Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships in Lifelong Learning Essay Example for Free

Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships in Lifelong Learning Essay I am a Registered Mental Health Nurse working for a private company and was given the opportunity to work as an in-house trainer when the regional trainer left the company last year. It was my responsibility as the trainer to ensure all staff was brought up to date with Mandatory training such as Health Safety, Moving Handling, Data Protection, and Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Children to name a few sessions. So the question had to be asked: What is the role and responsibility of the teacher in the lifelong learning sector? To find this out I would need to do some research to find the evidence as well as go to college to gain the relevant qualification to support my role as a teacher. Gravells, A (2012) believes, it is not just about the teaching but also about the learning that takes place; and that it is not just the students who will be learning but also the teacher. The sessions will have to be specific, at a language and stage the students can understand as well as assessing them as we go along to ensure learning has been achieved and at what level before we can move onto further sessions. Not only that, there will have to be feedback for the students as well as the teacher to assess if anything needs to be done to improve future sessions, as teachers can also learn from constructive criticism; this was something I had not thought about and will have to cope with as not everyone is perfect; Walker, G (10. 6. 2013) goes on to say that having critical feedback can promote good constructive growth in both relationships and the individual. It was at this point I decided to go to college and gain the relevant qualification that would help me gain insight and knowledge to ensure I was doing the teaching sessions correctly. The Institute for Learning (2008) is an independent professional body for tutors, trainers, teacher’s student teachers in the further education and skills sector who support excellence in professional teachers and trainers practice for learners in worked based learning so this was a good place to start for me to gain knowledge on behaviours expected of my students so that the company I work for, my students and myself and most of all the wider community would benefit. As part of my Professional Nursing Body NMC Code of Conduct (2008) my first concern would be to treat all individuals with respect and dignity, this also ties in with the Institute for Learning, who have similar codes of professional conduct. I would have to be professional in my role, although I know this is going to be a challenge as some of the people I will be teaching are my friends and I know that boundaries can be challenging at the best of times. As a teacher I will have professional boundaries to which I need to work within; it is all too easy to get involved with the personal lives especially as I will know my students on personal and professional levels; I will need to stick to the planned sessions and if I need to speak to anyone about their personal lives I will refer them onto their clinical supervisors. But I am sure I will remain professional and show respect to them, then the same will be reciprocated. I will uphold the reputation of the company, my nursing profession and that of the teaching role to ensure no damage is done. I will take reasonable care to ensure all members of staff who attend training will remain safe and I will protect and promote their health and well-being and help them develop knowledge at their level of learning. It was my role as a trainer to ensure people were first of all motivated to come to the training in the first place and once they were there I had to gain their interest by involving and engaging them in the sessions I was going to teach. I would need to identify their needs as each member of staff have done different learning schedules and some were more up to date on their mandatory training than others. I would then be able to assess, evaluate and mentor them throughout the days of training. According to Rogers (2001, p. 15) if you are not motivated you cannot and will not learn. She goes on to say, as a tutor, it is my role to keep them motivated by keeping the current flowing; to do this I need to research the information I will be teaching and ensure the students I will be teaching will understand the subject. Although this is a mandatory requirement of the company and policies and procedures had to be followed and are available both in the staff office and on the intranet of Lighthouse Healthcare for all to read and gain insight in what the company would expect from us as employees. As the trainer I would have a list of all the staff members personal details, under The Data Protection Act (1998 amended 2003) I would ensure all details are kept secure, relevant, used in accordance with the individual’s rights and kept no longer than necessary; if a member of staff leaves then all records will be archived until such a time it can be shredded. It would be my responsibility to identify the needs of each member of the group; if there was someone who was disabled or used a wheelchair, or they may be pregnant and could not do some of the techniques taught in some of the sessions such as moving and handling. If so then it was my responsibility under the Equality Act (2010) to ensure I have researched my attendees and provided them with the facilities and sessions appropriate to their needs. The Health safety at Work Act (1974) states staff should have a safe working environment, it is the duty of every employer to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, all employees have their welfare, health and safety at the workplace. At this point one member of staff did approach me and stated they found it really hard to work more than 2 days in a row due to their depression, as the training was going to be for 3 days I suggested we did their 3rd day on another set of training days I had planned for the next month. This made the member of staff happy and we as employers showed we had fulfilled their needs under The Equality Act and the member of staff had not been discriminated due to their illness. I would need to book the appropriate room, ensuring the room is the right temperature and appropriate to the group’s needs. Maslow (1954) believed you must satisfy the lower levels of basic needs before you can progress to the higher levels; therefore, if his theory was to work, if all my students had their basic needs like food and warmth they should progress up the pyramid and achieve fulfilment and learning. Maslow (1954) ‘The earliest and most widespread version of Maslows (1954) hierarchy of needs includes five motivational needs, often depicted as hierachical levels within a pyramid. ’ As well as having the appropriate resources available, with a backup plan should there be any issues. I would need to plan the daily sessions according to the needs of the company training schedule which would need to reflect on the Health Inspectorate Wales (HIW) (2013) regulations and what they deem as necessary for mandatory training. These sessions would be spread over a course of 3 days so that it is not rushed and the needs of the students are thought of; they would need regular breaks to take away any boredom, as mandatory training is not the most exciting of subjects to teach or indeed learn but they are a company requirement that need to be completed yearly in accordance with HIW recommendations. It would also be my responsibility to provide hand outs, that are relevant and researched, at he beginning of the session with pens in case anyone wanted to take notes during the session; then at the end I would hand out evaluation forms to gain feedback on my teaching sessions; what have I learned from this, what went good and what could be improved on. This would then improve the quality of my work ready for future training sessions. Pennington (2008) explains that: According to Thorndike’s (1911) Law of effect, if the effect is rewarding for the organism, then the behaviour will tend to be reproduced again in the future. If the effect is punishing, the behaviour is not likely to be reproduced in the future. Therefore, I would need to ensure my sessions were interesting for people to learn so they would want to return back to my sessions over the next few days and for any future sessions I will have planned. If they have enjoyed the first sessions chances are they will enjoy the next ones. First of all I would explain the Health and Safety aspects of the room, what to do should the fire alarms sound and show them where the nearest fire exits were. Then to start the session I would do an ice breaker session as this would help people to relax and relieve any anxieties they may have, it will hopefully break down barriers, give people belonging to the group and help people remember names. It will promote team work and encourage people to share their interests and common grounds and it will give me some idea of how each person reacts and interacts in a group ready for the sessions I will be teaching. There are many books devoted just for ice breakers sessions but it all depends on what your needs are and who you will be working with but their main aim is to give ideas of how to get your students to work as a group and feel they are fully present; if you are not fully present in a group then you cannot learn. Rogers, J. 2001) I would need to stick to the schedule and not digress as this could delay the day and sessions may get rushed near to the end and important information may not be taken in; therefore the learning needs may not be met which could have a knock on effect putting theory to practice in the workplace. Whilst presenting I would have had to gain the knowledge to present it with confidence. According to Blooms Revised taxonomy Anderson, L. Et al. (2000), I would have to be creative, evaluate, analyse, apply, understand and remember my information teaching for it to work. Therefore, to be creative, I will need to bring in new ideas and a different way of viewing things should help with my planning. I will be able to evaluate and analyse through observation by doing an evaluation form for the students to complete when their training is finished. I will apply theory to practise with the knowledge I have gained and where I found the sources so the students can gain further knowledge themselves by reading and looking at the relevant websites. I will finally put my information on paper and powerpoint to ensure I have prompts to remind me and the handouts would reflect the knowledge with an area for the students to take notes to help them remember the information I have taught. The final part of the day would be the quiz I had prepared to see if they had taken in any of the knowledge I had taught over the previous days. My week would not end when the students left the room for the final day of training; I would then have to assess whether they have met the criteria of a pass or whether they would need to be referred back for further training. This is defined by scoring over 40/50 on the knowledge quiz, which was previously discussed at an executive meeting with the regional training officers at head office. I would also need to add the people who attended training onto the database of attendance to ensure they receive their certificates of attendance, it is also evidence they have attended mandatory training and it would allow them onto the unit to continue with safe practice after gaining knowledge through mandatory training and following the companies Policies and Procedures.

