Project Independence: Women Survivors of War Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Project Independence: Women Survivors of War. Click on a topic or question to jump directly to its answer. If you have a question you can not find an answer to, please contact projectindependence@womenforwomen.org.

Project Independence: Women Survivors of War • Program Questions • Sponsorship

Awareness Raising and Fundraising • Financial Information • Miscellaneous

Program Questions:
Where can I get more information about the programs in each of the countries Project Independence is supporting?
What types of capacity-building activities is project Independence supporting in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rwanda?
How does Women for Women International determine in which countries it will open an office?
How are women selected and screened to be in the program?
Are women put at risk for participating in Women for Women International’s programs?
How effective are Women for Women International’s programs?
What is Microcredit?
Why is the interest rate for microcredit loans so high?

Sponsorship:
What is Sponsorship?
How do I sign up for Sponsorship?
What kind of services will my sister receive?
How much of my $27 a month goes directly to my sister?
I am sponsor and still have not received a letter from my sister. Can you tell me why?
Where can I find information about groups that are being sponsored by Project Independence?

Awareness Raising and Fundraising:
Where do I send my donations or my club’s donations for Project Independence?
Can my company make a matching gift to Project Independence?
Where can I submit information about events that my club has done to raise awareness and funds for Project Independence?
What types of events can my club do to get involved and raise awareness for Project Independence?
What is an Ambassador for Project Independence and how can I become one?
Are there materials available for me or my club to use for awareness raising and fundraising events?

Financial Information

How much money raised actually goes to the program?
How is Women for Women International funded?
Has Women for Women International been evaluated by the Better Business Bureau or other charity evaluation services?

Miscellaneous:
How do I invite someone from Project Independence or Women for Women International to come speak at an event or conference my club is hosting?

Project Independence: Women Survivors of War

Q: What countries is Project Independence: Women Survivors of War supporting?

A: Project Independence will raise awareness and financial support for women survivors of war in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rwanda. Please see the Project Protocol for more information about Project Independence at: http://www.womenforwomen.org/ProjectIndependence/Protocol/protocoltoc.htm

Q: What are the goals of Project Independence: Women Survivors of War?

A: Project Independence is a collaboration between Soroptimist International and Women for Women International. The main goals of Project Independence are to raise awareness and financial support for women survivors of war and violence in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rwanda. More detailed goals and program information are below. For additional information, please see the Project Protocol at http://www.womenforwomen.org/ProjectIndependence/Protocol/protocoltoc.htm, or contact projectindependence@womenforwomen.org.

- Project Independence will help deepen the capacity of Women for Women International’s programs in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rwanda, to offer more services to women survivors of war and conflict.
- Through Project Independence, Soroptimists will provide direct aid to 1,200 women who participate in Women for Women International’s core program.
- The project will provide 1,200 women with rights awareness and leadership education classes.
- The project will provide 1,200 women with training in traditional and non-traditional vocational and technical skills.
- The project will provide 600 women with microcredit loans to start small businesses and income generating projects.

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Q: What are the fundraising goals for Project Independence: Women Survivors of War?

A: Project Independence fundraising will begin in July 2003 and end in July 2007. The fundraising goal is US $1.2 million. If Soroptimist International exceeds its fundraising goal, additional funds will be used to assist more women.

Q: What will be the long-term impact and sustainability of Project Independence: Women Survivors of War?

A: Women for Women International was founded in 1993 to help women, in many instances a family's sole breadwinner and caregiver, overcome the horrors of war and civil strife—family loss and widowhood, rape, murder, forced migration, poverty, starvation, trafficking and torture—in ways that help them rebuild their lives, families and communities. Through a tiered program that begins with direct financial and emotional support, Women for Women International fosters awareness and understanding of women's rights; offers vocational and business skills training; and provides access to income-generation support and affordable microcredit loans that together help women restart their lives in ways that are independent, productive and secure.

