Why Malawi?

A: The United Nations’ Human Development Index, which measures life expectancy and standard of living, ranks Malawi 164th out of 177 countries worldwide. It is one of the earth’s most desperate areas. It is also one of the most promising – because positive change is already occurring there. General Mills has been investing in Malawi, in partnership with CARE, since 2007. Previous investments have enabled communities to learn new farming techniques to improve crop yield and storage, and gain training on new businesses that complement their agricultural skills infrastructure. Join My Village seeks to build on the existing momentum in Malawi by introducing programs that empower women to build a better future for their families. Lessons learned here can be applied in other parts of Malawi – and beyond.

Q: Why is General Mills investing in African relief projects when there is so much need in the U.S. right now?

A: General Mills is a global company with a proud tradition of philanthropy – and a stated commitment to Nourishing Lives, both domestically and abroad. For nearly a decade, General Mills has contributed about 5% of its pretax profits to charitable causes. In fiscal 2008, General Mills donated nearly $87 million to communities across the United States, Canada, Mexico, China and many other countries. That’s an increase of 6.1% over fiscal 2007 and a 17.5% increase over fiscal 2006. For more information on General Mills philanthropic contributions in the U.S., please click on “General Mills” in the “About” section of the global navigation bar on the homepage.

Q: What is a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA)?

A: To empower women economically, CARE has been implementing village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) in Malawi since 1999. CARE has established more than 850 VSLAs in Malawi to date, comprising more than 16,850 members with $108,828 accumulated as savings (and $145,164 loaned to members). More than 85% of the participants are women. CARE’s research shows that VSLA programs enable women to increase their families’ income, and build self-confidence, independence, and leadership skills in the process.

VSLAs are informal, self-selecting groups consisting of 15 – 20 members. The members contribute small, individual savings into an association fund. Each association sets its own “charter” which specifies loan terms. Savings are accumulated for a period and then the association determines how to loan the money to members. All transactions are carried out at meetings in front of all the members, promoting transparency and accountability. Members pay back the loans based on the guidelines specified by the charter. Loans are generally used to start small businesses or pay for family needs often related to sending children to school. After a year, the group pays out the total savings in a lump sum payment to each member based on his or her contribution plus interest. This lump sum distribution provides otherwise unavailable sums of money that each member can then apply to his or her own families’ needs.

Q: What will Join My Village do to support the advancement of education?

A: CARE field officers will work with the school management committees (SMCs) of approximately 15 primary schools (each primary school serves approximately five villages). They will prioritize the needs of these schools from a list of program modules, including provision of textbooks and reference materials, secondary school scholarships for girls graduating from primary school, construction of sanitation facilities, and construction of housing for female teachers. Field officers will work with SMCs to conduct baseline studies for each school and identify desired areas of improvement. Once the SMC has set a course of action for the school, CARE will support the village in securing the necessary materials and expertise to implement their plan.

Q: Why focus on women, specifically?

A: Statistics show that women are the largest single group impacted by poverty, and also the greatest potential agents of change in the fight against global poverty.

Women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, but earn only 10% of the income. They own less than 1% of the world’s property. Women represent two-thirds of the adults who cannot read or write, and girls are 55% of the children not attending primary school.

But even one pebble of opportunity creates ripples that benefit an entire community. For example, research shows that each extra year of primary education that a girl receives boosts her wages later in life by 10% to 20%.

Join My Village shares the belief that women everywhere are a powerful force for change – and that empowering women empowers families and communities. By investing in women, Join My Village believes we can help change lives in Africa, beginning in Malawi. That being said, our work does not exclude boys or men. Join My Village recognizes the importance of inclusiveness in community-building and welcomes the involvement of all those who are invested in sparking positive change in today’s world.

Q: How are women and girls in Malawi really benefiting from this program?

A: Through the introduction of VSLAs into the villages, women will have a new opportunity to contribute to their families’ income. VSLAs enable small groups of village members, primarily women, to pool their savings and loan money to members within their group. When women have the opportunity to borrow money, they can start a small business, access transportation to local markets where they can get higher prices for their goods, or purchase school uniforms and books for their children.

Additionally, Join My Village will provide school materials, improved school facilities and increased access to secondary education to children in the villages we are serving, with the primary focus on girls. Of the 75 million primary-school aged children in the world who do not have access to education, 55% are girls. And, of those who are enrolled in school, girls’ achievement rates are often below their male classmates. Join My Village is working to ensure that girls have equal access to education, which will in turn help to increase their opportunities in life.

Q: Who is General Mills?