Marketing Plan: Donor Recognition and Stewardship

Marketing Plan: Donor Recognition and Stewardship INTRODUCTION Economic recession has had its impact on the number of donors. As the economy is recovering, the trends indicate that non-profit organizations continue to lose donors faster than they gain them even if the giving amounts are increasing. The results are troubling because were seeing a trend of charities relying on fewer donors giving larger gifts, said Elizabeth Boris, director of the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute. Charities need to work harder on reaching out to new and different groups of donors. More important, however, is keeping donors for longer than a year, since its much cheaper to retain existing donors than it is to continually find new ones. Non-profit sector is undergoing changes. Maybe its the already-begun exodus of Baby Boomers in nonprofit leadership positions. Maybe its the scramble to understand shifting giving habits as younger donors enter the philanthropic discussion in greater numbers. Whatever it is, it makes us rethink donor relat ions, which is undergoing a metamorphosis in both thinking and approach. background Market Analysis. Childrens Health Foundation is an independent incorporated non-profit organization dedicated to raising and granting funds to supportChildrens Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre, Thames Valley Childrens Centre and Childrens Health Research Institute. Since 1922, funds raised have helped deliver exceptional care and support for children and their families by providing specialized pediatric care, equipment, education programs, therapy, rehabilitation services and research. Childrens Health Foundation is regional pediatric referral center for South Western and North Western Ontario. Childrens Health Foundation is operating in an extremely competitive industry. Canadas charitable and nonprofit sector is the 2nd largest in the world with 170,000 non-profit organizations. Ontarios 46,000+ NFP organizations employ about one million people, 15% of Ontarios total workforce, and have an economic impact of nearly $50 billion. This represents more than 7.1% of Ontarios GD P- greater than the automobile and construction industries combined. More than 5 million Ontarians donate over 820 million hours of their time volunteering every year, valued at the equivalent of 400,000 full-time jobs. Health care is the second largest recipient of donations in Canada (behind religious organizations) and makes up approximately 13% of all donations received from Canadians. Large philanthropic donations from individuals or corporations are becoming increasingly important sources of donations. At the same time, in both urban and rural communities, donor fatigue is becoming a real concern. As residents continue to be asked to contribute to charitable organizations, there comes a point at which their willingness or ability to donate is exhausted. This is of particular concern in large urban areas like the GTA, where there is fierce competition for donor dollars, according to Anthony Dale, CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association. Philanthropy in Canada is highly dependen t on oil and gold prices. Looking back within Canadas philanthropic history, it is noticeable that a year after a recession there was a significant decrease in fundraising contributions. And with Canadas health care system becoming increasingly dependent on philanthropy, its capital planning may become increasingly vulnerable to fluctuations in Canadas resource economy. Philanthropy is essential to the wellbeing of the health care system, allowing hospitals to improve and develop their infrastructure and conduct innovative medical research. This is the reality for Childrens Health Foundation as well, whose infrastructure, hydro, water and salaries only are funded by government. All the specialized programs the foundation provide and equipment is covered with donor dollars. But as we enter the era of plunging oil prices and economic uncertainty, hospital foundations are likely to face harder times fundraising, and this may make any disparities in access to capital projects among comm unities worse. In addition to that, Canadians are becoming less generous and giving fewer donations to charity than they did a decade ago, according to the 2016 Generosity Index published by the Fraser Institute, a think tank. Acquisition of the gift today has become a measuring stick for performance for many non-profits. The fact that 15% of Canadian population makes over 80% of all charitable contributions is evidence of how important stewardship became. Brand Analysis. The brand identity of Childrens Health Foundation which comprises the logo and the tagline is very clear and concise. Their mission to mobilize the community to support excellence in health care, rehabilitation and research for children and their families is fully backed up by all the programs and support they offer (innovative research, world-class hospital facilities and equipment; wide range of financial, legal and moral support to families with sick children). They are very consistent in updating their online s ocial blog, website, Facebook page, as well as uploading not only visuals but also the documentaries on regular basis to strengthen the impact of the message they are trying to convey. Childrens Health Foundation constantly conduct different campaigns to increase their reach and revenue. For the time being they cover South West Ontario, some parts of North West Ontario and have established good relationships with Thunder Bay hospitals. Childrens Health Foundation is promoting their brand on their website by using stories, visuals and documentaries for people to see the harsh reality of ill children and understand the difference they can make with their donations. The foundation also uses the social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to increase their reach as well as newsletters. They are raising funds and increase awareness of the cause by running campaigns, accepting donations on different levels andorganizing fundraising events. Childrens Health Foundations bra nd IDEA (integrity, Democracy, Ethics, Affinity) is very effective which increases its credibility. Childrens Health Foundation focuses on providing full range aid to the sick children and their families by providing high quality support on various levels (treatment, rehabilitation, financial, legal, moral), which is something unique and is the base of their positioning in the market against other non-profit organizations like Sunshine, Save the Children or World Vision. All of these organizations cover different needs of children make their dreams come true, provide financial support or food supplies to malnurished kids. Childrens Health Foundations brand evolve around the most vulnerable part of our society sick children. Because children are our future, donors are very willing to support this cause and it does attract significant amounts of funds. Childrens Health Foundation has raised $8mln. last year. In terms of donations Childrens Health foundation is targeting corporation s and people with various income levels that are not indifferent to the cause as every dollar that comes in is important. The donor segmentation is as follows: individuals, corporations, lifetime giving, legacy, community fundraising. Varied demographics is one of the challenges the foundation is facing when trying to build their donor recognition and stewardship programs because every demographic group depending on level of donations is expecting different things. Looking at the ways to donate, however, it is clear, that the foundation fails to address and engage in their efforts the generation of millennials. The objective of the Childrens Health Foundation is to come up with a plan on how they can recognize and steward all different demographics and customize these programs according to different levels of donations by remaining inclusive. SWOT Analysis Childrens Health Foundation Strengths Brand associated with children. People like to help children. Affiliation with Childrens hospital, Childrens Research Institute and Thames Valley Childrens Centre, so donor dollars are kept under one umbrella. The third largest children health research institute in Canada. Offer various specialized programs to sick children. Strong community event partnerships. Childrens Health Research Institute leverages the seed funding from Childrens Health foundation 10 times over, with external and peer-reviewed grant success. Tax exemption Family Centered care environment through programs as: fund specialized equipment, comfort sick children, establish a new simulation, support families in need, fund pro-bono legal services for patient families. Weaknesses Limited budget. Hospital policy limitations. Limited staff. Targeting a wide range of demographics without particular focus. Website is not very graphic. Opportunities Tap into the market of Millennials and encourage involvement in the cause Cause Related Marketing Innovative donor recognition stewardship programs Having limited resources to focus their efforts towards actions that would bring the biggest return Threats Vulnerable to economic crisis. Charitable giving is one of the first cash outflows that consumers cut back on when money is tight. Since they depend on contributions, they need to avoid the perception of impropriety. Even a small scandal can be damaging. Donor engagements are difficult in hospitals due to health, safety privacy issues Giving trends are changing, its important to adjust competitive evaluation Childrens Health Foundation is competing with every cause being promoted by other more than 60 not-for-profit organizations in London, Ontario. The advantage of Childrens Health Foundation is that their mantra evolves around sick children, which is more likely to win donors hearts than any other cause. On regional and national level Childrens Health foundation is facing more fierce competition. We will look closer at 3 of 13 Children Hospital Foundations in Canada Childrens Health Foundations, Sick Kids and McMaster Children Hospital Foundation, as they are all competing in exactly same field and are part of Childrens Miracle Network. The point of parity is that all these organizations are Hospital Foundations and provide help to children with severe health problems. Competitive Evaluation Childrens Health Foundation Sick kids foundation McMaster Children Hospital Foundation Simple, clear landing page. Appealing