Membership kick-off
2025-05-09 00:00 UTC
Join us for our Membership Kick-off – a welcome session designed to help new Giving Women members get started on their journey.
During this informal one-hour meeting, you will learn how Giving Women works, explore the different ways you can get involved, and connect with other new members. Our Managing Director, Kathleen, together with a member of our Executive Committee, will guide the session and answer any questions you may have. No preparation is needed – just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm.
We look forward to getting to know you and supporting you as you begin your Giving Women journey.
*If you are not yet a member but would like to attend to learn more about Giving Women, please email us.

Exploring social enterprise models for non-profit leaders
2025-05-13 18:30 - 20:00 UTC
As funding cuts take hold, non-profit leaders are taking a closer look at entrepreneurial models and income-generating strategies to fund their mission. But how can non-profit leaders identify potential sources of revenue and start generating income? What do impact investors and corporates look for in investment opportunities, and how can you frame your organisation’s work to align with their objectives? Join this workshop to learn about social enterprise business models and assess your non-profit’s readiness to tap into sources of funding beyond grants.
Our speaker
For the past decade and a half, Katherine Milligan has coached and advised leading social entrepreneurs in various roles: as the Director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, as an impact investing executive, and as a board member. Named a “Top 100 Women in Social Entrepreneurship” by the Euclid Network, Katherine co-authored the #1 article in Stanford Social Innovation Review in 2022 and 2024 and teaches graduate-level courses on social innovation and entrepreneurship. She is a Senior Fellow at the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship at Dartmouth College and an elea Fellow at IMD Business School in Switzerland.
Access to materials
Recordings and all workshop resources are shared after the event with members, active projects, and ticket holders.

Giving Women Annual General Assembly (Members Only)
2025-06-05 18:00 - 21:00 UTC
The Giving Women General Assembly is a special moment for all members to come together, hear updates on our work, and share your input as we shape our plans for 2025–2026.
We warmly hope you can join us in person at Atalanti’s home.
For those unable to attend on-site, the administrative portion of the Assembly will also be accessible via Zoom from 18:00.
After the formal session, we will continue the evening with a buffet dinner, live music, and a little dancing. Partners are welcome to join from 19:30.

Giving Women Informal Apero - Zurich
2025-06-11 00:00 UTC
Join us for an informal Apéro at the Giving Women offices – a relaxed moment to connect, meet our community, and discover the inspiring work taking place across Giving Women. With more than two hundred members and over one hundred supported projects across five continents, these gatherings offer a warm introduction to who we are and what we do.
Whether you are already a member or curious to learn more, this is your chance to meet the women behind our work, hear stories from our projects, and experience the spirit of Giving Women firsthand.
Come enjoy a light Apéro, meaningful conversations, and the shared energy of a group committed to improving the lives of women and girls.

Informal Apero - Geneva
2025-07-07 19:00 - 21:00 UTC

Workshop - Beyond the Binary: Transforming Work Through Gender Stories
2025-09-09 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | Zoom
Join us for an interactive 1.5-hour workshop that invites you to rethink how gender influences the way we work, lead, and show up in the world. Through powerful storytelling and real-life narratives, we will examine how gender shapes experiences in banking halls, boardrooms, and community spaces. Together, we will challenge assumptions, surface hidden biases, and explore new ways of leading with empathy, equity, and courage. This is more than a session on gender — it is an opportunity to reimagine leadership that is inclusive, transformative, and grounded in lived realities.
About our speaker
Dr. Suchi Gaur is a feminist leader, strategist, and advocate for gender justice, youth leadership, and social impact. She is the Founder of Mission Hummingbirds, supporting intergenerational women founders and creators around the world, and serves as Senior Director of Strategy and Operations at World YWCA, where she drives global programming and advocacy across 65+ countries.
With a Ph.D. in Communication and over 18 years of experience, Dr. Gaur is widely recognised for her work in decolonial feminist frameworks, intergenerational leadership, and intersectional justice. She has led pioneering initiatives in SRHR, GBV, peace and security, and feminist storytelling and research — working from grassroots to global levels to influence policy and practice. A strong advocate for ethical storytelling and hope-based communication, she mentors young leaders and speaks internationally on building a more just and equitable world.
Access to materials
Recordings and all workshop resources are shared after the event with members, active projects, and ticket holders.

