Finding Partners and Projects
In our work we’ve noticed “what’s working.” The following are the approaches we’ve come to look for:
- Grassroots organizations with strong local leadership
- Mentorship and scholarships for teenage girls
- Delivery of health information, vocational training, and/or financial skills
- Trainings to address maternal and early childhood care
Below are some examples of organizations doing excellent work for women and girls globally. These are not necessarily grantees of the HOW Fund, but represent a spectrum of effective programs:
Global Fund for Women Identifies strong grassroots programs benefiting women around the world.
WomenThrive Advocates for policies that lift women and their families out of poverty.
Women for Women Helps women survivors of war rebuild their lives.
One Heart and other maternal health orgs Provides midwife trainings in order to save the lives of women and their babies.
Camfed Breaks the cycle of poverty and disease by educating girls in Africa.
Akilah is a Leadership & Hospitality Management college for young women in Kigali, Rwanda, helping them to find meaningful employment and launch ventures in the fastest growing sector of the economy, the tourism industry.
Generation Rwanda is dedicated to helping orphans and other socially vulnerable young people in Rwanda pursue a university education and ultimately become leaders in fostering economic development and social reconciliation.
The International Education Exchange is working with the Government of Rwanda to support public education by training teachers in the student-centered teaching method, creating school partnerships, and improving infrastructure.
AA Crianca provides education, social assistance, and defence of rights for over 1,000 at-risk children and young mothers living on the streets of Sao Paolo, Brazil.
Elas is social investment fund directed exclusively to supporting women. By investing in women the lives of their children and the people around them are transformed, generating direct results in communities, cities, states and, finally, in the whole of Brazil.
Adapt is a program of Pacific Links Foundation and enables hundreds of young women living in impoverished remote border regions of Viet Nam to pursue an education, gain a trade and obtain jobs with livable wages. Adapt works in challenging conditions where young girls and women face the highest risk of being trafficked for sexual and labor exploitation.
Opportunities for International Learning
In addition to projects supporting women and girls we’ve seen a number of great organizations offering global citizenship experiences for high school and college-age students.
Global Citizen Year believes that a year of immersive international experience between high school and college unlocks a lifetime of potential.
Thinking Beyond Borders Global Gap Year and Ecuador Gap Semester are designed for students who are serious about creating change. Each program immerses students in communities around the globe to learn about the world’s greatest challenges.
The New Global Citizen Team Experience transforms American students possessing an interest in global issues and activism into informed, effective, and empowered life-long advocates of sustainable global change.
Places to find evaluations of Non-Profits
The Nuts and Bolts of Giving
Form a Giving Group
Gather a group of friends who are joined by a desire to see change. Here’s how to create a giving group in your neighborhood: Ten Steps to Starting a Giving Circle
Start a Foundation or Donor Advised Fund
To explore starting a small foundation check out the Association of Small Foundations. For most donors, a Donor Advised Fund can be an easy, efficient means to set up a small giving entity. We recommend your local community foundation, or The Giving Fund.
Make a Donation
Make a donation, but do your research first. Check the charity’s website, funding partners, and reviews by online evaluators. Ask questions and use your common sense.
Visit Projects Internationally
The best way to know if an organization is delivering is to visit it, whether in the US or overseas. Contact us, or the organization’s director to explore this.