Does your organization have program materials translated into another language? Many don’t – and many don’t need to. It depends heavily on your mission, programs, and area of service. Some organizations not only have materials available in other languages but they also provide their programing in other languages. If you have had a few people contact your organization in the past year that do not speak English (think of how many didn’t bother because they don’t speak English!), then you might want to consider doing one of the following (or both):
- Develop a partnership with a translator: Many cities have translators on staff and are happy to help if you need it. Developing this relationship in advance saves time and makes things move smoothly when helping those that do not speak English.
- Get some (or all) relevant program materials translated: While this might sound like a costly task, it doesn’t have to be. Many nonprofits that are community-specific are happy to help by either translating or reviewing your translation. One thing I’ve done previously is used Bing or Google’s translation websites (free!) to translate documents. Then I have a community partner review the translation for accuracy and cultural nuances. I’ve found Google’s site to be pretty accurate for Spanish. Note: Neither can do translation into Somal
Anyone know of a free online translation source for English to Somali?
Photo Credit: Kelly Criscuolo-DeButts