Ending gender-based violence - the power of partnership across borders
2025-09-16 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | Medair, Schoffelgasse 7, Zurich, 8001, Switzerland
Three women. Three perspectives. One shared mission: to transform systems and behaviour through female empowerment.
This conversation brings together voices from Giving Women, Ashoka, and Huellas y Futuro. Working across continents and contexts, from grassroots to strategy – to explore how we build community, shift power, and support women-led change around the world.

Daniela Valdivia from Huellas y Futuro, will share her work addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and how her women’s empowerment work has made a tangible impact in Bolivia.
Charlie Page from Giving Women and founder of Power4Teens, will spotlight her work on girl empowerment. Through her work with Giving Women, she will amplify the powerful Kenyan female voices.
Perrine de le Court, from Ashoka, will share how her work supporting social entrepreneurs across the world has shown that when women are equipped with the confidence, tools, and networks to lead change they don’t just transform their own lives, they transform entire ecosystems.

This is more than a conversation. It is an invitation to pause, reflect, and ask: what does it mean to be empowered, how would female empowerment reduce GBV and what role can you play in this collective transformation?
Access to recording:
The recording will be shared after the event on Giving Women’s Youtube channel

Membership kick-off
2025-09-26 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Join us for our Membership Kick-off – a welcome session designed to help new Giving Women members get started on their journey.
During this informal one-hour meeting, you will learn how Giving Women works, explore the different ways you can get involved, and connect with other new members. Our Managing Director, Kathleen, together with a member of our Executive Committee, will guide the session and answer any questions you may have. No preparation is needed — just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm.
We look forward to getting to know you and supporting you as you begin your Giving Women journey.
*If you are not yet a member but would like to attend to learn more about Giving Women, please email us.

Informal Apero - Geneva
2025-10-27 18:00 - 20:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Giving Women Office, Rue du Mont-Blanc 4, Geneva, 1201, Switzerland
Join us for an informal Apéro at the Giving Women offices — a relaxed moment to connect, meet our community, and discover the inspiring work taking place across Giving Women. With more than two hundred members and over one hundred supported projects across five continents, these gatherings offer a warm introduction to who we are and what we do.
Whether you are already a member or curious to learn more, this is your chance to meet the women behind our work, hear stories from our projects, and experience the spirit of Giving Women firsthand.
Come enjoy a light Apéro, meaningful conversations, and the shared energy of a group committed to improving the lives of women and girls.

Apero Dialogue - Zurich
2025-10-29 18:30 - 21:00 UTC
We are delighted to invite you to our 29 October Apéro, where we will welcome Good Kenyan Foundation to Zurich.
Giving Women supported Good Kenyan last year, and now we have the chance to hear their story firsthand. Lucy Chepchumba the director and founder, recounts the Foundation’s journey and the creation of the Regina Yego Girls Center in rural Kenya – a dream made possible with the technical and advisory support of Giving Women Project Circle.
Join us to meet Lucy Chepchumba from Good Kenyan and other Giving Women members, hear inspiring stories about local women-led solutions, and connect over a light apéro.

