GlobalGiving Project of the Month Club

Dear Project of the Month Club Member,

I truly can’t express how grateful I am that you’ve resolved to continue making the world a better place in 2021! Your generosity will play a crucial role in supporting nonprofits across the world as they help their communities overcome the long-term impacts of COVID-19. 

Last month, you joined an incredible 620 donors, raising $25,220 in support of Fundación Calicanto’s life-changing efforts to provide professional training opportunities for women in Panama. 

To ring in the new year, we’re crossing the globe (virtually, of course) to bring you yet another inspirational initiative. 

I’m thrilled to introduce Yayasan Usaha Mulia (YUM) and their project Help Promote Good Reading Habits in Kalimantan. 

For more than 4 years, YUM has worked to increase the quality of children's education in Bukit Batu, Indonesia. The organization’s Community Library, which is the only library in the region, ensures that more than 500 children are able to access books, participate in educational activities, and build community.  

When Executive Director Vanessa Reksodipoetro learned that YUM was joining the Project of the Month Club, she sent this message of gratitude:

After a very tough year, what a blessing to discover that we were selected as Project of the Month for January 2021! This nomination enforces our belief that hard work and continued optimism can get us through any challenges ahead. We’ve seen first-hand how the generosity of the collective has stepped up in 2020, and this is the icing on the cake!

Vanessa also shared how plans for how your generosity will help YUM support the children in their community this year. 

The funds we receive will help continue the tutoring sessions in our library in Central Kalimantan. With 9 months of being out of school, the children living in rural Indonesia are experiencing a tremendous learning loss and we hope the small group tutoring sessions can help to ensure that the basics of reading, writing and simple maths are achieved. Once the library can reopen, the funds received will also help other activities such as the English Club, Computer Club, Science Club as well as our Dance and Arts activities.

To learn more about how YUM  is helping children continue their education, check out their most recent report. 

Thank you so much for your compassion and commitment. Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and healthy New Year!  

Warmly,  

Alix Guerrier 

GlobalGiving CEO

Dear Project of the Month Club Member,

From the bottom of my heart: thank you. This holiday season, you’ve given locally-led nonprofits the gift of stability in a time of instability, helping them support their communities in a giving season like no other. 

Throughout the month of November, you joined an incredible 614 donors, raising $25,104 in support of Green Light for Girls and their project Give Girls a Green Light in STEM Around the World. Your collective compassion ensured Green Light for Girls can continue helping girls explore STEM through their COVID-19-safe educational broadcast series and science experiment kits. 

Today, we’re thrilled to introduce yet another awe-inspiring nonprofit helping women and girls unlock their full potential: Fundación Calicanto. Their project Fight Poverty: Educate Women in Panama, works to reduce gender inequalities and provide professional training opportunities for women in Panama who live in marginalized communities and often struggle to access educational resources.

Fundación Calicanto's CAPTA program helps these women reach personal and professional independence through vocational training, leadership development, and psychological support. After completing the program, participants earn a certificate to work in the region’s thriving hospitality industry and are better able to support themselves and their families. 

Fundación Calicanto leader Hildegard Vasquez shared her gratitude to you and other Project of the Month Club members for supporting Fundación Calicanto’s mission:

“Our team couldn’t be more excited and empowered about the news that we have been selected for GlobalGiving’s Project of the Month. We work to reduce gender inequalities and provide professional training opportunities for socially at-risk populations in Panama. The current global and local context provided us with a unique opportunity to adapt the CAPTA Program to a digital version through which we continue to fight poverty and reduce the social gaps towards access and opportunity. This strategy has allowed us to amplify our impact capacity to include the needs of our former, current, and new beneficiaries. Thank you to GlobalGiving for the incredible recognition of the work that our team, beneficiaries, partners, and directors have committed to throughout the years.”