Women for Women International's strategy promotes rights-based development by supporting women as they take control in rebuilding their lives and generating economic sustainability in their communities. Its multi-phase approach incorporates: direct aid, emotional support, skills training, rights education, leadership training, microenterprise and small business development. Underlying all program activities is the idea that women will advance from victim to survivor to becoming active, self-assured members of their communities. The strategy is implemented through the following inter-connected programs.

Sponsorship. Individual sponsorships are a direct, personal, hands-on way for women in the U.S. and elsewhere to help women survivors of war. Sponsors are matched with a woman in one of Women for Women International's operating countries. The sponsor provides monthly financial support that allows a woman to obtain basic necessities for her family — food, clean water, medicine; pay school-related expenses for her children; begin the recovery process by investing in training; or use the funds as seed capital where groups of sponsored women pool their funds to collectively start a cooperative, support a joint project or start a small business. A portion of the sponsorship funds are also used to provide each woman with skills training, rights awareness education and other services that help her rebuild her life.

In addition to financial support, the sponsor and the woman exchange letters. For a woman who may have lost everything or who feels isolated from the world, letters of support and encouragement help renew her hope for a better future. Letters play an equally important role as a source of cultural exchange for both the sponsors and the sponsored women.

Rights Awareness and Leadership Training. Renewing Women's Life Skills (ReneWLS) provides training in traditional and non-traditional skills, entrepreneurship and women's rights. When women develop and cultivate leadership skills, they gain the power to assume leadership positions in their communities and villages, actively participate in the reconstruction of their communities and build civil society. Trainings are facilitated by local women trainers who utilize Women for Women International's proprietary training manual, A Woman's World. The training is designed to help women understand their unique rights: politically, as victims of war, ethnic and religious conflict and as voices in bringing about stability; economically, in understanding their rights to earn a fair income; legally, in acquiring skills to fight discrimination, domestic violence and other civil wrongs; and personally, with respect to understanding reproductive systems in women and men, pregnancy and childbirth, nutrition, stress and stress management and the spread, treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Once trained, some women may be elected by their fellow participants to become trainers themselves or assume leadership positions within their communities and villages. Women for Women International trains the new trainers so they can provide sessions for additional women in the community.

Vocational Skills Training. A part of ReneWLS is to build on and strengthen women's existing skills and to introduce new skills in traditional and non-traditional fields. The goal is to increase future employment opportunities. Women for Women International meets with participants and conducts local market research to determine which skills are most needed and viable to help ensure long-term sustainability in the local community and economy. To avoid adding to existing traditional skill sets that may already be abundantly available, non-traditional skills training options are usually considered. Training is provided by local instructors in such areas as: food processing, leatherwork, carpet weaving, shoe repair and many more. Literacy classes are also be available in some areas.

Income Generation Support. To help women transform their vocational skills into financial independence and sustainability, Women for Women International provides microcredit loans and other income generation support. This support helps ensure that women are provided with an option to continue supporting themselves and their families after their participation in the Sponsorship and ReneWLS programs.

In countries where Women for Women International does not offer microcredit loans, other income-generating opportunities are available. In Rwanda, for example, we encourage women to form cooperatives to start local businesses and work with them to develop business plans; in Kosovo, we operate several cooperative stores where women can sell their products; in Afghanistan, we operate a bakery that employs several graduates of our program and services the local and international community. Providing these and other options for a woman to earn an income and support her family helps her to become an active, contributing citizen in her own society.

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Q: Who do I contact with questions about Project Independence: Women Survivors of War?

A: Dawn Marie Lemonds is the Quadrennial Project Liaison for Project Independence. She can be reached by email at dawnmarie.lemonds@gmail.com. You can also email any questions to Erica Tavares, Women for Women International’s liaison for Project Independence at etavares@womenforwomen.org or at projectindependence@womenforwomen.org.

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Program Questions:

Q: Where can I get more information about the programs in each of the countries Project Independence is supporting?

A: You can find additional information about the individual country programs, and information about specific groups of women that Project Independence is supporting in the “From the Field” section of the Project Independence Website at: http://www.womenforwomen.org/ProjectIndependence/fromthefieldtoc.htm

Q: What types of capacity-building activities is Project Independence supporting in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rwanda?