Gender Based Violence - prevention, identification & healing
2025-10-30 12:30 - 14:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84255526926
Gender-based violence affects everyone. However, in underserved communities, where it is often normalised women and girls often lack safe spaces to speak out, find support, and begin to heal. How can we work together to combat GBV?
Join Giving Women, on Thursday 30 October, online at 12:15, for an important conversation on “Gender Based Violence: Prevention, Identification, Healing.” Our panel will feature speakers with lived experience, practitioners who work with survivors on the ground, and will be moderated by a representative of an organisation that provides funding for these programmes.
Our moderator will be Julie Broome, Director of Issues Affecting Women at Oak Foundation. She will be joined by:

Alessandra Guedes – Gender and Development Research Manager @ UNICEF Innocenti
Daniela Valdivia – President at Huellas & Futuro NGO
Jane Anyango – Founder of Polycom Girls in Nairobi, Kenya
Trizah Gawka – Program Manager at Be That Girl
Queentah Wambulwa – CEO at Girls For Africa Mental Health Foundation

Access to materials
Recordings and all workshop resources are shared after the event with members, active projects, and ticket holders.

From growing pains to growing gains - Part 1 - Setting the scene
2025-11-04 18:30 - 20:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | https://givingwomen.org/event/from-growing-pains-to-growing-gains-part-1-setting-the-scene/
About the workshop series
Navigating growth and transitions so your organisation can thrive through change – In this time of great upheaval and uncertainty in the development and humanitarian sectors, we are all reflecting on the changes needed within our organisations to meet these challenges. Giving Women invites you to a six-part workshop series designed to help organisations navigate growth and transition, enabling them to thrive amidst change and theses challenging times.

Workshop 2 of 6 – “Theory of Change”
In this opening session, we will explore why and how we invest in organisational transformation, setting the stage for a journey of growth and strategic clarity. Drawing on Giving Women’s commitment to capacity building and my experience in guiding organisations through change, we will reflect on what it takes for an organisation and its people to flourish with purpose and resilience.

Ticket options & details

Members: Free
Not yet a member? You can purchase tickets for a single workshop or the full series.

Individual session ticket: You will receive the recording and supporting materials for that session.Series ticket: You will receive the recordings and supporting materials for all six workshops.

About the speaker

With over 25 years of experience in capacity development, Adriana Craciun led European and global initiatives to support civil society organisations. She leads the Organisational Strengthening and Effectiveness work at the Oak Foundation, promoting organisational development and good grant-making practices globally. She is an executive coach, with the ability to support teams and individuals in achieving their full potential. Passionate about civil society, she is deeply committed to empowering leaders, fostering sustainable development, build better workplaces and a better world.

An evening with Lucy Chepchumba of Good Kenyan Foundation
2025-11-13 18:30 - 21:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Atalanti Moquette’s Residence, Chemin de Grange-Canal 34, Chene-Bougeries, Geneva, 1224, Switzerland
Join us for a special dinner hosted by Atalanti Moquette, featuring Lucy Chepchumba of the Good Kenyan Foundation.
Giving Women supported Good Kenyan last year, and this evening offers a rare opportunity to hear their story firsthand. Lucy, the Foundation’s director and founder, will share the inspiring journey behind Good Kenyan and the creation of the Regina Yego Girls Center in rural Kenya — a vision made possible with the technical and advisory support of our Project Circle.
This is a members-only gathering, but we warmly encourage members to bring a friend. If you are considering becoming a member and would like to attend, please email kathleen.holmlund@givingwomen.ch

Year-end sale
2025-11-24 10:00 - 19:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Atalanti Moquette’s Residence, Chemin de Grange-Canal 34, Chene-Bougeries, Geneva, 1224, Switzerland
We look forward to welcoming many of you to our popular traditional End of Year Sale at the residence of Atalanti Moquette.
More details to follow soon.