video on the landing page of their website. Simple landing page. No specific partners mentioned. Partners are not listed. Partnerships with well-known companies. Not very pictorial when it comes to kids. Very creative in terms of content and use of graphics. Impactful. Good content. Easy way to donate whatever amount you wish to. Different approaches to donate for specific programs. Easy way to donate. There is a donor recognition page on the website. Donor wall shows how the foundation have recognized their donors. No donor wall to identify donors. Conducts bowling competition to save lives of children. Have kids lottery system to raise funds. No upcoming specific programs to raise funds. Does not target millennials. Has a page on their website which allows to create own fundraising campaign and customize it for birthday etc. Does not target millennials. Has an extensive specialized program variety for family support (financial, legal etc.) Deals with a large variety of serious diseases and has a long history and solid reputation as an establishment offering word class programs like Motherisk. Focus on cancer, mental health and eating disorders for children. Sick Kids is very established foundation with long history, strong website and variety of programs they offer. They do target millennials offering them to customize their fundraising activity on Sick Kids website. Childrens Health Foundation should look into this market as well as to enhance their website for a stronger impact. opportunity identification Childrens Health foundation is very similar to competitors in terms of services, target audiences and fundraising activities. The opportunity lies in differentiation. The organization could do that by implementing innovative donor recognition and stewardship program, segment their donors more efficiently to focus their efforts in order to maximize the return and tap into market of young donors. goal statement In this marketing plan, we will focus on developing Donor Recognition Stewardship strategies for several donor segments: Planned giving as one of the sources of large donations to ensure future gifts. The planned giving component can promote long-term endowment building as well as assisting support over time as an inflation hedge. Lifetime giving to ensure loyalty and repeat gifts to support steady funds. Individual giving by millennials to ensure we engage the young generation in philanthropic activities. marketing objectives To increase planned giving by 10% by the end of the year. To maintain ongoing relationship with long time loyal donors. To increase millennial giving by 20% with engaging recognition and stewardship program by the end of the year. communication objectives   Ã‚   Planned Giving: Raise awareness about planned giving opportunities for a good cause -Childrens Health Foundation Lifetime Giving: Increase engagement with lifetime donors to strengthen the relationship. Individual Giving: Raise awareness about giving opportunities among millennials and engage them in such activities. creative objective planned giving Our basic creative strategy is to position planned giving as the most meaningful way to leave a legacy. creative strategy planned giving Target audience for this campaign are people of 60 and above (70% women as they are more likely to donate to health-related charities), who will be soon retiring or already retired with a significant amount of funds or estate at their disposal in South West and North West Ontario. Some of them have already started will /estate planning. They are single with small or no family, married with no children, or married couples with successful children. They have been donating to charities regularly or are connected to charitable giving in other ways, like volunteering. They are quite conservative and relationship is very important to them. This audience is into traditional media and listen to classic radio. They search online for real estate or auctions, could use twitter, but mobile phone is regarded as a practical tool rather than entertainment device. This audience are big fans of both water and motor sports. They have high rates for going to community theatres, baseball games and golf events. And personal finance appears to be one of their favorite indoor hobbies. We have chosen this segment because Childrens Health Foundation finds it challenging to steward this type of donors and often, some of the greatest and most transformational gifts to an organization come through bequests and other planned gifts. In Canada, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce estimates that Canadian boomers are about to inherit approximately $750 billion from their aging relatives over the next decade. Now the baby boomer generation is entering retirement and many are willing to pass on their inheritance to charities rather than to their children. Regional disparities should be taken into consideration as well. Ontario residents expect to get the bigger bequests: 6.4 % look to receive more than $500,000, almost half as many as the 4.4 % across Canada who anticipate receiving such a large inheritance. As the boomer generation ages, it is increasingly crucial for all health care foundations to establish a planned giving strategy, giving donors even more ways to fulfi ll their philanthropic goals and touch the lives of others. The population of people of 55 years of old and over is continuously increasing in London and make up around 35% of its population. Seniors are most likely to donate to health-related charities. Positioning For lifetime Philanthropists, the Childrens Health Foundation is the ultimate way for leaving legacy by providing long lasting value to the most vulnerable part of our society sick children and contribute to our future. Childrens Health Foundation commits to full support for these kids and their families including treatment, rehabilitation, innovative research, financial and legal assistance. Recognition and Stewardship Conventional donor recognition and stewardship model does not work for this type of giving. As planned gifts are revocable, deferred and can be changed by the donor at any time, it is very important that these donors are recognized and thanked systematically. Proposals for planned giving could be shared with the current donor database. Planned gifts can be an important part of most major gift proposals to donors who pledge a specific amount while alive to purchase equipment or help pay for construction. A deferred planned gift can supplement this support by creating a permanent endowment that will provide perpetual support for the same program or building. Planned gift proposal could be incorporated into all charitys fundraising efforts. Donors who establish life income arrangements (charitable trusts, gift annuities), arrange for retained life estates, or donate life insurance policies (all irrevocable) as well as those providing for bequests or naming your charity as a beneficiary of their retirement plans or life insurance policies (revocable) should be nominated for Guardian Circle. The common theme of these donors is their belief that providing for the future of the organization is important and that their funds will be used for a noble cause to help those in need when they will no longer be with us. Donors are becoming philanthropists and investors, and will require different types of information, greater transparency and access to leadership. Which means legacy donors should be provided with Inside Reports on a regular basis or perhaps a personal perspective on something happening at the charity. These should be from someone high in the organization and could be sent on society letterhead to reinforce the feeling of belonging to a community of special donors. It is important to meet them face to face and as often as a donor deems necessary. Small tokens of appreciation could be sent on regular basis: crafts made by kids, maybe some tickets to a classical music concert given by sponsor or other type of gift received on the basis of partnership with for profit organizations. There is no cost involved and shows that these donors are being though off. Planned gift donors should be invited into every fundraising event to make sure Childrens Health Foundation has as many touch points with these donors without forcing unnatural interactions like compulsory monthly calls. To keep a database of their birthdays or anniversaries, their children or grandchildren birthdays or other events (exotic holiday, wedding, someone is sick) to make sure that these donors and their families receive a card or follow up phone call (with no ask) on these occasions. Greeting cards could be prepared by kids. It is a very personalized attention, that shows the donor that you care and remember. In this way, it is possible to involve all the family in philanthropic activities and potentially increase donations from other sources. Board members could organize a yearly lunch or dinner evening only for this type of donors to discuss in more detail the struggles and plans of the foundations. The cost of such a dinner could as well be a gift from a restaurant to the Childrens Health Foundation if arranged. Every planned gift donor should have an opportunity to have a tour of the facilities, to speak with researchers and employees of the hospitals at least once, so they would get a feeling of how they can contribute to the cause rather than just see the numbers on the paper. This would help them to feel more involved. Planned gift donors may as well become monthly donors to assist in covering some immediate needs or vice versa, so while maintaining an ongoing relationship it is important to leverage different opportunities and to offer them to the donor as an option. Planned gift donors should have contact details of their main contact in the foundation should he have any questions. All their problems should be resolved in a timely and effective manner. Donors should be publicly recognized to the greatest extent theyll allow, which, would help make planned giving more accessible to other potential contributors. It would be nice to name a building, garden of the hospital or some other place of the facilities after the name of the legacy leader and honor a person with the largest contribution this way. Media Channels Ad on Classic Radio, TV and magazines, brochures to be handed out at theatre, art galleries, golf events, fundraising events; Twitter, announcements on website, face to face, telephone. creative objective lifetime giving Our basic creative strategy is to