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  • Project Circle New Year Gathering – Members Only

    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

    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

    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.

  • Giving Women Apero in Zurich for International Women’s Day

    Workshop

    Join us for After-Work Drinks as we Celebrate IWD2024 

    2024's theme for IWD is "Investing in Women: Accelerate Progress" and we have invited Francesca Krist, Global Head Brand, Marketing & Communications at Women’s World Banking talk a bit about their work in an informal setting. She will share her insights on gender lens investing and how they are empowering women through financial inclusion.

  • International Women’s Day Breakfast

    Workshop

    Join us to celebrate International Women's Day2024's theme for IWD is "Investing in Women: Accelerate Progress" so we have invited our member and founder of SEP, Roberta Ventura to speak about how she started up SEP and the impact this social enterprise has had in providing employment and dignity to women in refugee camps.

    Roberta will also be joined by Cynthia Kamikazi who works for the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and also founded ShEmpowers, an investment company by women, for women owned, led and sourced businesses.

    Join us for breakfast at the Giving Women offices in Geneva at 8am.

    About Roberta

    Roberta Ventura left her twenty-year career in Investment Banking and Asset Management in 2016, to run the Social Enterprise she founded, SEP, on a full-time basis with her husband Stefano.

    SEP is a fashion and lifestyle brand, which blends Italian style with the finest Middle-Eastern craftsmanship, which she set up to bring back dignity and pride to refugee camps.

    The SEP mission is to bring thousands of refugees above the poverty line, thanks to their own skill and talent, through employment.

    Roberta is a strong believer and advocate of refugees’ right to employment, education and empowerment – the key instruments to reach confidence, determination and self-sufficiency.

     

    Cynthia L. Kamikazi

    Cynthia 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.

     
     

  • 2024 Project Evening (Members Only)

    Workshop

    Registration below!(This is a members-only event, however, if you are not a Giving Women member and wish to attend, please send an email to kathleen.holmlund@givingwomen.ch

     

     

    Dear Giving Women,

    We are delighted to invite you to our yearly: Giving Women 2024 Project Evening  

    This is your chance to get involved and actively support Giving Women projects!!! The Heart of what we do!

    We look forward to seeing many of you in person at Atalanti's home and online on Zoom (Access details will be provided when registration opens). 

    For members in the Zürich area, more details will follow about a venue where members can meet in person

    We are putting together an exciting programme for the evening with presentations from our new projects: Uganda Village Project, Rwandan Organisation of Women with Disabilities, Innovations for Development, Let's End Fistula Initiative, Afghan Rayan Educational and Development Organization and Shared Action Africa. We will also be presenting some additional projects that will be ideal for mentorship. 

  • Fundraising across borders

    Workshop

    Register belowFundraising from other countries can be hugely beneficial as it opens up a larger network of potential donors and supporters. It can also be a trap for the unwary and unprepared as it can use up time and funds which could better be placed in elevating local fundraising.

    This workshop will help you evaluate whether fundraising abroad is viable for your organisation, what type of international fundraising you should contemplate, where you should look for funding, what steps are you need to take to make it happen and how to avoid costly mistakes. We will also look at some of the practical issues you will face such as tax and legal requirements and benefits to you and to donors; whether you need a separate legal entity abroad or whether an intermediary will work for you; and whether you need someone on the ground in the target country/ies.

     

     

    Our facilitator

    Nancy Bikson is the Managing Director of Chapel & York. She is a lawyer with over 40 years’
    experience providing advice to private clients and charities worldwide. She has lived in the United
    Kingdom, United States, Australia and France and has worked with and for organisations across the
    world in both legal and fundraising capacities, specialising in cross-border work. She has a BA in
    Late Mediaeval English History, a Juris Doctor degree and a LLM (Master of Laws Degree, Tax). She
    is a member of the Richard III Society and lives in a house built in 1557.

  • The Use of Data for Impact: Value and Challenges

    Panel

    Please join us on 25 April for a Giving Women online lunchtime panel conversation on “The importance of Data for impact: the value and the challenges”. Everyone, everywhere is madly collecting data, but is all data useful and relevant? How can data improve the way practitioners implement programmes on the ground?  What are the challenges in gathering the right data, analysing it in a way that is useful to achieve greater impact and become more effective and efficient practitioners?
    Beatrice Scarioni Founder and Partner at Dripstone Impact Consulting, will moderate this vibrant discussion with practitioners:

    Prapti Bhasin: Chief Operation Officer at Aavishkaar
    Helen Davies, Chief of Staff at Operation Fistula
    Gauri Mahendra, Co-founder of UMEED