Planning a Mission, Fundraising, and Building a Team

Abstract

Substantive change as one would hope when planning a mission cannot happen unless vision, skills, incentive, resources, and an action plan are implemented. From choosing the site to fund raising, to appropriate use of the media, all these aspects must be carefully considered and brought into play. The absence of any one component results in failure to achieve the desired level of change. In global health and humanitarian surgery, an excess of vision, well-meaning individuals with considerable skill and the paucity of structured incentives, organized resources, and a well-vetted action plan often lead to disappointment and failure. In this chapter the leaders of one successful nongovernmental organization, Kybele, Inc., which is focused on improving the safety of childbirth internationally, share their vision for the deliberate planning of a mission, fundraising, and team building for the anesthesiologist participating in a humanitarian surgical mission.