• What is the overhead for running your charity?

COP is an all-volunteer organization, including the Board of Directors and Officers, with an IRS
501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in US and has OFAC Licenses for its Iran projects. Ninety-three percent
of donations are spent for programs and services activities that help Iranian children and their families
in need with social services, education, and health around the world.

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• Who are you and how are you structured?

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Children of Persia is composed of a Board of Directors, Officers, and Committee Chairpersons. We
are all volunteers, transparent about the work we do and how we do it. We strive to achieve
demonstrable impact. We treat people we help with respect, dignity, and act responsibly and ethically.

 

• Do you have any affiliation with anyone?

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We are an independent organization with no affiliation to any political, religious, or secular groups.
We are a member of the GuideStar Charity organizations and are registered to do fundraising in
Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, Florida, California, and Texas. W collaborate with a wide
range of community organizations in US, Europe, and Iran to implement projects and programs
that serve the most vulnerable children and families.

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• How do you identify and evaluate your projects?

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For our work in Iran, we identify projects through working with a number of NGOs that engage in
social, charitable and community work. We meet and interview them, discussing their needs and
receive their proposals relevant to projects that are focused on children and families, be it individual
cases or projects affecting the children's immediate community and family. We then secure OFAC
license from the US government for implementing work in Iran due to sanctions and follow up with
implementation. At that phase we stay close to the NGO doing the work and get regular reports. We
have several volunteers in Iran who oversee the work and provide reports. We ourselves also take
self-funded trips to Iran to check on projects, meet with contacts and coordinate funding and
progress. We also get funding and expenditure reports from the projects.
For our US projects, we get our medical and Families in Crisis cases through the local social service
agencies in Fairfax, Montgomery, and other counties as well as through NIH, word of mouth and/or
direct request to the organization by those needing our help.

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• How do you manage your projects?

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We determine the legitimacy, extent, and details of needed assistance and develop plans to meet
identified needs and implement the delivery of services. To ensure full implementation of project
goals, the Children of Persia Board of Directors has established a volunteer project management
team in Iran. The members of this Committee are volunteers who lend their time and expertise to

implementing the organization’s mission at a grassroots level. This Committee is directly accountable
to the Board of Directors.

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• Where does your funding come from?

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COP’s funding for its programs and services comes entirely from donations, either through direct and

regular individual donations or through fundraising events and activities. We have many community-
based activities and events helping to raise awareness & funds. These include Valentine Charity

Dance, Relay Race & Kid’s Fun Run, Children of Persia Annual Gala, Annual Walk for Children and
Fall/Mehregan Festival, Annual Calendar, Bi-Annual Health fair, and well as participation in public
events such as Nowruz festivals, conferences, and collaboration with other organizations. We have a
great network of sponsors, supporters and volunteers that help sustain the organization’s
effectiveness and funding levels.

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• What do you do with the money you raise?

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We provide ongoing funding and support to many projects, programs, and activities in a variety of
locations that are run by NGOs in Iran (under our OFAC license) and those in the US we implement.
From 2016 and on, we have had the following ongoing and new projects:
• Zabol Medical Center: Collaborate to support operations at the Medical Center built and equipped
by Children of Persia in 2008.
• Funding educational & vocational programs for the Street & Working Children in Khaneh Mehr in
Karaj Iran.
• Funding to provide equipment and materials for 14 Early Childhood Education Centers in south
Khorasan, village area of Esfadan (2 complete and twelve remaining)
• Funding to build and equip an elementary school in the Village of Baja Baj in Azarbaijan
• Bahrami Hospital in Tehran – Providing medical equipment for the children’s ward.
• Funding for Sepehr Children in Babol – an orphanage supporting twenty children.
• Funding for Sepehr Center in Bam, serving ‘Sepehr Children’ in a range of programs from health to
educational services. Children are without families or come from broken or neglected families.
• Funding for Avayeh Mandegar Center in Darvazeh Ghar (south of Tehran) for vocational training
and income generation activities for girls and women, and education for children
• Families in Crisis- assisting families in crisis in the US to make a better environment for the child.
• Internship programs for US University students to volunteer for projects in Iran.
• Annual College Scholarship to Iranian students across the US.
• Model Village in Azarbaijan – Educational and vocational center for mothers in the Village of
Jabbarloo, to support income generation for families.

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• Where can I find COP’s reports on income and expenses?

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The financial record for any charity, including COP, is a public record and can be obtained from IRS
or by request if you are a donor. In addition, if a charity has an OFAC license, which COP has, its
records are public and can be obtained from the government. In Children of Persia’s case, in
addition to filling an annual report for IRS, and OFAC, we also file tax form for each state/area in
which we are registered to do fundraising activities including MD, DC, VA, TX, FL, and CA. These
reports include our income, expenditure, and projections. In our OFAC reporting, we also identify
ALL our partners in Iran, US and globally. COP has a certified accountant doing its audit regularly.
This also helps to be registered with Network for Good.

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• How do you send money to Iran?

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COP has obtained multiple OFAC license (OFAC License is an authorization from Office of Foreign
Asset Control) under which we are permitted to send funds to Iran for our projects.

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