position lifetime giving as a vital source of income, enabling Childrens Health Foundation continue making difference for many families lives. creative strategy lifetime giving Target Market INDIVIDUALS Target audience is 40+ years old persons (men and women) with advanced degrees and minimum $100,000 + income per household who have already made at least 3 donations in their lifetime. They are either empty nesters or married couples with university-aged children They have high rates for going to the theatre, symphony, art galleries and the ballet. At home, they read lots of books, listen to classical music radio stations and subscribe to business, news and travel magazines. They are politically active, rank high for working on community projects, serving as volunteers and writing letters to public officials. They also support a long list of philanthropic causes, exercising their well-developed social conscience with both their time and money. They read business and travel publications, watch TV golf shows and jazz festivals. This audience is one of the top clusters for buying financial products. These savvy Canadians invest in virtually every kind of mutual fund available. Positioning For philanthropists, the Childrens Health Foundation is an investment that makes a real difference and offers a priceless return a tremendously improved quality of life of children with severe health issues. Childrens Health Foundation commits to full support for these kids and their families including treatment, rehabilitation, innovative research, financial and legal assistance. CORPORATE Target audience consists of large and mid-size businesses Childrens Health foundation have not cooperated with. These businesses are looking to incorporate philanthropic activities into their brand and culture to raise awareness and increase their brand equity as well as to contribute to their communities. Positioning For socially responsible businesses, investment in Childrens Health Foundation is a most efficient way to make a difference in the lives of their communities, by helping the most vulnerable part of our society children to lead a quality life recovering from life threatening diseases. Childrens Health Foundation commits to full support for these kids and their families including treatment, rehabilitation, innovative research, financial and legal assistance. We have chosen these target markets because middle class is declining and it is increasingly important to retain the loyalty of the donors to ensure steady revenue flow. Corporations is as well an important source of continuous revenue for charities for smooth daily operations. Childrens Health Foundation is currently working on the recognition and stewardship plan and came up with the below thresholds for lifetime giving. Individual $25,000 $99,999 Individual $100,000 $499,999 Individual $500,000 + Corporations $250,000 + Recognition and Stewardship Donor recognition and stewardship program should be aimed to form deep and lasting relationships with the donors, by adopting a long term ongoing mindset rather than to check off a box on a checklist. Conversation should be dynamic and ongoing rather than static. Ideally every level should have a name of the circle who would enjoy the benefits of a specific level of donation. INDIVIDUALS Individual $25,000 $99,999 Give donor a photo frame of the children being helped. To thank them in person if feasible to strengthen the relationship. Develop a stewardship section on the website where all new memberships of the circle are being announced acknowledging the loyalty and support of the new member. A pin of the circle. Invitations to all fundraising events Individual $100,000 $499,999 A painting with colorful handstamps of children of the hospital as an authentic way to say THANK YOU. It should be given in person. Send cards or make a phone call during these birthdays, anniversaries, etc. That way, your donor will know that theyre on the top of your mind. Invitations to all fundraising events. A pin of the circle. Tickets to an art show or complimentary golf rounds received from sponsor so it would not cost anything and donors would feel appreciated. Individual $500,000 + A necklace made by children in the hospital as a thank you gift. A yearly dinner with board members to discuss issues and make the donors feel they are part of the family and get a feeling of what is happening behind the scene. A pin of the circle. Invitations to exclusive events received from sponsors. Send cards or make a phone call during these birthdays, anniversaries, etc. That way, your donor will know that theyre on the top of your mind. Invitations to all fundraising events. A public announcement (if donor agrees). Media Channels Brochures to be handed out in art galleries, theatres, symphonies, fundraising events; ads in business and travel magazines; TV golf shows or jazz festivals; email, face to face, website, Twitter, LinkedIn. CORPORATIONS $250,000 + At the completion of a project or campaign, provide them with a small photo book that showcases the project from inception to completion. A photo book is tangible evidence of how their dollars were spent and serves as a constant reminder of the organization. When creating the photo book, we should be certain to select results-oriented pictures that are tied to your cause and show the impact our organization makes. Highlight a donor on the website or with newsletter. Include why they are such an important part of your organizations family. Honor major donors that stand out with a personalized plaque. A 2 to 5 minute thank you video to publicly recognize them through social media and promote your organization to other potential supporters. Use social media provide the chance to recognize donors in a regular and ongoing way. Media Channels Face to Face, telephone, brochures, email. creative objective individual giving/millennials Our creative strategy is to position Childrens Health Foundation as a cause that invites our young generation to participate and therefore, make a difference. creative strategy individual giving/millennials Target Audience is men and women from 18 to 30 years old singles or young families. Their income is not very high as they are still in college/university or working in entry level jobs that do not bring high income. These young, tech-savvy consumers find their entertainment online. They are doing volunteer work in an effort to improve their community. They tend to donate to whatever inspired them at the moment and are looking for causes with social value and alignment to a higher purpose. They want to participate and co-create products as well as for disruption of the status quo in ways that appeal to their sensibilities. This group is very influenced by their peers. < Rainforest Deforestation | Essay Rainforest Deforestation | Essay There are many reasons why the rainforests are disappearing right before our eyes. There are two main causes total deforestation, agriculture and fuel wood collection in dry areas. The main cause of the disappearing forests are logging, mining, industrial development and large dams. Tourism is also a large threat in deforestation. They all play a major part in the degradation of all forests. What is logging? Many may ask that question to a forest expert. Logging is simply the cutting down of mature trees for their timber. Large areas of the forest are destroyed only to remove a few of its logs. The heavy equipment used to break through the forest causes even more damage. As the soil is compacted and the trees are cut down by the heavy machines, the chance for the regeneration of the forest decreases significantly. The tracks made by the heavy machinery are a site foe extreme soil disturbance which will eventually erode in heavy rains. Now the lives of all the forests inhabitants are disrupted by the removal of only a few logs. The International Tropical Trade Organization (ITTO), was established in 1988 to regulate the trade of tropical timber, but the amount of logging was insignificant on a world wide scale. Most rainforest timber on the international market is exported to rich countries. There, it is then sold hundreds of times the original price paid to the indigenou s people whose forest have been plundered. The timber is then used for the production of doors, wood frames, crates, house hold utensils, and other items. The next cause of deforestation is agriculture, the shifted cultivators, cash crops, and cattle ranching. The term shifted cultivators is commonly used for the people who have moved into the rainforest and established small scale farms. These people are landless peasants who followed roads into the damaged areas of the forests. Shifted cultivators are being blamed for 60% of tropical forest lost. The reason they are called shifted cultivators is that they are forced to move off of their own land and move into the forest which they had no knowledge in order to sustain themselves and their families. After a time these farmers encounter the same problems as the cash crop farmers do. The foil does not stay fertile for a long time, so they are forced to move or shift again to a new area in the forest destroying it more and more. Its evident that shifted cultivators have become part of the destruction of the rainforests but not the cause. Undisturbed areas of the rainforests are being clea red in order to provide land for food crops and grazing cattle. Much of these crops are grown to be exported to rich industrialized countries, which leaves the poor population to go hungry and fend for their selves. Because of the delicate nature of the rainforest soil the productivity of cash crops grown declines after a few years. Mono-culture plantations are those that produce only one species of tree or type of food. The reason they are referred to as cash crops is that the only reason they are planted is simply to make money and make it fast, with very little concern about the environmental damage they are causing. Most cases involve cattle damage, the cattle damage the land to such an extent where the ranchers have no use for it anymore, they move on destroying more and more of the rainforest. The forest is not the only thing being destroyed; cattle ranchers have exploited the land leaving it barren and stripped of nutrients not being able to sustain any life at all. The third cause of deforestation is fuel wood, fuel wood is used for heating and cooking. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 1.5 to 2 billion worldwide rely on fuel wood for many purposes. The problem is worse in drier regions of the tropics. A solution will probably mean the return of the forest to local people who know how to control it. Another cause is the production of large dams, in India and South America millions of acres of forests are being destroyed by the building of these large hydro-electric dams. It was a dominant view that hydro-electric dams had to be built or these countries would suffer from am energy crisis. The construction of the dams not only destroys the forests but also displaces the tens of thousands of families, not only destroying their land, but also their culture. The rates of waterborne diseases increase significantly. The downstream ecosystems are destroyed by the dams which trap the silt, trapping many valuable nutrients. The irrigation and industrial projects that are powered by these dams lead to extensive environmental damage in the future. The irrigation leads to destruction of soils and the industry leads to pollution. Mining and industry is the fifth cause of rainforest destruction. Mining and Industrial development lead to direct forest loss due to the clearing out of land to establish projects. Roads are built through unattainable land, which then opens up the rainforest. This later causes sever water, air, and land pollution. One more being the Colonization Schemes, government and international aid agencies for a time believed that by encouraging the colonization and the trans-migration schemes into the rainforest, they could improve the poverty felt by the people of the financially poor countries. It has become obvious that such schemes have failed numerous times, hurting the indigenous people and the environment. These schemes involved the relocation of millions of families into over populated parts or the forest. For example, in Indonesia, the Transmigration program begun in 1974. it is believed to be the greatest forest lost in Indonesia, directly causing an average loss of 200,000 hectares. These people suffered the same problem as the shifted cultivators did. The soil was not fertile enough, which made them move into another part of the forest destroying more land that was originally intended. The last cause is tourism, the creation of national parks has unquestionably protects rainforests. Though national parks are open to the public, the tourism is damaging most if these areas. National Parks are often advertised to vacationers before sufficient management plans have been developed. Insufficient financial support is to be paid for the preservation of forests by government departments. These government departments see tourism as an easy way to make money, therefore tourism is highly encouraged. Ecotourism or environmentally friendly tourism should educate the tourists to be more environmentally aware. Unfortunately many companies and resorts that advertise themselves as being ecotourist establishments are only exploiting the land for a profit. In conclusion we all have a part in destroying the rainforests; whether it be by logging, mining, industrial development, agriculture, or tourism. In order to make the world a better place for everyone to live in we all must come together and protect what we are destroying. Without the rainforests there wouldnt be oxygen and without oxygen there will be no way for any for of life to survive. So I ask how important are the rainforests to you?

Effect of Medicinal Plant Extracts on Alzheimers Disease

Effect of Medicinal Plant Extracts on Alzheimers Disease Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease which causes a lethal twist in the structural integrity, and a roadblock in the function of brain, this eventually channel the situation to degeneration and shrinkage of brain, and override the control of brain over other parts of the body, and comes to the final closing remark of the disease- death. Studies done on the topic have corroborated that the disease is not reversible, and the only patch of hope is slowing down its progress. But as the disease advances through mid stage and evolves into severe AD, the condition of patient becomes pathetic and care giving becomes more painful. Studies have reported that notable symptoms of AD are seen only after 60 years of age, even though the disease has started before that. Initial symptoms are loss of short term memory- being forgetful about the recent events, and gradually over a period of time patient seems more absent –minded about the environment, things which are chemically etched in the long term memory begins to be erased, and the final stage starts pushing the patient into severe AD which is tremendously pathetic. Studies have proved that loss of function of neurons is the cause of AD. A closer look into the aspect revealed a complex set of events that precede the neuronal degeneration- oxidative stress and imbalance in homeostasis, formation of roadblocks in communication, falling apart of integrity and death of neurons. This enabled to go beyond the findings of superficial studies done and hypothesis developed, and helped to delve much deeper into the inner workings and mechanism of the disease. Hypotheses developed to explain mechanism of AD are: amyloid cascade hypothesis, cholinergic hypothesis and tau hypothesis. Amyloid cascade hypothesis says, APP- Amyloid Precursor Protein, a transmembrane protein involved in main roles of growth, survival and repair of nerve cells- is snipped at wrong places by an enzyme called secretase, leading to the formation of amyloid ÃŽ ² peptides which accumulates to form plaques- amyloid plaques- and bind to synapses blocking the communication channel, event ually causes memory loss. According to cholinergic hypothesis, downward drift in the levels of acetylcholine in brain is the cause for Alzheimer’s disease. Loss of function of cholinergic neurons was found in Alzheimer’s disease patients. Shift in the level of acetylcholine happens due to the lack of two enzymes involved in synthesis and breaking down of acetylcholine. This will lead to loss of function of neurons; brain’s functionality falls apart, and eventually leads to symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Tau hypothesis approaches the problem in another perspective, tau protein- a protein associated with microtubules in nerve cells- gets hyperphosphorylated, this enables cross linking among tau protein units, and they back off from being attached to the microtubules. This causes loss of structural integrity of nerve cells, and they collapse and clump to form tangles- neurofibrillary tangles. Studies conducted focusing on the inner workings of these hypoth esis have found that oxidative stress is the reason that enhances plaque and tangle formation, repair mechanisms in cells are unable to solve the situation as the oligomer formation and cross linking are predominantly made by non peptide bonds. In another study, amyloid ÃŽ ² peptides have shown close relation with some causes of mad cow disease. Studies related to genetics of AD have found the link between APOE gene on chromosome 21 and the disease. APOE gene codes for apolipoprotein, and one among its functions is breaking down of APP. APOE has variants, APOEÃŽ µ4 is the one which codes for less active protein whose capacity to break down APP is sluggish. People with this variant gene are more tend to develop AD in later stages of life, and any abnormality related to chromosome 21 also results in AD over a period of time. To know more about the mechanism of disease and its attachment to oxidative stress, further studies have done from different angles, and all the studies have come to a common point, the findings from all the studies stitched together gave a complex and elaborate picture about the mechanism of the disease. Free radical damage leads to oxidation of products in cell. Oxidation leads to new end products of glycation, nitration, lipid peroxidation, and oxidation of nucleic acids. These new end products chemically modify other proteins and compartments inside the cell. Oxidized derivatives impede with the channel of trace elements, and imbalances their homeostasis, and enables proteins like tau to form non peptide cross linking. In response to changes cell up the levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)- an antioxidant enzyme to mitigate the bad effects from free radical damage- but rapid heaping up of neurotoxic substances goes beyond control leading to severe imbalances, blockage of communicati on channels, and eventually death of neuron. Since mitochondria is the main source of free radicals and oxidative precursors. Certain deletions in mtDNA resulted in change in normal levels and rates of metabolism and production of free radicals. Free radicals formed in mitochondria are short lived and they do not have the ability to cross membrane and reach cytoplasm to cause damage, this led studies in a new direction and found free radicals- OH from cytoplasm- can attack guanidine in RNAs in cytoplasm and this both can cross the membrane and reach into mitochondria, and cause imbalance and production of more stable H2O2 radicals which can come to cytoplasm and react with the channel of trace elements, and starts the primary events for the major causes for AD to come into being. AD starts at neocortex area of brain, and as the neurons die and rupture, the neurotoxic substances- plaques, free radicals, tangles, etc. pervade the nearby nerve cells, and the cycle goes on and graduall y covers the brain and makes it slip out of its normal being. Oxidative stress in brain leads to degeneration of neurons, which eventually leads to dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This oxidative stress in brain can be slowed down or reversed- to a small extent- using drugs to treat AD or using antioxidant capacity of some medicinal plants. In this study rats were arranged into seven groups, and different groups were treated with different plant extracts and rivastigmine. AD was induced using aluminum chloride- rats were given aluminum chloride for one month, and the dosage was 17mg/kg of body weight. One group was kept as control- healthy control and another group as AD-induced. Rivastigmine was given to group 3. Group 4 and 5 were treated with extracts of a medicinal plant- Salvia triloba; and group 6 and 7 were treated with extract made from Piper nigrum. The rats were given drug and extracts for three months. At the end of three months duration biochemical assays and histopathology was done to examine the changes happened to t he brains. The following things were checked for in serum: malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity and nitric oxide, and level of superoxide dismutase were checked in erythrocytes. Acetylcholine and acetylcholine esterase levels were checked in brain samples and another group of brain samples were given for histopathology. From the results, the rats which were treated with Piper nigrum extract and rivastigmine showed increase in brain Ach, and serum TAC and SOD; and a significant decrease in brain AchE, and serum MDA and NO. The rats which were treated with extract of Salvia triloba showed even better result in subduing the oxidative stress to a certain limit. Antioxidant capacity of plants was used to bring down the effects of oxidative stress in brain. Here, the effect of the extract made from Boswellia serrata is compared with rivastigmine on rats with AD- induced by oral administration of aluminum chloride. Ninety male rats were used in the study. They were made into nine groups. Group 1 was kept as healthy control, group 2 was given with aluminum chloride for four weeks, and group 3 was treated with rivastigmine, group 4 and 5 were treated with two different concentrations of plant extract made from Boswellia serrata. Groups 3 to 5 were treated with a combination of aluminum chloride and other things to check the ability of extract and drugs to protect the brain from the stress. Group 6 was given with water after inducing AD. Group 7 was given with rivastigmine, and group 8 and 9 were given with two different concentrations of plant extract- this was done for twelve weeks. Cognitive tests were done at the beginning of each new stage o f the study. At the end of the duration of the study, the brain samples were subjected to biochemical assays and histopathology. From the results, B.serrata has significant ability to reduce the oxidative stress in brain, and higher dose if the extract showed better effect- bringing down the severity of oxidative stress damage. Bacopa monnieri is another plant used to trim the effects of AD. This plant is used since ancient times for improving intelligence, and in this study its ability to protect against AD is checked. Alcoholic extracts of the plant was made for the study. AD was induced using ethylcholine aziridinium ion (AF64A)- administered intracerebroventricular way bilaterally. Plant extract was given to the rats two weeks before and one week after the administration of AF64A. rats were subjected to cognitive tests. Rats treated with the plant extract cleared the tests in less time. Histopathology results showed, low dose of the plant extract brought down the degree of damage in brain- reduction of neurons density. Low dose showed better result compared to the medium and high dose. The study has not revealed the mechanism of action of the plant extract, but it showed the scope for a further study on the same. Targeted drug delivery to brain in case of Alzheimer’s disease is more complex process due to many factors like blood brain barrier and actions of plasma proteins. But nanoparticles are used for targeted drug delivery, and this is again affected by physiochemical properties of Nanoparticles in different surfactants, stability of nanoparticles and organic coating or capping agent on nanoparticles. Blood brain barrier is a homeostatic defense mechanism used by brain to screen out pathogens and unwanted materials from entering brain. The barrier screens the solutes biochemically, physicochemically and structurally at the periphery. There are times when blood brain barrier breaks down due to certain infections or due to any physical reason, and this makes it skew from its usual nature- highly selectively permeable. Studies have been conducted to find how nanoparticles are treated at blood brain barrier. In a study, nanoparticles were made by warm microemulsion precursors, and the nanoparticles were radiolabelled by entrapment. Then an in situ study was conducted to check how nanoparticles cross the blood brain barrier. From the study it was concluded that endocytosis or transcytosis as possible mechanism for the transport across the barrier- more studies are yet to be conducted. Studies have shown that clioquinol- a quinoline derivative- can solubilize amyloid ÃŽ ² plaques in vitro and this could prevent accumulation of amyloid ÃŽ ² plaques in Alzheimer’s disease transgenic mice- an in vivo study. Clioquinol has shown its ability to dissolve plaques which are induced by Zn and Cu ions- NMR studies have shown that clioquinol can remove bound Cu ions from amyloid ÃŽ ² plaques. The study conducted has overlooked the toxicity part of clioquinol- though clioquinol has many side effects attached to it at high doses. It has shown in the later part of the study that clioquinol coupled with nanoparticles could easily cross the blood brain barrier- higher degre e of uptake by brain. So, clioquinol-nanoparticle delivery system is suggested to be considered as one among the models for treating Alzheimer’s disease by targeted drug delivery. Even though using nanoparticles are considered for drug delivery, there are studies showing the side effects, and doses. In a study- toxicity of silver nanoparticles- it was found that exposure to more than 125mg/kg of silver nanoparticles will lead to liver damage due to toxicity. In a study curcumin nanoparticle formulation was used to test its effect on Alzheimer’s disease in mice. Nanocurcumin was synthesized and orally given to the mice for twelve days. Memory tests were done before starting every new stage of the experiment. Results have shown that mice treated with nanocurcumin could clear the cognitive tests- significant improvements were observed.

The Great Houdini :: Free Essays Online

The Great Houdini  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The performer known world wide as Harry Houdini was born on March 24, 1874 in Budapest. Although Houdini often claimed to be born in Appleton, Wisconsin, Houdini actually came to the United States when he was four years old. To this day many connected with the small town of Appleton still claim the untruth that Houdini was born there strictly to attract tourists. Houdini's father was Mayer Samuel Weiss. Houdini's father was a Rabbi. His mother's name was Cecilia Steiner Weiss. His parents spoke little English, and the family was quite poor so most of the children began to work at an early age. From the age of eight young Ehrich Weiss sold newspapers and worked as a shoe shine boy. At the age of 12, young Ehrich left home to make his way in the world in an attempt to help support his family. Young Ehrich traveled the country for about a year, always sending money home when he could. Finally he joined up with his father in New York City. The family moved to New York in the hope of find ing a better life there. In New York, Houdini worked as a messenger and as a cutter in a garment center sweat shop, to help support his family. Houdini began performing magic as a teenager first calling himself Eric the Great. Ehrich acquired the name Houdini from a book he read, "The Memoirs of Robert-Houdin," the autobiography of one of the greatest magicians of the day. Influenced by what he read and learned about the internationally known magician Robert Houdin, young Ehrich changed his name to Houdini, hoping to be in some way like his new found mentor. Houdini's first magic shows consisted of card tricks and other simple magic. Soon Houdini began experimenting with hand cuffs and using them in his acts. Houdini performed with another young man who worked with him in the factory in New York. They called themselves the Houdini Brothers. Soon Houdini's younger brother Theo took the place of the boy from the factory. Together with his brother Theo, they tried to succeed as the Houdini Brothers. Their first performances included shows at amusement parks, beer halls, "dime museums," and at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. In 1894, Houdini met Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner, who was singing and dancing as part of the Floral Sisters.

Cold Sassy Tree :: essays research papers

Cold Sassy Tree   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Cold Sassy Tree† reminds me of a soap opera, only this movie ends. â€Å"Cold Sassy Tree† and soap operas relate to our everyday lives in many ways. Soap operas are very dramatic and full of events, just like this movie. A plethora of gossip also goes around in this small community.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In â€Å"Cold Sassy Tree† the setting is your general soap opera or an everyday â€Å"Little House on the Prairie†, only with more gossip and drama. I believe that the setting affects the viewer in a way which brought the viewer in closer to the characters, almost feeling as if you were in the movie. When viewing this movie, I personally felt a sense of closeness. I felt that I knew all the gossip of the town and that the small families let me into their everyday routines only to view from an outside position. The setting also affects the character greatly. Living in a small town makes it very easy to know every ones business. When you know everybody in your town you also seem to hide things or not be around everybody all the time, which is not possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Briefly, â€Å"Cold Sassy Tree† is about a small community, mostly made of women who love to gossip. One young woman marries secretly and runs off to have fun with her new husband, Mr. Blackeslee. Through-out the movie little scenes happen that do not play a big role in the overall plot. Near the end, Mr. Blackeslee gets very sick and his young wife, Love, tries her hardest to get him well. Mr. Blackseslee dies and it is hard for Love to overcome his death. Before he dies Love informs her husband that she is pregnant, which shocks him, for he had always wanted a son.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Do not judge a woman by her mistakes. This is only one of the major themes portrayed in this movie. Just as everyone makes mistakes, Love also made a few mistakes, which made all the women think of her as bad. Later, after Love’s husband had died, all the women began to be friendly to her, for they figured out she was more than what they thought. Another theme portrayed is, â€Å"what’s best is not always what you expect.† I believe in this theme, for when Mr. Blackseslee died, the viewer knew it was for the best. However, Love did not think that was how everything was going to be, she thought he would recover and be ok, then later realized this probably was best.