A: Afghanistan:

- Women for Women International expanded its program to women outside of Kabul, and is now working with 700 women in rural provinces where women are traditionally isolated from such services.
- Expanded program services to include Health Training classes for participants. The Health Training Initiative covers basic hygiene and preventative health techniques women can use for themselves and their families, and an additional training class covers safe techniques for traditional birth attendants.
- Expanded training classes to include literacy and numeracy in response to participants’ requests.
- Partnered with the Afghanistan Ministry of Women’s Affairs in 2004 to provide voter education to women through our rights awareness and leadership education classes; nearly 2,000 of our program participants registered to vote for the very first time.
- Started a microcredit program in 2004 and by December approximately $100,000 had been distributed to 600 clients. Many of the women who received loans are interested in starting or expanding an agri-business; the loans will fund activities such as buying/raising a cow or chickens to sell milk or eggs in the market, or cultivating and selling vegetables.

Bosnia and Herzegovina:

- In April 2004, Women for Women International began offering program services to victims of trafficking in a shelter in Sarajevo. These participants are women who have suffered severe psychological and sexual abuse and humiliation.
- In 2004, Women for Women International distributed 3,369 loans with a total of $2,628,581 disbursed. Individual loans were also introduced for women who have participated in the program for a number of years and successfully completed several group loan cycles, but still do not qualify for a bank loan.
- After graduating from the core program, participants are eligible to participate in a human rights and leadership training project launched in February 2004 to help women leaders in rural areas take active roles in their communities.

Rwanda:

- Project Independence helped the office transition to a locally-operated and managed Chapter, with a local director taking over office operations in October 2004.
- The organization provided malaria prevention training to women in the program that focused on low-cost prevention methods, such as mosquito nets, instead of unaffordable medications for the prevention and treatment of malaria.
- The project will also help expand income generating opportunities for participants by exploring and supporting additional vocational skills trainings. New trainings have been added in the areas of basket making and in the use of knitting machines. Other areas being explored are soap-making, solar stove production and show-making.

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Q: How does Women for Women International determine in which countries it will open an office?

A: Women for Women International utilizes four criteria when determining how and when to expand its programs to new areas of operation. The organization seeks to work:

1) In conflict or post-conflict countries or regions;
2) Where women are disproportionately affected by war and violence;
3) Where these women's needs are not being met and the organization's programs can fill a critical gap in services; and
4) When the organization has the resources to launch and sustain a program that can grow and expand over time to meet the long-term needs of women survivors of war.

Q: How are women selected and screened to be in the program?

A: Women for Women International staff members in the field carefully screen each potential participant before enrolling them in the program to make sure we are working with the most socially excluded women survivors of war. Women must qualify economically, and must be willing to attend the rights awareness and leadership classes and vocational skills training classes that accompany their participation in the Sponsorship Program.

First the staff conducts a community assessment to ensure that we are reaching the most vulnerable communities in an area; this assessment includes meeting with community leaders, house-to-house visits, and at-large community meetings. After we determine that the community is a good fit for the organization, individual meetings are held with each woman to assess her economic, social and personal status. Our staff completes a survey on each woman that includes information on her family, education level, income, and her role in her family and community.

Finally, our staff conducts at-home sample interviews to ensure that potential program participants qualify for the program and are providing accurate information. These at-home interviews also help to provide us with more information about the community we are working in and the women we serve there.

At the end of each woman’s participation in the program, she again meets with a representative from Women for Women International’s staff to complete an exit survey to determine her progress in the program and to ensure that we are providing the most effective services for the women in our program.

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Q: Are women put at risk for participating in Women for Women International's programs?

A: In order to best serve our participants, Women for Women International works to ensure the safety of its overseas staff and its participants by closely monitoring security situations in the communities, regions and countries where it works on a day-to-day basis. Each office is staffed with its own security officer who helps evaluate the situation and can accompany staff into the field if necessary. The organization will work with participants to ensure they are able to safely participate in the program and will help them find resources to address any personal safety issues.

