I know that many of you have your favorite charities, which made me hesitant to post this page, but when I received an e-mail from a Salon Forum member about one dear to her heart, Kiva.org, (and also dear to mine) I decided to post it and others that help women in particular and also some that have a personal way of connecting people or making contributions.  Here are some worthy of your consideration:

GLOBAL FUND FOR WOMEN

Paola Gianturco, Salon Forum speaker on "Women Who Light the Dark," is donating 100% of the proceeds of her book to Global Fund for Women.  To find out more about her book or to buy it, go to: www.womenwholightthedark.com

What Global Fund for Women does

The Global Fund for Women is a nonprofit grantmaking foundation that advances women's human rights worldwide.  It is a network of women and men who believe that ensuring women's full equality and participation in society is one of the most effective ways to build a just, peaceful and sustainable world. It raises funds from a variety of sources and make grants to women-led organizations that promote the economic security, health, safety, education and leadership of women and girls.

Results

It has awarded more than $52 million to 3,200 women's organizations in 163 countries since 1987.

How it happens

Almost 20 years ago, the Global Fund for Women recognized that investing in women's leadership at the local, national and international levels was among the most effective instruments for achieving lasting and transformational social change. In poorer countries women's non-governmental organizations are frequently ignored and/or under-funded by both governments and international development programs.

It awards grants directly to women's organizations and give them the autonomy to use the funds in ways that best address the needs of women in a given community. Its grants are designed to support women's groups around the globe who are working to end violence against women, provide economic security, improve education for women and girls, advance health and sexual and reproductive rights, and increase women's civic and political participation. For guidance in grant-making decisions, the Global Fund draws on the resources of more than 100 expert advisors around the world who come from a wide range of backgrounds and provide a better understanding of the context within which women's groups operate.

It is the only foundation in the United States that focuses exclusively on advancing women's rights internationally. Since 1987, it has awarded more than $52 million to 3,200 women's organizations in 163 countries. The Global Fund is often compared to a venture capital firm for women who are playing the role of social entrepreneurs around the world. With small grants between $500 and $20,000, it seeds, strengthen and link women's organizations, many of which would not be able to access other kinds of funding.

Its grants create both direct and systemic impact. Direct impact is seen when a $5,000 grant helps Aymara women in Bolivia launch an initiative producing high-quality potatoes, while learning how to have more influence in the labor unions. Systemic impact is seen with examples such as the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL). Ten years ago, the Global Fund was one of the first organizations to fund AIL when it was a small underground organization teaching girls how to read and write, forbidden to operate because the Taliban had outlawed education for girls and women. Led by social entrepreneur and risk-taker Sakena Yacoobi, the group now reaches 350,000 women and children through their education programs and schools, women's human rights training programs, and leadership development.

It seeks nothing less than a revolution in the social, economic and political landscapes of countries around the world. Its allies in this bold endeavor are neither daunted nor afraid to demand something that is exquisitely simple and extraordinarily difficult--true equality and dignity for all the women and girls of this world.

To donate, go to www.globalfundforwomen.org

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WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL

Women for Women International help women survivors of war rebuild their lives.  Women for Women International mobilizes women to change their lives by bringing a holistic approach to addressing the unique needs of women in conflict and post-conflict environments.

They begin by working with women who may have lost everything in conflict and often have nowhere else to turn. Participation in their one-year program launches women on a journey from victim to survivor to active citizen. They identify services to support graduates of the program as they continue to strive for greater social, economic and political participation in their communities.

As each woman engages in a multi-phase process of recovery and rehabilitation, she opens a window of opportunity presented by the end of conflict to help improve the rights, freedoms and status of women in her country. As women who go through their
program assume leadership positions in their villages, actively participate in the reconstruction of their communities, build civil society, start businesses, train other women and serve as role models, they become active citizens who can help to establish lasting peace and stability.