A: General Mills is the world’s sixth-largest food company and our trusted brands are known the world over. Cheerios®, Betty Crocker®, Nature Valley®, Progresso®, Pillsbury®, and Green Giant® are just a few that may be familiar to you and your family. Just as importantly, General Mills is widely recognized for its giving culture. About 82% of our U.S. employees volunteer and we’ve contributed about 5% of our pretax profits to charitable causes for nearly a decade. Programs like Box Tops for Education and Yoplait’s Save Lids to Save Lives, to name just two of our philanthropic efforts, have collectively raised hundreds of millions of dollars over the years in the U.S. And others, such as General Mills’ Science and Technology Transfer Initiative, are already benefiting other parts of the world, including Africa. It’s all part of our corporate mission of Nourishing Lives – making lives healthier, easier, and richer.

Q: Who is CARE?

A: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. Working side by side with poor people in more than 65 countries, CARE helps empower communities to address the greatest threats to their survival. Women are at the heart of CARE’s efforts to improve health, education and economic development because experience shows that a woman’s achievements yield dramatic benefits for her entire family. CARE is also committed to providing lifesaving assistance during times of crisis, and helping rebuild safer, stronger communities afterward. We advocate for policies that defend the dignity of all people and promote the eradication of poverty.

Q: What is each partner doing in this program?

A: General Mills and CARE are joining forces in the Join My Village campaign to implement an innovative approach to fighting global poverty. General Mills is contributing up to $500,000 in donation money to lay the foundation for positive change in Malawi. With these funds, CARE will work side-by-side with women, girls, and communities in Malawi to implement integrated programs that will help build an infrastructure for lasting change. Specifically, CARE will introduce and support the growth of village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) that will offer access to loans and financial training. CARE will also work with the villages’ School Management Committees (SMC) to improve school facilities, and ensure that girls have greater access to education.

Q: Will you try and sell me products as part of this program?

A: No. General Mills is investing in Join My Village to help people in one of the poorest places on earth – and to invite people in the United States to join them in demonstrating the power of this new approach to fighting global poverty. It’s not about selling products. It’s about honoring our corporate mission of Nourishing Lives. If we help people in Malawi access the tools and training they need to build a better future for themselves, we can apply lessons learned to help nourish lives in other parts of Malawi, other parts of Africa, and other parts of the world.

Q: How can I “unlock” money to help my village team meet its Contribution Goal?

A: There are three ways you can unlock General Mills funds as part of Join My Village:

o Answering a quiz question $1

o Joining a village team $1

o Inviting friends to join $1

Q: Why can I only unlock $5 per day?

A: A cap of $5 per person, per day has been established to ensure that many people can participate in Join My Village through their online actions. You may return each day to unlock more dollars until the $25,000 per village team (maximum of $250,000 total) designated for this purpose has been released.

Q: Can I answer online quiz questions without joining a village team?

A: Yes. But in order for $1 to be released to the Join My Village program, you must be part of a village team. All dollars in the “unlock” fund must be attributed to a specific village team in order to measure progress toward stated Contribution Goals.

Q: Some of the quiz questions are pretty hard. Do I need to answer correctly for $1 to be unlocked?

A: No. Taking a quiz is a great way to learn more about Malawi, Join My Village, and the fight against global poverty. We’re pleased to unlock $1 for your village team even if you do not answer correctly (maximum of $25,000 per village team, and $250,000 for the program).

Q: Will I “unlock” $1 for each friend that I invite to join the program?

A: $1 will be “unlocked” for each Invite-A-Friend submission that you make (regardless of the number of names submitted at once) up to $25,000 per village team and $250,000 in total. A cap of $5 per person, per day has been established to maximize participation across the Join My Village community.

Q: How do I know that my actions unlocked dollars?

A: Although you will not receive an individualized report of your unlock activities and donations at this time, Join My Village is working to make that feature available. In the meantime, you will be able to track your village team’s performance through the reporting graphic on the My Village Team page. We invite you to check this page frequently to see how your actions are contributing to your team’s overall efforts to raise money for Malawi.

Q: Did you adjust the total number of dollars that could be unlocked by consumers?

A: Yes. Through Join My Village, General Mills hopes to release up to $500,000 to Malawi. $200,000 was released at the start of the campaign to jump-start CARE’s on-the-ground programming. The remaining $300,000 was originally allocated into two equal halves: Up to $150,000 was earmarked for consumer “Unlock” activities; the remaining $150,000 was earmarked for “Match” funds to be released via consumer donations. Several months into the launch of Join My Village, we noticed that consumers were “unlocking” General Mills donation dollars more rapidly than they were making donations that General Mills could match. So, $100,000 was shifted from the “Match” fund to the “Unlock” fund to help maximize the release of funds. Again, this change was made to help increase the chances of releasing the full $500,000 to Malawi.

