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  • New Member Autumn Onboarding Meeting

    For new Giving Women members,
    We would like to offer you the opportunity to get to know Giving Women better by attending an onboarding meeting either in-person on 2 November at 13:00 CET at our office in Geneva or via Zoom (details upon registration). There may be some of our new members are not so new and may have missed a previous onboarding so this is also your chance to join us.

    During the meeting, you will get more information about Giving Women and how you can get involved. This is also an opportunity to meet other new Giving Women members.  The meeting will last 1 hour and you don't need to prepare in any way. It will be quite informal with our operations manager, Kathleen, and Atalanti, our Founder, sharing about Giving Women and you will have the chance to ask questions. 

    We look forward to meeting you all.

  • GW Workshop: Crafting your organisation’s key messages to inspire engagement

    Workshop

    Crafting compelling key messages is crucial for any nonprofit organization looking to create engagement and a lasting impact. In this workshop, we will delve into the art and science of developing effective key messages that resonate with your target audience. From defining your organization's core values and messaging pillars to designing campaign messages that evoke emotion and inspire action, this workshop will provide you with the tools and strategies to align your communication efforts with your desired outcomes. 
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    OUR FACILITATOR

    Kathleen Holmlund
    Along with being the Operations and Communications Manager for Giving Women these past 4 years, Kathleen has worked in the communications field across various corporate and nonprofit sectors for over 20 years. These include consumer electronics, automotive electronics, human rights, climate, business ethics, health and food. She is a techie nerd at heart and loves trying out new tools that help amplify the reach of quality positive online content. 

     

    Sonia Martin- Nair

    A native of Singapore, Sonia has been in the digital field for over 20 years, both in the corporate and consulting sectors. She has helped to build and strengthen brands both in the B2B and B2C sectors. She joined Giving Women 2 years ago and is an integral part of  its Communications Team as being a highly valued member of our Project Circle Monitoring Committee. She has also advised a number of our Project Circles with their communications.

  • GW Conversation with GreenLamp and HelpMum: Innovative approaches in maternal and infant health in Africa

    Panel

    REGISTER BELOWJoin us in Zurich for a compelling panel discussion featuring the remarkable work of HelpMum and GreenLamp, two organizations at the forefront of improving maternal and infant health in Africa. Discover their innovative strategies and collaborative efforts that are making a difference in the lives of mothers and children across the continent. Engage with the experts, delve into their challenges and successes, and explore how these initiatives are transforming healthcare, empowering women, benefiting local communities, and facilitating cultural changes. 

    The conversation will be moderated by Marie-Noëlle Jerschke, Associate Partner and board member at FairCapital and feature:

    Corinne Namblard, Advisory Board Member of HelpMum
    Christina Blecher, Board Member of GreenLamp
     

    BIOS

    Marie-Noëlle Jerschke

    Marie-Noëlle is Associate Partner and board member at FairCapital, a mission-driven financial intermediary based in Switzerland, providing financing and consulting services to cooperative producers and other actors along the Fairtrade value chain. She is passionate about market-based sustainable solutions to global problems. With more than 20 years of international work experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and business development, she has worked several years as an independent consultant and impact investor. Her former employers include JP Morgan in London and Paris, Groupe Danone in France and LOT Airlines in Poland. Marie-Noëlle graduated from HEC Paris with a Master in Management and complemented her education with a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Management at the University of St. Gallen. 

     

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    Christina Blecher

    Christina Board Member and the inspiration behind GreenLamp. Christina draws on her wide network to build important relationships and lead vital fundraising. Christina has an overview on all GreenLamp activities and, driven by her passion for social justice, she leads with determination and an acute sense of responsibility for all that they do.

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    Corinne Namblard

    Corinne has been a Board member at HelpMum Nigeria since 2019.She first met with Dr Abiodun Adereni, the Founder of HelpMum in 2018 in Geneva as she was the member of an international jury for the first edition of the UNDP "Start-Ups for SDGs" award. Which HelpMum won. She brings to HelpMum her financial skills and expertise on strategy and governance as well as her international network of contacts. 
    Corinne currently sits on the Brussels Airport board, the Conseil Scientifique of TPM in Toulon as well as on the TAC Technical Advisory Committee of Geneva based Nature Based Infrastructure, an ISSD Think Tank. She is the former CEO of a Private Equity fund dedicated to infrastructure and has developed over her 40 years international financial career a portfolio of board and senior corporate and banking executive roles, government advisory and UN Senior Expert roles.

  • End of Year Sale – All Day!

    Panel

    We look forward to welcoming many of you to our popular End of Year Sale.
    On sale will be an array of unique gifts in time for the holiday season, courtesy of our projects and our members and friends!  Some of these items include Pashmina and silk shawls, jewellery, clothes, bags, decorative pillows, paintings, jams, chocolate and olive oil. The list goes on with many amazing pieces of craftsmanship on offer.