Before establishing our programs in a community, Women for Women International staff conducts outreach to local political, religious and civil society leaders to explain the benefits of the program. The organization also holds public meetings to answer questions any community member may have. This community outreach lets citizens know that Women for Women International will be invested in their community, and will help the community as a whole. This cooperation is an important step in establishing safe, effective offices overseas.

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Q: How effective are Women for Women International’s programs?

A: Women for Women International's strategy promotes rights-based development by supporting women as they take control in rebuilding their lives and generating economic sustainability in their communities. Its multi-phase approach incorporates: direct aid, emotional support, skills training, rights education, leadership training, microenterprise and small business development. Underlying all program activities is the idea that women will advance from victim to survivor to becoming active, self-assured members of their communities. Since 1993, Women for Women International has:

• Linked more than 33,000 women survivors of war with sponsors worldwide
• Facilitated the translation and exchange of some 150,000 letters of support between sponsors and sponsored women.
• Enrolled and graduated more than 33,000 women in the organization's Renewing Women’s Life Skills (ReneWLS) leadership and rights awareness education and vocational and technical skills training programs.
• Distributed more than $18 million in direct aid and microcedit loans, maintaining a 98% repayment rate on all loans.
• Facilitated hundreds of group therapy sessions for war survivors by providing a venue for women to share their experiences s and build bridges between women survivors of different ethnic backgrounds

Women for Women International recently implemented a monitoring and evaluation system to track quantitative and qualitative information about our program participants before and after their participation in the year long program. This data will help Women for Women International better evaluate and adapt our programs to better meet the needs of our participants.

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Q: What is microcredit?

A: The 1997 Microcredit Summit defines microcredit as the extension of small loans to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans; loans to very poor* people for self-employment projects that generate income, allowing them to care for themselves and their families.

Women for Women International employs a “solidarity group” lending approach for its microcredit lending programs in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Afghanistan. This lending methodology requires that each client form a group with three to seven other microentrepreneur women pursuing different projects. To ensure honesty and accountability, group members cannot be from the same family. Loans are thus distributed via groups with group members guaranteeing the repayment of each other’s loans and agreeing to share the burden of missed payments of any member and signing a contract pledging to do so. Collateral and co-signers are not used, relying instead on social pressure and collective responsibilities generated by the group to take their place. Group peer pressure helps ensure timely repayment and proper usage of individual loans. Once a client has paid off her existing loan, she may apply for another loan within a solidarity group, provided that she has good repayment history and a sound business plan.

The group structure also acts as a mechanism for mutual support, whereby borrowers benefit from the creation of social networks inherent in a group methodology that focuses on the importance of solidarity, support and cooperation. A vital feature of “solidarity group” lending is borrower and lender accountability and mutual respect. Allowing group members to manage their own credit requires mutual trust among all participants, developed through the considerable effort put into the relationship between clients and loan officers, as well orientation, training sessions and regular meetings attended by group members. Through the enhancement of interpersonal ties, mutual obligation and equality among members, Women for Women International’s Microcredit Lending Programs continue to provide socially excluded women with opportunities for sustainable income generation, helping to rebuild their lives, families and communities.

For more information on Women for Women International’s microcredit program, please see:

• “Critical Half,” Women for Women International’s academic journal focusing on gender and microcredit from December 2004 at http://www.womenforwomen.org/nrch1.html

For more in-depth information and analysis on microcredit, you can explore the following resources:

• “One Hope at a Time: Building Afghanistan’s Future” from The World & I, November/December 2004 at http://www.womenforwomen.org/ProjectIndependence/fundresour.htm.
• The Grameen Bank: www.grameen-info.org
• www.microfinancegateway.org, a comprehensive site with links to many microcredit resources.

* Women for Women International uses the term socially-excluded instead of the term poor. Social exclusion incorporates the economic, political, and social elements of poverty in order to understand the way in which certain populations are excluded from the benefits of social and economic development.

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Q: Why is the interest rate for microcredit loans so high?

