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Greetings!
Friendship Ambassadors Foundation returns to full time to its
original mission in 2007: facilitating concert tours and other
cultural exchanges throughout the world.
| Why consider Friendship Ambassadors for your 2007 tour? |
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With so many good for-profit tour operators out there, why
has Friendship Ambassadors Foundation lasted 35 years in
the travel arena? Why have a ‘nonprofit’ travel provider at
all? Aren’t they interested in other projects too?
Return to Basic Mission Services
Since 1973, FAF has facilitated international exchanges and
concert tours, while advancing the idea of voluntourism,
service travel, and tours for peace. FAF is not just another
tour operator: For the past three years, FAF staff
was called away to national duty and handled very few tours.
Most were very successful but none were able to receive our
full attention. Our entire staff led relief efforts among
families affected by 9/11. Over $2M was donated to FAF for
this purpose – now that this service has come to an end, the
foundation has put its full time efforts back into its outbound
and newly developed inbound concert tour travel
services. We have renewed our many concert tour
connections and will once again launch an aggressive
campaign to promote mutual understanding through concert
tourism. Affiliated with the United Nations, US
embassies abroad, and a variety of cultural communities
worldwide, the foundation can provide high quality tours to
all arts and cultural groups In April 2006, a choir
from Northfield, Illinois traveled on one of our well-respected
voluntourism tours. EagleSong sang throughout Louisiana, at
FEMA trailer parks, in newly re-opened schools, all free to
the public and in some incredibly historic settings. Prior to
their departure, they raised FIFTY (50) orchestral and
marching band instruments over the internet and GAVE THEM
AWAY while on tour to students who lost theirs during the
hurricanes. This tour was rewarded with the 2006 Share the
Hope Award from the America Sings Foundation - a true
Friendship Ambassadors tour – and yours can now be just
like theirs!If your group is NOT traveling in 2007,
don’t forget to invite your members to join us on a fun
concert and music appreciation tour to Salzburg in 2007 led
by Ms. Elisabeth Von Trapp, whose family gave us Sound of
Music! (June 26 – July 8; individuals of all ages welcome!)
In 2007, put Travel with FAF on your ensemble’s list
Avail your group of a caring and professional staff,
and all our benefits, too: FAF provides a tax
deduction to every participant or their families FAF
provides fund development tools to the organizations
we serve free of charge FAF never charges the
organizations we serve any fees whatsoever for the travel
itself FAF is a caring, professional staff, rooted in
the arts and education – with partners who have been with
FAF for our entire 35 year history and connected with travel
leaders booking all your air and land arrangements,
insurance and handling all your administrative details – all
ready to help you find a good opportunity or help you realize
your dream tour plan.After three years of near
total national service to families in New York, Boston,
Washington DC and California tragically affected by 9/11, the
organization is once again completely focused on your tour.
We ask you to call FAF to discuss your 2007 tour plan today!
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| 2006 TOUR REVIEWS You can’t afford NOT to travel with FAF |
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JUNE 2006: “It was a wonderful, wonderful trip. We’re all
home, safe & sound now with glorious echoes & scenes in our
heads & hearts. Thank you for your patience & persistence
& attention to detail all the way along the line to liftoff, And
all went well in country too -- The drivers were excellent &
the Tara/Newgrange day was beyond the beyonds, a genuine
wonder of the world. The students were speechless & happy.
So, yes, I've appreciated how solid & consistent & thoughtful
you’ve been, & flexible, & imaginative, & & &! - at some
point I’ll tell you in person how marvelously each day
unfolded. All the best. You certainly ARE the best! Many,
many thanks.” Devon McNamara, (Group Leader, West
Virginia Wesleyan) MAY 2006: “I just wanted to
thank you for planning such a wonderful trip for our choir. I
had such a spectacular time, and I think I can say the same
for everyone else. I'm very grateful for all your help. Thanks
again,” Kevin Nelson, (Student singer Colorado State
University)PRIL 2006: EagleSong, directed by Gary
Fry, received the 2006 Share the Hope Award from the
America Sings Foundation for their Louisiana Share the Hope
tour with FAF: “This trip has been beyond our
expectations thanks to Friendship Ambassadors. If
EagleSong’s trip had consisted of nothing but Friday’s
activities, it would have exceeded all expectations and been
worthwhile. Never had we been in a tour where all
performances were greeted with tears. Several times I found
myself thinking how much better are tears of gratitude than
tears of loss. Our entire community is buzzing with the
stories of EagleSong’s great trip and how much it meant to
the people in Louisiana! We feel like true ‘Friendship
Ambassadors’ and thank you and Patrick and the
entire organization for making it possible.”- Gary Fry,
EagleSong LeaderSondra Harnes and FAF will work
to create a new choral festival and camp in 2007:
“What a wonderful, wonderful trip we had! I cannot thank you
enough for all the hard work - Everything was arranged very,
very well - we felt so taken care of! With much gratitude and
appreciation, Sondra Harnes”, World Children’s Choir, WCC/
FAF Peace Camp Director, August 2005“ I just
wanted to let you know that the kids got back safely,
happily. They all had really positive things to say about the
trip. I thank you for putting this trip together and especially
from an educational standpoint the kids really had an
amazing experience. Thanks.” Jennifer Bell – Nyack H.S.