    No need to register, just come on over between 10:30 and 19:00

  • Giving Women Christmas Dinner in Zurich

    Panel

    Join Giving Women members for a festive dinner at Restaurant Sham
    This will be an informal opportunity to meet Giving Women members and learn more about the organisation. 

    Please RSVP by COB 5 December so we can make the appropriate reservation at the restaurant.

  • Project Circle New Year Gathering – Members Only

    Panel

    Please join us either in-person or online to celebrate the amazing work our Project Circles (PCs) have been doing this year and to share experiences. 
    Project Circle Members – share, learn, inspire
    This evening is about celebrating your engagement, commitment and successes. It is a unique occasion to meet with other PC members to share experiences, knowledge and learnings, as well as to give feedback and suggestions. You’ll also be hearing from some of our Project Circle Coordinators as well as from PCMS. In addition, PCMS will be onsite for one-on-one conversations.
     
    Non-Project Circle Members – show your support, gain insights
    This is a unique occasion to show your support to the PCs as active members of our Giving Women community. It is also an opportunity to get an inside look into the workings of the PCs and how they are helping many organisations reach their full potential.

    In addition, please remember that even if the 2022/2023 Project Circles are off the ground, new members are always welcome, with new ideas and perspectives.

    We look forward to seeing you at this special evening to kick start the Giving Women year!

     

    Please fill out our PC Members Survey

    As we prepare to start new project circles in the late Spring, and wish to also celebrate our current ones, we wanted to gauge the temperature of our PCs by putting together a quick survey.  We ask all PC members to fill out the survey before the meeting on Monday. 

  • Giving Women New Year Apero – Geneva

    Panel

    Register NowIn 2024, Giving Women celebrates with great pride its 15th anniversary. We have seen our community steadily grow to over two hundred members, and beyond, with partners and projects globally.

    To date, we have worked with over 65 projects on 5 continents. Each year we recognise the value that our community brings to projects working to improve the lives of women and girls.

    So come and get to know other Giving Women members and the exciting work they are all doing, and be inspired over a light Apero at our offices.

  • Giving Women After-Work Drinks – Zurich

    Panel

    Registration Now 

    In 2024, Giving Women celebrates with great pride its 15th anniversary. We have seen our community steadily grow to over two hundred members, and beyond, with partners and projects globally.

    To date, we have worked with over 65 projects on 5 continents. Each year we recognise the value that our community brings to projects working to improve the lives of women and girls.

    So come and get to know other Giving Women members and the exciting work they are all doing, and be inspired over drinks at Kraftwerk.

  • GW Workshop: How to build a Fundraising Strategy

    Workshop

    Join us for an interactive fundraising workshop. Non-profits without a strategic fundraising plan often face unpredictable revenues, missed opportunities, and limited long-term vision. This workshop guides you through a step-by-step process and encourages reflective discussions about the future of your organisation. The workshop will help you create a robust fundraising strategy that is consistent with your goals using a template provided (CANVA). Abena Lauber will address key elements, from analysing current activities to outlining a three-year budget and setting clear goals. Walk away not only with a way to build your strategy, but also how to formulate actionable and measurable steps to improve your fundraising results. Don't miss this chance to elevate your fundraising game!
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    OUR FACILITATOR

    Abena Lauber
    Abena Lauber worked for Human Rights Watch, notably organizing their annual gala and managing major donors. With 20 years of professional fundraising experience, she founded a.Community in 2017, providing tailored solutions to support organizations.  Abena has trained over 300 participants worldwide through online and in-person fundraising workshops she designed and co-designed. a.Community has worked with more than 50 clients for diverse sectors both in Switzerland and abroad.  She sits on the board of several Swiss non profit organizations, and she is a visiting lecturer at the Haute Ecole de Gestion in Geneva for the CAS in Fundraising.

     

  • Decolonising Philanthropy – Adjusting the Balance of Power for Good

    Panel

    In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the need to challenge the colonial underpinnings of philanthropic practices and shift power dynamics towards those directly impacted by funding decisions. This imperative undertaking of decolonizing development, grant-making, and philanthropy is an ambitious task, and one that requires a great deal of sectoral reflection, awareness and willingness to effect change by listening to the needs and realities of the beneficiaries.
    Decolonizing philanthropy entails reevaluating where decision-making power resides and ensuring that those who have benefited less from historical wealth creation are given agency/power to shape the programs and initiatives that affect them. It requires acknowledging and respecting the cultural realities and contexts within which these partnerships operate, moving away from top-down approaches that prioritize funder perspectives. As we seek to repair the damages of wealth creation and forge a more equitable path forward, it is crucial to learn from the experiences of both philanthropists and implementers in navigating and rebalancing power dynamics.

    This panel hosted by Giving Women will bring together funders, local implementing partners and advisors, to unpack tangible examples and best practices around how we can all work together, to take actionable steps to make progress. This includes reflecting on what has worked well, as well as acknowledging failures and areas for improvement.

