Goals:

1) Establish Engineering for Humanity as a nonprofit.

a) Fiscal sponser

b) Board of Directors

C) Bylaws

D) Incorporation

1) Don’t we have enough engineering nonprofits now?

A) Take a look at all the challenges facing our local communities. Clean water, education, infrastructure, pollution, energy, the list goes on and on. Engineers can help with these local problems as well as help international communities.

2) What makes EFH different from other engineering nonprofits?

A) It is difficult to get experienced engineers to donate their time but those engineers who have a great deal of real world knowledge can make the biggest impact. Right now, I believe experienced engineers are under represented in helping the local community. I remember when I was going to school, working on “real life” problems submitted to us from the community but we just did not have the experience to do a good job solving the problems.

3) What is your background?

A) I have over 15 years of experience in structural and environmental engineering, and have a Master’s degree in environmental engineering. I have taught courses in hydrology, structural analysis and concrete design at Iowa State University. Before that I worked in the precast concrete industry for 10 years.

4) Why start a nonprofit?

A) I see all the problems communities are facing and I believe I should be helping as an engineer. I looked at other nonprofits, to see if I could donate my experience. There did not seem to be a nonprofit set up for experienced engineers to help their community.

5) Why don’t engineers provide more volunteer services?

A) It is a tricky thing to get engineers to solve problems for free when the model has been to wait until money was available to help with a problem. This nonprofit would not compete with engineering firms but help in those areas where communities need the help but do not have the money. Architects have created a culture of sharing their skills, engineers should follow suit and in my mind should actually be leading the charge.

Engineers have some of the most valuable skills in the world.

My goal is to help Engineers find a conduit to donate their design
skills to improve local and worldwide communities.

We are taking the steps required to register Engineering for Humanity as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. If you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors, please contact us.
Please contact me if you have any questions about Engineering for Humanity.
Stuart Nielsen, P.E.

The goal is to first register as a nonprofit, setup a board of directors, craft bylaws, develop a list of projects and then…..start to find engineers who can donate their time.

If your interested in helping or you have a project you need some help on, please contact me at nielsen@engineeringforhumanity.org

Thanks!

Stuart Nielsen, P.E.