To donate directly to Kopila Valley Children's Home click here:
Please send requests for different $ amount for subscription to stevedoyne@blinknow.org
Your donation is 501(c)(3) tax deductible.
EIN 26-0819262
Frequently Asked Questions about how you can help!
I would love to make a contribution but not online, can I send a check to a US address? Is there a person I can speak to about my gift?
Yes! You can make a donation by check. All checks can be made payable to BlinkNow Foundation and mailed to:
BlinkNow Foundation
P.O. Box 453
Mendham, NJ 07945-0453
If possible, include your email address so we can email you a tax receipt, thus maximizing the amount of your donation going directly to the care of the children.
Our BlinkNow headquarters (in my family’s living room in Mendham, New Jersey) has a phone number you may contact if you have a specific question regarding your donation. Call 973-543-9598. The answering machine will pick up and we'll try our best to get back to you as soon as possible.
When I write a check to BlinkNow is my money going to Kopila Valley?
Kopila Valley Children's Home is the inaugural project of BlinkNow Foundation. At present 98% of all funds donated to BlinkNow go directly to K.V.C.H. When you write a check to the BlinkNow Foundation, your money is going into our non-profit account recognized by the IRS, and being transferred into our Kopila Valley account in Surkhet as funds are needed for the running of the project. In the future we hope to begin other projects using the Kopila Valley model.
BlinkNow is an IRS authorized 501 c 3 organization. All donations are tax deductible. Kopila Valley Children’s Home is a legalized NGO in Nepal authorized by the Nepali national government and the social welfare council. (Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj is the actual legal Nepali name of our organization.)
Can I come to stay with you and help in Nepal? Are there volunteer opportunities?
Yes there are opportunities for you to volunteer with us. At this time we ask that volunteers be ages 18 and older, although we may also consider the possibility of a parent/child team. All volunteers come and live with us in our home. This requires a major commitment and as you can imagine may be physically and emotionally taxing. Our capacity is limited and there is an extensive screening and interview process.
Volunteering at Kopila Valley Children’s Home is FOR ME if …
- I’m over 18 and feel a “call” to service, exploration and personal transformation.
- I am not a drug, alcohol user, or smoker.
- I love being with children and have something special and unique to offer them.
- I’m willing to deal with culture shock, new & challenging situations, different food, and simple living conditions.
- I REALLY want to do this program for MY OWN reasons, rather than because somebody else thinks it's a good idea for me.
- I’m willing to do hard work, and be uncomfortable at times.
- I’m willing to be part of a group and work with others.
- I understand that I will be accountable for my own actions and will be responsible for taking care of myself.
- I am willing to abide by all of the rules set forth by Kopila Valley Children’s Home.
To apply for a volunteer position contact our friends at LeapNow.org. LeapNow handles all of our volunteer applicants. Click on this link to email LeapNow. There is a screening and application process. (Put Volunteer at KVCH in the subject line.)
NarenderI would love to sponsor a child, but I'd like to know what is involved?
Wow, first, thank you so very much for offering to take part in our project in such a BIG way. We really rely on our sponsors to get through our monthly expenses for the kids. By sponsoring a child you will be making a significant impact in the lives of our children.
Here's how it works: The cost to sponsor a child is 25 dollars per month or 300 dollars for the year. This isn't a lifetime or even a yearly commitment. We are flexible as to how payments are made. You can either send a check to our P.O. box or pay via the paypal button (at the top of this page), or call our US headquarters 973-543-9598 (where you will most likely speak with my Dad, Steve Doyne). All of the money you give goes directly to the child you sponsor. We will do our best to make the connection with your child as personal as possible. If you would like to sponsor a child, please email me by using this link, or use the write maggie button to your upper left. Please let me know if you have a preference over whether you would like to sponsor a boy or girl.
I can't make a commitment to sponsor a child, but I still would like to make a contribution, what is the best way to help? Can I request that my money go toward a specific need?
Yes! And, thank you! If you would like to give, we can definitely find a way for you to help! If you would like to target your donation towards something specific take a look at what some of our major needs are for this year and choose something specific that resonates with you. Any amount you can contribute will go a LONG way. Just write us a memo in the paypal or on your check and we’ll direct your donation to the right place.
- School supplies
Children's Room, Kopila Valley - Books and literacy tools
- School tuition
- Domestic goods (i.e. Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes)
- Clothing, raincoats, winter jackets
- Our sewing room
- Our Garden
- Medical needs
- Electricity
- Staff salaries
- Art
- Music
- Support of local women
Please know that any and all (big and small) monetary donations go toward improving the lives of our children.