Hildegard went on to share plans for how your generosity will power their efforts this year: 

”We anticipate that the program’s current virtual format will allow us to reach women from every region of Panama without restrictions and to better adapt to the various profiles and needs of the women, regardless of where they reside. We also seek to sustainably expand our impact by improving our post-program connection with the graduates. We want the sense of belonging to persist through the foundation and the women's' lives. Through this fund, we aim to successfully continue to support the women post CAPTA by embracing their personal and professional journey to be ambassadors of the program and agents of change in their communities.”

To learn more about how Fundación Calicanto is helping women succeed, check out their most recent report from the field. 

I can’t express how grateful I am for your profound generosity during this trying time. Thank you for making this holiday season brighter for nonprofit leaders around the world!  

Warmly,  

Alix Guerrier 

GlobalGiving CEO

Dear Project of the Month Club Member,

As many of us enter the holiday season, I would like to take a moment to celebrate a very special someone: you! 

In October alone, you joined 503 other donors to raise $20,618 supporting the Corcovado Foundation and its project Creating the Environmental Leaders of the New Mil. Your overwhelming generosity was particularly crucial in supporting the Corcovado Foundation’s new remote programming which helps local kids connect to—and learn about—their natural environment from home as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to halt in-person activities.

This November, we’re thrilled to introduce yet another all-star nonprofit. This life-changing organization connects girls in 34 countries to the resources, support, and inspiration they need to build a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Without further ado, meet Green Light for Girls and their project Give Girls a Green Light in STEM Around the World! 

Green Light for Girls introduces young women and girls to the many opportunities in STEM through interactive workshops, after school programs, scholarships, and more. Their volunteer-based team has hosted more than 300 events across the globe, encouraging participants to explore science and math in a fun, supportive environment with role models working in STEM fields. 

Sophie (pictured below), is one of 48,500+ girls who have participated in Green Light for Girls’ science workshops. When asked what she learned from her experience, she shared: “It just depends on what your talents are, not your gender. And today has further proven that for me.”

With support from the Project of the Month Club, Green Light for Girls will be able to offer additional support to girls like Sophie through pandemic-safe programming including a broadcast series, custom science educational kits, intern programs, and career weeks. 

Founder and Chairman Melissa Rancourt shared her gratitude to you and other Project of the Month Club members for supporting Green Light for Girls mission:

“We were absolutely overjoyed in hearing the news that we have been chosen for GlobalGiving's Project of the Month. We work around the world with the aim to make a difference in a young girl's life by giving her the confidence and opportunity to learn skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for their future. This funding opportunity creates the chance for our organization to reach more girls in need and in more places around the world.”

To learn more about how Green Light for Girls is building a more gender-equal world, check out their most recent report from the field. 

I can’t thank you enough for your commitment to building a better world no matter the obstacles. Stay safe and take care! 

With gratitude, 

Alix Guerrier 

GlobalGiving CEO

Dear Project of the Month Club Member,

We hope your October is off to a lovely start! GlobalGiving and our partners are incredibly grateful for the generosity of you and 598 other donors who helped us raise $26,508 in September for Zindagi Trust. Its project Art for 3200 Schoolgirls in Pakistan works to implement a holistic curriculum that empowers children to thrive in Pakistan’s state schools.

This October, your generous contribution will go toward our nonprofit partner Corcovado Foundation and its project Creating the Environmental Leaders of the New Mil. 

Corcovado Foundation’s mission is to protect Costa Rica’s natural wildlife for future generations by empowering local communities to promote sustainable tourism and connect to their natural environment. Donations to their project Creating the Environmental Leaders of the New Mil support their 17-year-old environmental education program for children in Osa Peninsula communities to become the next generation of environmental leaders. Through weekly classes and events, children explore what it means to be connected to their natural environment and their community. Field trips, games, art, and storytelling are just a few of the tools Corcovado Foundation uses to teach children to work together today so they can solve the problems of tomorrow.

When the pandemic halted face-to-face activities, Corcovado Foundation created the “Environmental Challenges,” or weekly activities for children to complete from the safety of their homes or gardens. Parents jumped into action to enthusiastically learn with their children during these difficult times.

