After they lost their loved ones on 9/11, a group of friends and family members knew something needed to be done to ensure a safer and more equitable world for everyone. So they created a fund with GlobalGiving to honor the lives of those lost— and its impact continues twenty-five years later.
Hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001. Hours later, Gene learned his wife, Norma, was among the victims.
The next day, Joyce and Dave opened the newspaper to find the faces of their close friends—a family of four—looking back at them. The world had lost Norma, Leslie, Charles, Zoe, and Dana along with nearly 3,000 other people in the attacks.
Gene, Joyce, and Dave first got to know each other as economists based in the Washington, D.C. area, crossing paths at national forums and panels. But their shared loss and worldview took their connection beyond discussions of taxes and social security.
They wanted to honor their lost loved ones by creating opportunities for women and girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They believed this could make waves through communities harmed by the same terrorism that spawned the 9/11 attacks.
Rather than simply donating to an organization on their own, the trio sought ways to make a greater impact.
“Can we find other people like ourselves who want to create living memorials for our people?” Gene wondered. “Can we take that attention and make it an asset?”
Initially, Gene and his daughters devoted some funding they had received from the government to establish a nonprofit. Joyce and Dave joined as board members and got to know Gene better over dinner meetings. Along with other families, they worked closely to find ways to keep the memory of their loved ones alive and fill the void they left with good.
Then in 2009, Gene, Joyce, and Dave teamed up with GlobalGiving to launch the Safer World Fund and annual matching campaign. Every September, this campaign supports organizations working in Afghanistan and Pakistan, especially those focused on providing economic opportunity, education, and health care to women and girls.
The campaign has already supported dozens of nonprofit partners working in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This year, campaign partner projects include locally-led groups helping women and girls access education, scholarships, essential care, and more. As international aid cuts and local restrictions continue to challenge their work, the Safer World nonprofit partners are committed to serving their communities however they can.
“Nobody can ever take away their education, no matter what happens next in Afghanistan.” — Enayat Nasir, Aid Afghanistan for Education
The Safer World campaign has helped raise millions in support of organizations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. These investments have allowed local nonprofit partners to grow and sustain their programs, helped thousands of girls stay in or return to school, and provided hundreds of mothers and their babies access to life-saving health care.
Gene, Joyce, and Dave sought to create the goodness their loved ones would have contributed to the world if they’d lived. When someone somewhere joins them in giving, they get a little closer to that goal.
Support women and girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and get matched at 100% while funds last.
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