Director of Foreign Languages February 2005"Friendship Ambassadors Foundation - its mission is so
important, and ... you are accomplishing remarkable things.
Best wishes to you and everyone at the foundation!" - Former
President William Jefferson Clinton, January 26, 2004
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| A Conversation with Noted Development Specialist, Dr. Jonathan Spinner |
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Patrick Sciarratta (Executive Director, FAF): I often wonder if
there is any disconnect between our mission and the group’s
needs. We tend to think of our work, our ‘mission’ if you
will, like a Mercedes Benz. You know, it is a high quality
effort to enable a better world through the positive effects of
cultural exchange. I fear that our participants see us as a
pickup truck; you know, a reliable facilitator for their concert
tours, only. Is that a big problem? Dr. Jonathan
Spinner: Quite the contrary, I think everyone would
rather that their group’s pickup truck be a Mercedes, no?
And you seem to offer your high quality services at low,
nonprofit (or pickup truck) rates.Patrick: Still I
worry that perhaps FAF should not encroach on the good
work we see in the for-profit field. Should we continue to
pursue our work in travel, an otherwise for-profit
‘business’?Jonathan: I think so, very much. If you
did not exist, someone would have to create you. With the
perception of America as it is today, your mission is perhaps
more valuable now than ever. Besides providing a good
concert tour experience, you offer the opportunity for
voluntourism, service, real people-to-people exchange, home
stays and the like. You offer free service to groups seeking
tax-deductible development through tourism. For-profit tour
operators cannot be concerned with these kinds of issues,
and I think those added values resonate with your group
leaders and their members.Patrick: I suppose our
35-year history is as important to participant groups as our
mission? Why else would so many groups contact us – we
spend very little funds on marketing and none on sales?
Jonathan: Well a legacy is good to provide the trust
that you will be there tomorrow but I think that your strength
lay in the good work you do and the commendations of
others. I know that you were asked to perform national
service recently but even in recent years, the foundation has
been featured on Charles Osgood’s Sunday Morning on CBS,
on CNN, Channel 1 in NYC, etc. - and one of your groups was
just awarded the 2006 Share the Hope Award by the America
Sings Foundation. Sometimes word of mouth about a good
organization is enough.Note: Patrick Sciarratta
recently spoke on Branding and Networking at the Nonprofit
Leadership Summit in Washington DC and was interviewed on
WCBS Radio in New York City (The Value of Nonprofit/For-
Profit Relationships).
Mr. Sciarratta is an IATA travel agent, on faculty at pace
University and regularly appears at universities and other
community gatherings to discuss current travel challenges
and opportunities. He is available to address your group or
school with advance notice for a modest fee. All groups
considering travel in 2007 have the opportunity to receive his
talks free of charge. Call for details.
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FAF Completes National Service With Pride |
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Since 2001, FAF has been called away to national service,
supporting the healing of families affected by 9/11. This
rewarding work is now coming to a close and we look
forward once again to serving groups and tours focusing on
cultural exchange in some of the most exotic, emerging
destinations worldwide. We hope you will once
again invite us to handle the arrangements for your next
concert tour, voluntourism service project, or any cultural
exchange where we may be of service. We look forward to
receiving your bid requests in the future.
As
you know, FAF is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt
organization facilitating the best cultural exchanges and
concert tours available. We offer free, fund development
programming and a tax deduction to the fullest extent
allowable by law to all participants or their
families.
In the next few days, I will be
sending a series of emails to all the members on our 2000+
list of group leaders nationwide. I hope you find some
interest in them – we look forward to hearing from you when
your group travels!
Patrick SciarrattaExecutive Director, FAF
For
Yin-Chu Jou, Music DirectorSzilvia Agoston,
International Logistics Directorand the entire FAF
global staff
Concert Tours, Edutours and Voluntourism ...
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