A: Although 18% sounds like a high interest rate for loans, the dollar amount it transcends to is very low. For a $200 loan, the interest is only $36. The costs of making a small loan are higher in percentage terms than the costs of making a larger loan. For example, if the cost per loan is $25, the percentage cost of is 0.25% for a $10,000 loans, but 25% for a $100 loan. The interest rates of microfinance institutions are still much lower than rates charged by moneylenders or other sources of non-traditional bank loans.

These interest payments keep the microcredit program self-sustainable, adds principle to the revolving loan fund allowing more loans to be made, and microcredit loans do not require capital for a participant to be eligible for a loan. In addition, the interest rate helps support the cost of the training programs associated with the microcredit program.

A key aspect of the Grameen Bank model of microcredit lending is the idea of a self-sustainable loan program. By paying a high interest rate, participants are ensuring funds for future loans. This interest is reinvested in the revolving loan fund and allows Women for Women International to provide loans to more women in need. The interest also helps pay for the administration of the microcredit program, including staff time, training programs and general administrative costs.

Another reason the interest rate is so high is because microcredit loans do not require any collateral like traditional loans. If a participant defaults on her loan, it is up to her group to cover the amount of the loan, or the organization takes a loss. By charging a high interest rate, the organization is able to help cover these losses and provide loans with out requiring any collateral.

In addition to receiving capital to start an income-generating project, women are required to attend classes on basic business skills. These classes meet on a monthly or bi-monthly basis and cover topics such as bookkeeping, marketing, and other basic business skills. A portion of the loan interest pays for the trainers and the materials used for these training sessions.

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Sponsorship:

Q: What is Sponsorship?

A: The Sponsorship Program matches participants in our program with women in other countries for a period of one year. Sponsors provide direct aid and emotional support to program participants. The sponsorship funds help women buy everyday goods for themselves and their families as well as support their rights awareness and leadership education and vocational skills training. Sponsors also write letters to show their “sisters” that someone is supporting them as they rebuild their lives and learn new skills. Many times participants say letters are just as important, if not more important, then the financial support.

For more information about the Sponsorship Program, see http://www.womenforwomen.org/sponsor.html, or contact us at projectindependence@womenforwomen.org

Q: How do I sign up for Sponsorship?

A: There are different types of Sponsorship available through Project Independence – Group Correspondent Sponsorship and Individual sponsorship.

Group Correspondent Sponsorship matches an entire Soroptimist International Club with an entire group of women in Women for Women International programs in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Rwanda. Each Soroptimist member will be matched with an individual participant with whom they can correspond for the period of one year. The entire club will be matched with participants in the same group and will also receive a group update during their participation in the Sponsorship Program. Project Independence provides the financial support that is given as direct aid to the women in the program, while individual Soroptimists are responsible for letter writing.

There is currently a waiting list for Group Correspondent Sponsorship. You must contact Dawn Marie Lemonds, Quadrennial Project Liaison to sign up for Group Sponsorship. She can be reached at dawnmarie.lemonds@gmail.com.

Individual Sponsorship is available for individual Soroptimists who want to sponsor an individual woman independent of their club, or for clubs who want to sponsor women individually and provide the financial and emotional support themselves.

Individuals or clubs will be matched with a participant in one of the Project Independence countries, and will be responsible for the $30 Sponsorship Enrollment Fee and the $27 monthly Sponsorship payments, as well as writing letters to their sister. The enrollment fee, the 1st month of sponsorship and contact information must be received by Women for Women International before Sponsorship can begin. All funds received as sponsorships will be applied to Project Independence’s fundraising goals.

You may sign up for individual Sponsorships on line at http://www.womenforwomen.org/sponsor.html. Please make sure to check the box denoting your Soroptimist International membership, or contact projectindependence@womenforwomen.org for more information.

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Q: What kind of services will my sister receive?

A: Your sister will receive direct aid, as well as important rights awareness and leadership education, and vocational and technical training through Women for Women International's core programs. After she finishes her training, your sister will receive income generating support from Women for Women International.