     

    Takhani Bonnet, Giving Women member and independent consultant for private sector philanthropy and sustainable investing will moderate the conversation with:

    Alishia Fernandez Miranda: Founder and Chair, I. G. Advisors 
    Dr. Abiodun Adereni: Founder & CEO, HelpMum Africa
    GAURI MAHENDRA, CO-founder, UMEED
    Susan Snider: Vice President of Strategy, Innovation and Impact, Equality Fund
     

    BIOS
    Takhani Bonnet

    Giving Women member and independent consultant for private sector philanthropy and sustainable investing; most recently, with the United Nations, Edmond de Rothchild Banque Privee and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation. 

     
    Alisha Fernandez Miranda
     
    Alisha has dedicated her career to fixing the resource flow to make social impact a more inclusive, efficient space. She serves as Chair and former CEO of I.G. Advisors, an award-winning global strategy consultancy specialising in social and environmental change, advising the world’s biggest nonprofits, foundations, and corporations on their philanthropy and social initiatives. 
     
    A graduate of Harvard University and the London School of Economics, her first book, My What If Year was released in 2023. She’s appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC, NPR and many other outlets and her writing has been featured widely, including in Vogue, Insider, Marie Claire, and Huffington Post. 
     
    Originally from Miami, she currently lives in Scotland with her husband and children. Follow Alisha on Instagram @alishafmiranda and her website at www.alishafmiranda.com.
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    Dr. Abiodun Adereni
     
    HelpMum is a social enterprise birthed with the mission to reduce maternal and infant mortality in Nigeria. This is done through the distribution of affordable Clean Birth kits to pregnant women in deprived and underserved communities, registration of mothers on a proprietary vaccination tracking system, training of community birth attendants using an E-learning platform, and complete renovation of the highly unhygienic and deteriorated state of community birth attendant homes.
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    Gauri Mahendra
     
    Gauri (Co - founder & President, UMEED) is a Master's in Human Resources and Knowledge Management from Lancaster University, UK and an alumnus of the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) by the U.S. Department of State. With over 14+ years of work experience her work spans across both the corporate and development space. Gauri is extremely passionate about creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for low- income communities. She brings in sharp people management skills and has a strong bent for operational excellence.
     
    UMEED is a registered non- profit, founded in 2014, with a vision to holistically promote women's empowerment. At UMEED we believe ‘An empowered woman is one who not only has the right to choose but also the right skill, mindset and exposure to make that choice and sustain it.’ With 9 years of experience on the ground working with women directly, Umeed launched FirstLeap, a job readiness and empowerment training program. FirstLeap is designed for women from marginalised sections in urban pockets. The program aims to make a meaningful and sustainable impact through a three - pronged approach of training women in monetizable skills, a strong confident mindset and the exposure to the world beyond their home.

  • New Member Onboarding Meeting

    Panel

    For new Giving Women members,
    We would like to offer you the opportunity to get to know Giving Women better by attending an onboarding meeting either in-person on 4 March at 13:00 CET at our office in Geneva or via Zoom (details upon registration). There may be some of our new members are not so new and may have missed a previous onboarding so this is also your chance to join us.

    During the meeting, you will get more information about Giving Women and how you can get involved. This is also an opportunity to meet other new Giving Women members.  The meeting will last 1 hour and you don't need to prepare in any way. It will be quite informal with our operations manager, Kathleen, and Atalanti, our Founder, sharing about Giving Women and you will have the chance to ask questions. 

    We look forward to meeting you all.

    If anyone who is not yet a member, but would like to join this meeting to learn more about the work of Giving Women, kindly send us an email at contactinfo@givingwomen.ch

  • Funding women-led social and economic enterprises in Africa

    Workshop

    The African Development Bank - Africa’s Premier Development Finance Institution, has established the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative to specifically address the issue of funding Women led social & economic enterprises in Africa.  AFAWA aims to close the $42 billion financing gap for women entrepreneurs in Africa, unlock their entrepreneurial capacity, economic participation, and achieve maximum development impact through three (3) pillars: (i) Access to Finance for women entrepreneurs, (ii) Capacity Building to Financial Institutions and Women Small Medium Enterprises (WSMEs), and (iii) Ensuring an Enabling Environment for women entrepreneurs to strive.
    Ms. Kamikazi will be discussing with us the work of AfDB as well as her own investment vehicle in hopes to provide more and required support to women entrepreneurs in Africa.

     
    Our facilitator

    Cynthia L. Kamikazi is the Chief – Partnerships Officer in the Gender, Women and Civil Society Department of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) leads the cooperation, policy dialogue, and resource mobilization efforts for the Bank’s gender agenda. She has successfully developed innovative strategies that led to successes such as the raising of more than $400Million for the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) program. In Addition, Ms. Kamikazi’s passion for and commitment to development and Human Rights issues led her to found ShEmpowers, an investment company by women, for women owned, led and sourced businesses. Ms. Kamikazi holds a master’s degree in the Theory and Practice of Human Rights from the University of Essex in Colchester, UK and bachelor’s degrees in Psychology, Business Management & French Literature from Luther College, US.