Executive Director Alejandra Monge expresses her gratitude to you and other Project of the Month Club members for supporting their mission:

“We couldn’t be more thrilled and honored by this news. Being chosen as Project of the Month is a wonderful privilege and an excellent opportunity to showcase our environmental education efforts. Since 2003, our program has been changing hundreds of children’s lives for the better, helping them widen their horizons, empowering them, and creating awareness of their ability to build the communities that they desire.”

Alejandra went on to share plans for how your generosity will power their efforts this year:

“With the additional funding received from the GlobalGiving community of donors and supporters, we will continue our environmental education activities and help 30 more families implement regenerative agriculture to become more food independent in this time of economic crisis. Regenerative agriculture promotes edible gardens without polluting the soil or the water with chemicals.”

Keep up with Corcovado Trust’s work by checking out their most recent report from the field.

Your generosity is making a difference in communities around the world, and I can’t wait to share how it’ll help in November.

Stay safe and well,
Alix Guerrier
GlobalGiving CEO

Dear Project of the Month Club Member,

We hope your September is off to a happy and healthy start! We are in awe of you and the 597 other club members that came together to give $26,717 last month to Whispering Seed and its project MyanmarYouth Sustainability Training Centre, which works to bridge the traditions of sustainability and holistic education through innovative programs while drawing on rich local wisdom and traditional cultures.

This September, your generous contribution will support our nonprofit partner Zindagi Trust and its project Art for 3200 Schoolgirls in Pakistan. 

Zindagi Trust’s mission is to reform Pakistan’s state schools by helping the government implement a holistic curriculum that lets students thrive. Through Art for 3,200 Schoolgirls in Pakistan, Zindagi Trust leaders will implement a modern art program at two government schools in Pakistan’s biggest city, Karachi, so young girls can express themselves creatively — a skill that is overlooked by the current education model. Through these integrated programs, students will naturally connect their studies to the outside world, whether it’s on a trip to the local museum or a visit to a mural painted by a local artist. This method of connecting students to the world around them through art not only improves school attendance and learning outcomes, but it also encourages students to explore their interests and passions later in life.

Despite the lockdown, Zindagi Trust has continued to support 2,300 students channel their creative spirits at home. Care packages bursting with activities that promote mindfulness, gratitude, reflection, and fun were distributed to the children to help them cope in isolation— a powerful reminder that art is more than just another extra-curricular. 

Head of Special Programs and Advocacy Sana Kazmi expresses her thanks to you and other Project of the Month Club members for supporting their mission:

“I am thrilled and deeply touched to hear this news! Funding for continuing learning and reopening schools is scarce given the competing priorities brought about by the pandemic. We were afraid we may have to scale down our art program despite knowing that it is needed now more than ever. After spending almost six months in isolation, our school children need to feel the joy and connection of creative pursuit as well as the emotional outlet and release that their art classes provide. Thank you so much for helping us find a way to make this possible!”

Sana went on share plans for how your generosity will power their efforts this year: 

“Your contribution will enable us to create unique, local art experiences for 3,100 students. After a gap of more than six months, we will be able to continue our weekly art classes. Thanks to your generosity, we can buy enough art supplies so all children can create art safely without having to share supplies, as we return to on-campus classes with post-COVID-19 safety measures. We will now also be able to put out teaching resources, art lessons, and DIY tutorials for children beyond our schools, as your gift helps us support our faculty of seven art teachers across two large under-resourced government schools. Finally, our art teachers, who have been recently empowered through extensive training on Mental Health First Aid, will be helping our students make the transition back to school easier. They will be making check-in calls leading up to school re-opening and providing guided care as lay counselors at a time when the mental well-being of children is more important than ever for their success at school.

Keep up with Zindagi Trust’s work by checking out their most recent updates from the field.

We are so grateful for your commitment to support community-led change. I can’t wait to share where your generosity is headed in October!

Stay safe and well, 

Alix Guerrier

GlobalGiving CEO