Apple Supplier Foxconn Employs 14-Year-Olds

The eclectic paradigm is a theory in economics and is also known as the OLI-Model or OLI-Framework. [1][2] It is a further development of the theory of internalization and published by John H. Dunning in 1980. [3] The theory of internalization itself is based on the transaction cost theory. [3] This theory says that transactions are made within an institution if the transaction costs on the free market are higher than the internal costs. This process is called internalization. [3] For Dunning, not only the structure of organization is important. 3] He added 3 more factors to the theory:[3] Ownership advantages[1] (trademark, production technique, entrepreneurial skills, returns to scale)[2] Ownership specific advantages refer to the competitive advantages of the enterprises seeking to engage in Foreign direct investment (FDI). The greater the competitive advantages of the investing firms, the more they are likely to engage in their foreign production. [4] Location advantages [5](exis tence of raw materials, low wages, special taxes or tariffs)[2] Locational attractions refer to the alternative countries or regions, for undertaking the value adding activities of MNEs.The more the immobile, natural or created resources, which firms need to use jointly with their own competitive advantages, favor a presence in a foreign location, the more firms will choose to augment or exploit their O specific advantages by engaging in FDI. [4] Internalization advantages (advantages by own production rather than producing through a partnership arrangement such as licensing or a joint venture)[2] Firms may organize the creation and exploitation of their core competencies.The greater the net benefits of internalizing cross-border intermediate product markets, the more likely a firm will prefer to engage in foreign production itself rather than license the right to do so. [4] Source: Dunning (1981)[6]Categories of advantages Ownership advantagesInternalization advantagesLocation adva ntages Form of market entry Licensing[1] YesNoNo Export YesYesNo FDI YesYesYes [edit]Theory The idea behind the Eclectic Paradigm is to merge several isolated theories of international economics in one approach. 1] Three basic forms of international activities of companies can be distinguished: Export, FDI and Licensing. [1] The so-called OLI-factors are three categories of advantages, namely the ownership advantages, locational advantages and internalization advantages. [1] A precondition for international activities of a company are the availability of net ownership advantages. These advantages can both be material and immaterial. The term net ownership advantages is used to express the advantages that a company has in foreign and unknown markets. 1] According to Dunning two different types of FDI can be distinguished. While resource seeking investments are made in order to establish access to basic material like raw materials or other input factors, market seeking investments are made to enter an existing market or establish a new market. [1] A closer distinction is made by Dunning with the terms efficiency seeking investments, strategic seeking investments and support investments. [1] Trade and FDI patterns for industries and countries. [7]Location advantages StrongWeak Ownership advantagesStrongExportsOutward FDI WeakInward FDIImportsThe eclectic paradigm also contrasts a country's resource endowment and geographical position (providing locational advantages) with firms resources (ownership advantages). [7] In the model, countries can be shown to face one of the four outcomes shown in the figure above. [7] In the top, right hand box in the figure above firms possess competitive advantages, but the home domicile has higher factor and transport costs than foreign locations. [7] The firms therefore make a FDI abroad in order to capture the rents from their advantages. [7] But if the country has locational advantages, strong local firms are more likely to emp hasize exporting. 7] The possibilities when the nation has only weak firms, as in most developing countries, leads to the opposite outcomes. [7] These conditions are similar to those suggested by Porter's diamond model of national competitiveness. [7] [edit]Application in practice In dependence of the categories of advantage there can be chosen the form of the international activity. If a company has ownership advantages like having knowledge about the target market abroad, for example staff with language skills, information about import permissions, appropriate products, contacts and so on, it can do a licensing.The licensing is less cost-intensive than the other forms of internalization. If there are internalization advantages, the company can invest more capital abroad. This can be achieved by export in form of an export subsidiary. The FDI is the most capital intensive activity that a company can choose. According to Dunning, it is considered that locational advantages are neces sary for FDI. This can be realized by factories which are either bought or completely constructed abroad. FDI is the most capital intensive form of internalization activity.

Mcdonalds 10k

Morningstar ® DocumentResearchS Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D. C. 20549 FORM 10-K FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 OR ? TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period fromto Commission File Number 1-5231 McDONALD’S CORPORATION (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) One McDonald’s Plaza Oak Brook, Illinois (Address of principal executive offices) 36-2361282 (I. R. S. Employer Identification No. ) 60523 (Zip code) Name of each exchange on which registered New York Stock Exchange Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (630) 623-3000 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Common stock, $. 01 par value Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None (Title of class) Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x No ? Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Act. Yes ? No x Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yesx No? Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T ( §232. 05 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No ? Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorpora ted by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of â€Å"large accelerated filer,† â€Å"accelerated filer† and â€Å"smaller reporting company† in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one): Large accelerated filer xAccelerated filer ? Non-accelerated filer ? (do not check if a smaller reporting company)Smaller reporting company ? Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ? No x The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2010 was $70,073,280,631. The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock as of January 31, 2011 was 1,043,298,941. DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Part III of this Form 10-K incorporates information by reference from the registrant’s 2011 definitive proxy statement which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2010. Source: MCDONALDS CORP, 10-K, February 25, 2011Powered by Morningstar  ® Document ResearchSM Table of Contents Part I. Part II. Part III. Part IV. McDONALD’S CORPORATION INDEX Page Reference Item 1Business1 Item 1A Item 1B Item 2Properties6 Risk Factors and Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements3 Unresolved Staff Comments5 Item 3 Item 5 Item 6 Item 7 Item 7A Item 8 Item 9 Item 9A Item 9B Item 10 Item 11 Item 12 Item 13 Item 14 Item 15 Legal Proceedings6 Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities7 Selected Financial Data9 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations10 Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk27 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data27 Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure48 Controls and Procedures48 Other Information48 Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance48 Executive Compensation48 Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters48 Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence49 Principal Accountant Fees and Services49 Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules49 52 53 Signatures Exhibits All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners and are used with permission. Source: MCDONALDS CORP, 10-K, February 25, 2011Powered by Morningstar  ® Document ResearchSM Table of Contents PART I ITEM 1. Business McDonald’s Corporation, the registrant, together with its subsidiaries, is referred to herein as the â€Å"Company. † a. General development of business During 2010, there have been no material changes to the Company’s corporate structure or in its method of conducting business. In 2010, the Company has continued the process it began in 2005 to realign certain subsidiaries to develop a corporate structure within its geographic segments that better reflects the operation of the McDonald’s worldwide business. . Financial information about segments Segment data for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009, and 2008 are included in Part II, Item 8, page 40 of this Form 10-K. c. Narrative description of business †¢ General The Company franchises and operates McDonald’s restaurants in the global restaurant industry. These restaurants serve a varied, yet limited, value-priced menu (see Products) in more than 100 countries around the world. All restaurants are operated either by the Company or by franchisees, including conventional franchisees under franchise arrangements, and foreign affiliated markets and developmental licensees under license agreements. The Company’s operations are designed to assure consistency and high quality at every restaurant. When granting franchises or licenses, the Company is selective and generally is not in the practice of franchising to passive investors. Under the conventional franchise arrangement, franchisees provide a portion of the capital required by initially investing in the equipment, signs, seating and de? cor of their restaurant businesses, and by reinvesting in the business over time. The Company