I have tons of gently used children's clothing, can I send them to you?
So many people make this very generous offer. Thank you for thinking of us. The problem is that we don’t have a reliable shipping system in Nepal and it costs a small fortune to ship a single box. So instead of shipping in clothes from the U.S., we buy really nice material from small local shopkeepers. Then we bring in poor local women and we have them sew the clothing for the children. We really try to stress buying locally to support our local economy. We've found that this does a lot more good, for a lot more people, for a lot less money! And I'm all about saving money because the more money we're able to save, the more money we have to help even MORE children. Our children are learning to sew too. If you wish, please feel free to specify that you would like to direct a cash gift toward our sewing room. We will use the money to buy thread, clothing material, needles, buttons, and of course small salaries for the women who help us with the stitching.
Does BlinkNow have any religious affiliation?
BlinkNow and Kopila Valley Children’s Home, has no religious or political affiliation. Nepal is traditionally a Hindu/Buddhist nation and we respect our children’s religious roots. We also teach our children spiritual values that mostly hold true to all the world’s major religions.
I have a special idea of how I'd like to help, how can I contact Maggie?
That’s great! You can contact me by using the WRITE TO MAGGIE button. Or use this link here. As I’m sure you will understand, there are times in Nepal where our electricity is out, or I am traveling to visit children or schools in remote villages. Please know that I do read all my own mail and I will get back to you as soon as possible. I know I will enjoy hearing from you – so, thanks so much for your patience!
What are the medical needs of the children?
All of the children accepted into our home have no major medical conditions. They do however require occasional doctors visits and check-ups. They need vaccinations and regular dental visits. We also support children in our local community with more serious medical needs. KVCH is currently supporting 5 children with serious on-going medical needs. If you would like to give a gift targeted toward medical costs, just let us know.
I would prefer my donation be anonymous or, not receive mailings, does BlinkNow share my information?
We will never share your information and you will not receive solicitations from BlinkNow. We do have a biannual newsletter with updates on our home. We send these to schools so that classes and families who are interested and want to stay posted on our progress. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please let us know.
KarmaI have many wonderful children’s books that I'd love to donate, is there a way we could get them to you in Nepal?
Due to the unreliable and very expensive shipping we have no way of receiving books or packages of any kind. Room to Read, a wonderful US based nonprofit literacy project based in Kathmandu has generously offered us some books to start our library off with and I carry a few of my favorites every time I make the trip from the US, back to Nepal. If you are really interested in adding to our library, you may chose to give a financial gift and let us know that you would like your donation to go toward our Kopila Valley library—I would most likely purchase books locally, in the Surkhet region. This will also be nice, because books here are in Nepali, and even though the children do learn English in school, they love reading stories in their native language.
If I send a donation, can I ask you to please send a gift card to someone I'd like to honor with my gift?
Yes, of course! If you’d like to make a donation in honor of a friend or family member let us know! We’d be happy to send you a card or e-mail that says something like… “A donation has been made to Kopila Valley Children’s Home in your name.” If you would like to make a donation in honor of a friend or family member let us know!
I’m just a kid, is there a way I can help Kopila Valley?
Yes! A ton of our support has come from kids and their incredible ideas! If you have an idea please contact me using this link, or the write to maggie button on the upper left of this page. In the past we’ve had kids hold lemonade sales, host school dances and bake sales and birthday parties! If you want to write a poem, or draw a picture, or make a friendship bracelet for one of the children in our home, you can send it to our P.O. box and I’ll be sure that it gets to them on one of my trips over.
Krishna
My school group wants to help Kopila Valley, is there a project we could work on that would help?
Awesome! We love school groups! Tell me what grade you’re in and what school you’re from. I’d love to hear your ideas and if we have a specific need or project for you to work on I’ll let you know. If you’re a teacher or principal from NJ and would like to arrange for me to speak in an assembly at your school, feel free to contact me, and we’ll try to make it happen.
I read through this entire thing and my question still hasn’t been answered, who do I ask? Is there someone who will get back to me?
Not a problem, we would love to hear from you and will try to answer any question you may have. Please email Maggie, or, Steve Doyne, or, please feel free to call our US headquarters: 973-543-9598. We will get back to you as soon as possible. If you have a special idea of a special way you would love to help, please, please, don’t hesitate to ask. We appreciate your thoughts and interest in BlinkNow and Kopila Valley. Thank you.