From Capacity to Capital - Fuelling women’s financial inclusion in emerging markets
2025-11-24 18:00 - 21:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | responsAbility Investment AG, Zollstrasse 17, Zurich, 8005, Switzerland
We warmly invite you to join the Giving Women Zurich Chapter and our host partner, responsAbility, for an evening of insight and inspiration on how financial and non-financial support can empower women to build more resilient futures in emerging markets.
True financial inclusion is about more than access to capital: it’s about creating the conditions for women to grow their capabilities, strengthen their livelihoods, and lead change in their communities. This discussion will explore how mentoring, capacity building, investment, and climate-conscious initiatives work together to drive lasting empowerment.
Bringing perspectives from grassroots action to global investment, our panel brings together leaders who are advancing women’s empowerment, financial inclusion, and climate resilience in complementary ways.
Panelists:

Martin Heimes – Head of Private Debt at responsAbility
Amanda Turner Ege – Executive Director at elea Foundation
Rebecca Berlinger – Co-funder & COO at The Rocket Foundation
Nejira Nalic McCarrick – Financial Inclusion Expert and Project Circle Coordinator at Giving Women

Moderator: Nadir Franca, Co-Lead of the Giving Women Zurich Chapter.

Join us for an engaging evening of conversation, connection, and concrete action, followed by an apéro generously hosted by responsAbility.

From growing pains to growing gains - Part 2 - Theory of Change
2025-12-01 18:30 - 20:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | https://givingwomen.org/event/part-2-theory-of-change/
About the workshop series
Navigating growth and transitions so your organisation can thrive through change – In this time of great upheaval and uncertainty in the development and humanitarian sectors, we are all reflecting on the changes needed within our organisations to meet these challenges. Giving Women invites you to a six-part workshop series designed to help organisations navigate growth and transition, enabling them to thrive amidst change and theses challenging times.

Workshop 2 of 6 – “Theory of Change”

Building on the “Setting the Scene” workshop, which explored how mission, vision, purpose, and strategy evolve during organisational change, this second session invites participants to take a fresh look at their existing Theory of Change (ToC). Rather than drafting a new ToC, the workshop focuses on reviewing and recalibrating what you already have. Participants will explore how shifts in the external environment, internal capacity, and organisational culture affect the relevance and feasibility of their ToC – ensuring it remains a living, practical roadmap for achieving impact in a changing world.

Ticket options & details

Members: Free
Not yet a member? You can purchase tickets for a single workshop or the full series.

Individual session ticket: You will receive the recording and supporting materials for that session.Series ticket: You will receive the recordings and supporting materials for all six workshops.

About the speaker
Nadir Franca is a sustainability professional with over a decade of experience in developing impact assessment frameworks and sustainability methodologies for the financial and social sectors. She has led the design of SDG-aligned taxonomies, social impact measurement frameworks, and financial inclusion methodologies. Her work spans corporate sustainability assessments, impact investing advisory, and policy research in Europe and Latin America. Nadir holds a PhD in Business Administration with a focus on Social Impact Finance and is a member of Giving Women Switzerland and Women in Sustainable Finance.

Unlocking youth livelihoods through digital skills
2025-12-04 12:15 - 13:30 (Europe/Helsinki) | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86431094190
As Africa’s “youth quake” approaches — with the population aged 15–24 expected to grow by 42% by 2030 — finding employment is becoming an urgent challenge. Is digital training the answer? Can global job opportunities open up for these young people?
Join us online to explore how digital skills programmes are already creating pathways to employment for youth in underserved communities. Hear directly from practitioners working on the ground, as well as a researcher who will share best practices, success stories, and the challenges we must address to ensure these initiatives are effective, ethical, and scalable.
Our moderator

Kirsten Schuettler – Economist

Our panelists

Maeghan Ahumuza – Operations Lead, Era92
Valerie Okumu – Development Officer, Konexio Africa
Dr Funda Ustek Spilda – Senior Lecturer and SE Asia Programmes Lead at the Department of Digital Humanities, King’s College London
Brizan Were – Co-founder and Managing Director, Lions Strength

Giving Women Informal Apero - Geneva
2025-12-08 18:00 - 20:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Giving Women Office, Rue du Mont-Blanc 4, Geneva, 1201, Switzerland
We look forward to welcoming many of you to our 8 December Apero
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 90 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.