Women begin in their Sponsorship Program where direct financial aid from a sponsor helps them deal with the immediate effects of war and conflict such as lack of food, water, medicine and other necessities. Exchanging letters with sponsors provides women with an emotional lifeline and a chance to tell their stories —maybe for the first time. As their situations begin to stabilize, women in their program begin building a foundation for their lives as survivors.  (I have sponsored a woman in Rwanda and we have exchanged several letters.)

While continuing to receive sponsorship support, women embark on the next leg of the journey and participate in the Renewing Women’s Life Skills (ReneWLS) Program that provides them with rights awareness, leadership education and vocational and technical skills training. Women build upon existing skills and learn new ones in order to regain their strength, stability and stature on the path to becoming active citizens.

Women for Women International believes that establishing a means to earn a sustainable living is critical to being fully active in the life of a family, community and country. To help women transform their new skills into financial independence and sustainability, they offer job skills trainings to strengthen women’s existing skills and to introduce new skills in traditional and non-traditional fields so women can access future employment opportunities.

Building on the skills training program, they offer comprehensive business services designed to help women start and manage their own micro-enterprises. They give them access to capital and operate microcredit programs in Afghanistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina with an overall repayment rate of 98 percent. They give women access to markets by facilitating product sales through outside retailers and our online Virtual Bazaar. They provide expertise such as product design, production assistance and business development workshops. They also help women form micro-enterprises such as production facilities and cooperative stores to sell the goods women produce.

To contribute, go to www.womenforwomen.org

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From Karola Rietz: (and some additions by Barbara Goldberg)

I want to let you all know about a non-profit organization that is doing great things: www.Kiva.org which allows individuals to make $25 loans to low-income entrepreneurs, women and men, in the developing world, known as  "microfinancing." By doing so, individuals like you or me provide affordable working capital for the poor (money to buy a sewing machine, merchandise for their store, livestock, etc.), empowering them to earn their way out of poverty. 

On www.kiva.org, you chose the location, the person and their project, all individually listed, with photos of loan recipients and their stories on their website.  You can see their monetary objective and how much more they need to reach their goal. The synergy of entrepreneurial determination/ambition, seamless, innovative technology and focused goodwill from a global supporter group is so inspirational. I would almost go as far as calling it "seductive" - you find one person, then another and I find myself wanting to make more and more of these loans.

The founders, Matthew Flannery, a Stanford graduate and his wife, Jessica, a Stanford, M.B.A. candidate, came up with the idea after spending time in East Africa.  They noticed that many people there had no access to affordable credit. 

Kiva offers loans to handpicked microfinance institutions at zero percent interest.  These microfinance institutions, in turn, screen local applicants and lend money to individuals at anaverage interest rate of about 19% compared to the 35% worldwide average for microfinance loans.

CARE

Last year, CARE programs improved the lives of more than 55 million people in 70 countries. CARE fights root causes of poverty in the world's poorest communities.  CARE not only feeds the hungry, they also help tackle underlying causes of poverty so that people can become self-sufficient.  Recognizing that women and children suffer disproportionately from poverty, CARE places special emphasis on working with women to create permanent social change. 

Women are at the heart of CARE's community based efforts to improve education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources.  CARE places special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty.

Phil Borges, photojournalist who spoke to Salon Forum in July, 2007, donated part of the proceeds of his book, "Women Empowered: Inspiring Change in the Emerging World" to CARE.

To contribute, go to www.care.org

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FINCA (Foundation for International Community Assistance)

Finca supports the economic self-sufficiency of the world's poor, particularly women, through the development of Village Banking groups.  Small loans, not hand-outs, are provided to generate income, savings and to promote financial independence.

Since the poor have not collateral, they cannot qualify for traditional banking loans.  FINCA provides these individuals with access to loans through Village Bank groups:  collectively-run credit and savings groups of 15-30 women.  The typical member is a mother of four, who is trying to support herself and her children on an income of less than $2 a day.  Upon joining a Village Bank group, she is eligible to receive a loan of an little as $25 or $50. 

To donate go to: www.villagebanking.org