Q: Do I need to join a village team to make a personal donation?

A: Joining a village team is not required to make a personal donation. However, joining a village team is required if you would like your donation to be matched. General Mills will be matching donations up to $5,000 per village team (or $50,000 in total). These matching funds are reserved for those who sign up to be part of a village team.

Q: Can I make a donation by personal check?

A: It is possible to make donations to CARE by personal check. Unfortunately, only credit card donations can be counted toward a team’s Contribution Goal (and qualify for the donation “match”) at this time. To donate by check, simply contact CARE’s donor support team at 1-800-422-7385, and they will guide you through the process.

Q: Will my personal donation of any amount be matched dollar-for-dollar?

A: General Mills will match personal donations up to $5,000 per village team (or $50,000 across all ten village teams).

Q: Can I make a donation by international credit card?

A: You must be a U.S. resident to participate in Join My Village – and to qualify for the matching donation by General Mills. However, international donations are accepted by CARE at www.care.org. These donations will support CARE’s global poverty-fighting work, but will not be included in contributions for the Join My Village program.

Q: Is making a donation online secure?

A: Yes. Online donations are processed through CARE via its data management partner VeriSign, which is certified as being in compliance with the Payment Care Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard.

Q: Who benefits from my personal donation?

A: All funds that are donated and/or unlocked as part of the Join My Village program go into a centralized fund that benefits approximately 75 villages in Malawi. While both of the program’s key initiatives (education and village savings and loan associations) focus on women and girls, experience shows that improving the life of a woman or girl also creates lasting change for her family, community, and the world.

Q: Is my donation tax deductible?

A: Yes, your contribution is tax-deductible as described on the receipt you will receive immediately following your donation, and to the extent allowed by law.

Q: How do I know that my donation was matched?

A: Matching dollars for personal donations cannot be reflected instantaneously on the site given the need for data verification. But please be assured that General Mills will match all personal donations made by credit card, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000 per village team ($50,000 in total).

Q: Did you adjust the total number of “Match” dollars in the Join My Village program?

A: Yes. Through Join My Village, General Mills hopes to release up to $500,000 to Malawi. $200,000 was released at the start of the campaign to jump-start CARE’s on-the-ground programming. The remaining $300,000 was originally allocated into two equal halves: Up to $150,000 was earmarked for consumer “Unlock” activities; the remaining $150,000 was earmarked for “Match” funds to be released via consumer donations. Several months into the launch of Join My Village, we noticed that consumers were “unlocking” General Mills donation dollars more rapidly than they were making donations that General Mills could match. So, $100,000 was shifted from the “Match” fund to the “Unlock” fund to help maximize the release of funds. Again, this change was made to help increase the chances of releasing the full $500,000 to Malawi.

Q: Who are the Village Team Leaders?

A: The Village Team Leaders are volunteers who champion Join My Village to increase awareness and support for the program. Some of them are General Mills employees. Some of them are from the CARE community. Several of them have spent time in Africa and truly understand the promise of Join My Village. All of them are exceptionally passionate about helping others and sparking positive change in today’s world.

Q: How can I become a Village Team Leader?

A: The role of Village Team Leader is very important. Village Team Leaders are responsible for spreading the word about Join My Village, communicating program updates, and providing motivation to reach stated Contribution Goals. If you are interested in becoming a Village Team Leader, please let your current Village Team Leader know and s/he will put you in touch with the appropriate resources.

Q: What does “Mzati” mean?

A: The literal definition of Mzati (m-ZAH-tee) is the center pole that holds up the roof a round hut. In Malawi, people use the term to refer to someone who is unquestionably reliable and steady, a dependable source of support.

Q: What role does the Village Mzati play in Join My Village?

A: Although thousands of people in Malawi will benefit from Join My Village, it would simply be too difficult to document all of their personal stories of challenge and success. The Village Mzatis will be the face of the villages that are featured online. We will follow their lives and work to understand their dreams and accomplishments. When you join a village team, you’ll have access to regular updates on the Village Mzati and her story.

Q: My donation didn’t go through

A: If you have questions about your donation, please contact CARE at info@care.org, or 1-800-422-7385.

Q: I want to talk to someone about this program

A: Please direct general questions about Join My Village to General Mills Consumer Services at 1-800-248-7310 between (7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. CT, weekdays).