owns the land and building or secures long-term leases for both Company-operated and conventional franchised restaurant sites. In certain circumstances, the Company participates in reinvestment for conventional franchised restaurants. A discussion regarding site selection is included in Part I, Item 2, page 6 of this Form 10-K. Conventional franchisees contribute to the Company’s revenue stream through the payment of rent and royalties based upon a percent of sales, with specified minimum rent payments, along with initial fees received upon the opening of a new restaurant or the granting of a new franchise term. The conventional franchise arrangement typically lasts 20 years, and franchising practices are generally consistent throughout the world. Over 70% of franchised restaurants operate under conventional franchise arrangements. The Company has an equity investment in a limited number of foreign affiliated markets, referred to as affiliates. The largest of these affiliates is Japan, where there are more than 3,300 restaurants. The Company receives a royalty based on a percent of sales in these markets. Under a developmental license arrangement, licensees provide capital for the entire business, including the real estate interest. While the Company has no capital invested, it receives a royalty based on a percent of sales, as well as initial fees. The largest of these developmental license arrangements operates more than 1,750 restaurants across 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Company and its franchisees purchase food, packaging, equipment and other goods from numerous independent suppliers. The Company has established and strictly enforces high quality standards and product specifications. The Company has quality assurance labs around the world to ensure that its high standards are consistently met. The quality assurance process not only involves ongoing product reviews, but also on-site inspections of suppliers’ facilities. A quality assurance board, composed of the Company’s technical, safety and supply chain specialists, provides strategic global leadership for all aspects of food quality and safety. In addition, the Company works closely with suppliers to encourage innovation, assure best practices and drive continuous improvement. Leveraging scale, supply chain infrastructure and risk management strategies, the Company also collaborates with suppliers toward a goal of achieving competitive, predictable food and paper costs over the long term. Independently owned and operated distribution centers, approved by the Company, distribute products and supplies to most McDonald’s restaurants. In addition, restaurant personnel are trained in the proper storage, handling and preparation of products and in the delivery of customer service. McDonald’s global brand is well known. Marketing, promotional and public relations activities are designed to promote McDonald’s brand image and differentiate the Company from competitors. Marketing and promotional efforts focus on value, food taste, menu choice and the customer experience. The Company continuously endeavors to improve its social responsibility and environmental practices to achieve long-term sustainability, which benefits McDonald’s and the communities it serves. The Company has disposed of non-McDonald’s restaurant businesses to concentrate resources on its core business. In February 2009, the Company sold its minority ownership interest in Redbox Automated Retail, LLC, and in April 2008, the Company sold its minority ownership interest in U. K. -based Pret A Manger. †¢Products McDonald’s restaurants offer a substantially uniform menu, although there are geographic variations to suit local consumer preferences and tastes. In addition, McDonald’s tests new products on an ongoing basis. McDonald’s menu includes hamburgers and cheeseburgers, Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Filet-O-Fish, several chicken sandwiches, Chicken McNuggets, Chicken Selects, Snack Wraps, french fries, salads, shakes, McFlurry desserts, sundaes, soft serve cones, pies, cookies, soft drinks, coffee, McCafe? beverages and other beverages. In addition, the restaurants sell a variety of other products during limited-time promotions. McDonald’s restaurants in the U. S. and many international markets offer a full or limited breakfast menu. Breakfast offerings may include Egg McMuffin, Sausage McMuffin with Egg, McGriddles, biscuit and bagel sandwiches and hotcakes. Source: MCDONALDS CORP, 10-K, February 25, 2011Powered by Morningstar  ® Document ResearchSM Table of Contents †¢Intellectual property The Company owns or is licensed to use valuable intellectual property including trademarks, service marks, patents, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary information. T he Company considers the trademarks â€Å"McDonald’s† and â€Å"The Golden Arches Logo† to be of material importance to its business. Depending on the jurisdiction, trademarks and service marks generally are valid as long as they are used and/or registered. Patents, copyrights and licenses are of varying remaining durations. †¢Seasonal operations The Company does not consider its operations to be seasonal to any material degree. †¢ Working capital practices Information about the Company’s working capital practices is incorporated herein by reference to Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009, and 2008 in Part II, Item 7, pages 10 through 27, and the Consolidated statement of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 in Part II, Item 8, page 30 of this Form 10-K. †¢ Customers The Company’s business is not dependent upon either a single customer or small group of customers. †¢ Backlog Company-operated restaurants have no backlog orders. †¢Government contracts No material portion of the business is subject to renegotiation of profits or termination of contracts or subcontracts at the election of the U. S. government. †¢ Competition McDonald’s restaurants compete with international, national, regional and local retailers of food products. The Company competes on the basis of price, convenience, service, menu variety and product quality in a highly fragmented global restaurant industry. In measuring the Company’s competitive position, management reviews data compiled by Euromonitor International, a leading source of market data with respect to the global restaurant industry. The Company’s primary competition, which management refers to as the Informal Eating Out (IEO) segment, includes the following restaurant categories defined by Euromonitor International: quick-service eating establishments, casual dining full-service restaurants, 100% home delivery/takeaway providers, street stalls or kiosks, specialist coffee shops and self-service cafeterias. The IEO segment excludes establishments that primarily serve alcohol and full-service restaurants other than casual dining. Based on data from Euromonitor International, the global IEO segment was composed of approximately 6. 3 million outlets and generated $868 billion in annual sales in 2009, the most recent year for which data is available. McDonald’s Systemwide 2009 restaurant business accounted for approximately 0. 5% of those outlets and about 8% of the sales. 2 Management also on occasion benchmarks McDonald’s against the entire restaurant industry, including the IEO segment defined above and all other full-service restaurants. Based on data from Euromonitor International, the restaurant industry was composed of approximately 13. 1 million outlets and generated about $1. 79 trillion in annual sales in 2009. McDonald’s Systemwide restaurant business accounted for approximately 0. 2% of those outlets and about 4% of the sales. †¢Research and development The Company operates research and development facilities in the U. S. , Europe and Asia. While research and development activities are important to the Company’s business, these expenditures are not material. Independent suppliers also conduct research activities that benefit the Company, its franchisees and suppliers (collectively referred to as the System). †¢Environmental matters Increased focus by U. S. and overseas governmental authorities on environmental matters is likely to lead to new governmental initiatives, particularly in the area of climate change. While we cannot predict the precise nature of these initiatives, we expect that they may impact our business both directly and indirectly. Although the impact would likely vary by world region and/or market, we believe that adoption of new regulations may increase costs, including for the Company, its franchisees and suppliers. Also, there is a possibility that governmental initiatives, or actual or perceived effects of changes in weather patterns or climate, could have a direct impact on the operations of our restaurants or the operations of our suppliers in ways which we cannot predict at this time. The Company monitors developments related to environmental matters and plans to respond to governmental initiatives in a timely and appropriate manner. At this time, the Company has already undertaken its own initiatives relating to preservation of the environment, including the development of means of monitoring and reducing energy use, in many of its markets. †¢Number of employees The Company’s number of employees worldwide, including Company- operated restaurant employees, was approximately 400,000 as of year-end 2010. d. Financial information about geographic areas Financial information about geographic areas is incorporated herein by reference to Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations in Part II, Item 7, pages 10 through 27 and Segment and geographic information in Part II, Item 8, page 40 of this Form 10-K. e. Available information The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act). The Company therefore files periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Such reports may be obtained by visiting the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D. C. 20549, or by calling the SEC at (800) SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an internet site (www. sec. gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information.