Membership kick-off
2026-01-23 13:00 - 14:00 (Europe/Zurich) | Giving Women Office, Rue du Mont-Blanc 4, Geneva, 1201, Switzerland

Giving Women Informal Apero – Geneva
2026-01-26 18:00 - 20:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Giving Women Office, Rue du Mont-Blanc 4, Geneva, 1201, Switzerland
We look forward to welcoming many of you to our 26 January Apero at our office.
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 90 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 Informal Apero – Zurich
2026-01-26 18:30 - 20:30 (Europe/Helsinki) | ATELIER BAR, Talacker 16, Zürich, 8001, Switzerland
We look forward to welcoming many of you to our 26 January Apero in Zurich.
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 90 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 .

From growing pains to growing gains - Part 3 - Monitoring and evaluation frameworks
2026-02-03 19:00 - 20:30 (Europe/Moscow) | https://givingwomen.org/event/from-growing-pains-to-growing-gains-part-3-monitoring-and-evaluation-frameworks/
Workshop 3 of 6: Monitoring and evaluation frameworks

Building on the reflections from Workshops 1 and 2, this session focuses on translating your evolving Theory of Change into clear, realistic, and measurable outcomes through monitoring and evaluation frameworks. Rather than treating monitoring and evaluation frameworks as a rigid donor requirement, the workshop invites participants to explore these frameworks as practical tools for learning, accountability, and strategic decision-making. With insights from our expert in MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning), participants will examine how outcomes, indicators, assumptions, and risks can be aligned with organisational capacity and changing contexts—ensuring that MEAL supports growth, adaptation, and meaningful impact.

About the facilitator
Silvia Guizzardi serves as the Senior Advisor for Impact at Oak Foundation. With over 20 years of experience in strategic development and monitoring, evaluation and learning in international cooperation and philanthropy, she focuses on enhancing programmatic impact narrative and effectiveness. (Silvia kindly agreed to step in last minute and replace Riswana Soundardjee from GAVI who came down with the flu and had to pull out)

About the workshop series

Navigating growth and transitions so your organisation can thrive through change – In this time of great upheaval and uncertainty in the development and humanitarian sectors, we are all reflecting on the changes needed within our organisations to meet these challenges. Giving Women invites you to a six-part workshop series designed to help organisations navigate growth and transition, enabling them to thrive amidst change and theses challenging times.

Ticket options & details

Members: Free
Not yet a member? You can purchase tickets for a single workshop or the full series.

Individual session ticket: You will receive the recording and supporting materials for that session.Series ticket: You will receive the recordings and supporting materials for all six workshops.

How can the Social Enterprise model help close the funding gap?
2026-02-19 12:15 - 13:30 (Europe/Moscow) | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86981622639
Context

At a time when funding is increasingly difficult to secure while needs continue to rise, many organisations are under intense pressure. Migrant populations are at record levels due to conflict and climate crises, girls’ completion of primary and secondary education is declining, and access to healthcare remains a struggle. The challenges are overwhelming.
What we will explore
Thursday 19 February, 12.15pm CET (online) : Join us for an online conversation moderated by Zoya Siddiqui from Acumen, an organisation that recognised early on the potential of the social enterprise model. Together, we will explore how this approach can help organisations build more resilient, financially sustainable models.
We will highlight and hear from three grassroots organisations applying this model in the field: Aavishkaar Centre (India), Project Maji (Africa), and Womengro Initiative (Uganda). We will also be joined by the Elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalisation, which supports social entrepreneurs through its philanthropic giving, to share the funder perspective on what helps these models thrive.
Panelists
Moderator:
Zoya Siddiqui, Development and Partnerships Manager at Acumen Europe
Expert perspective:
Lisa Jean-Mairet, Executive Director, Elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalisation
Voices from the field (highlighted organisations):
– Prapti Bhasin, CEO, Aavishkaar Centre, India
– Sunil Lalvani, Founder, Project Maji, Africa
– Lilian Nakigozi, Founder, Womengro Initiative Uganda