Your monthly financial aid and emotional support help your sister by letting her know someone cares about her and is encouraging her throughout the program. The rights awareness and leadership education helps your sister learn about her legal rights and discusses important leadership and business skills to ensure future success. Vocational and technical skills trainings help your sister learn new skills or improve upon existing skills to give her a tangible way to earn an income after completing the program.

Following training, Women for Women International provides participants with income generating support. In Bosnia and Herzegovina and Afghanistan, your sister may be eligible for a microcredit loan after completing the program. When microcredit is unavailable, participants may also receive advanced business training, help in forming a cooperative with other group members and opportunities to sell her products at a Women for Women International cooperative store. Many women chose to use their skills to establish, or expand, their own home-based business as well.

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Q: How much of my $27 a month goes directly to my sister?

A: As a sponsor you will be asked to provide a direct monthly contribution of $27 to Women for Women International. A portion of these funds are given to your sister so she can provide her family with basic necessities. The remaining funds are used to provide her with rights awareness training, leadership education and vocational skills training so she can continue to support her family in the future. In all countries in which we operate, $5 of your monthly contribution will pay for the administrative support of the programs.

For example, each month in Afghanistan women receive $10 a month as cash in hand to support their basic needs; $5 is put into a savings account for the participant for her to use to start an income-generating project or use as collateral for a traditional loan; and $7 is used to support her rights awareness, leadership, vocational and technical skills training.

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Q: I am sponsor and still have not received a letter from my sister. Can you tell me why?

A: We strongly encourage your sister to respond to the letters you write to her. However, in some cases your sister may chose not to write. As you know, the women in Women for Women International’s programs are dealing with multiple hardships that may not allow them the time or energy to write to you. Some are suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Your sister may be unable to write for these and other reasons. Please do not stop writing. Your letters provide much-needed emotional support, and in time, your sister may write back.

For more information on letters, please see Women for Women International’s website at: http://www.womenforwomen.org/scintro.html.

Q: Where can I find information about groups that are being sponsored by Project Independence?

A: Periodically updates about groups that are being sponsored by Project Independence will be posted on the Project Independence website under the "From the Field" section, under each individual country. You can access these updates by visiting http://www.womenforwomen.org/ProjectIndependence/fromthefieldtoc.htm, and clicking on the country of your choice. Each country has its own home page with an option to read program updates from that country.

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Awareness Raising and Fundraising:

Q: Where do I send my donations or my club’s donations for Project Independence?

A: All donations should be sent to your federation office at the address below. You may make your check out to your federation with "Project Independence," or "Quadrennial Project" in the memo line. Thank you for your support and help to make this project a success!

Soroptimist International of the Americas
1709 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
United States of America
http://www.soroptimist.org

Soroptimist International of Europe
Route de Florissant 72
CH-1206 Geneva
Switzerland
http://www.soroptimisteurope.org

Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland
127 Wellington Road South
Stockport, Cheshire
SK1 3TS
United Kingdom
http://www.soroptimist-gbi.org

Soroptimist International of the South West Pacific
PO Box Q817
QVB Post Office NSW 1230
Australia
http://www.siswp.org

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Q: Can my company make a matching gift to Project Independence?

A: If your company has a matching gifts program, you may be able to double your gift to Project Independence. For a matching gift to be approved, you must send the donation directly to your Soroptimist International Federation, clearly indicating the donation is for Project Independence: Women Survivors of War.

Matching gifts can not be applied to the Sponsorship Program and cannot be sent to Women for Women International directly. Any matching gift will be used to support and strengthen Women for Women International’s core programs in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rwanda.

Each Federation can verify your gift and give your company the appropriate information they need to make a matching gift. Please contact your company’s matching gifts department and your Federation to determine the exact process, as this can vary by company and program.

Federation contact information can be found above.

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Q: Where can I submit information about events that my club has done to raise awareness and funds for Project Independence?

A: If your club has held a successful event for Project Independence and you want to share it with other Soroptimists, please send a brief description of the event and which club or clubs hosted the event to projectindependence@womenforwomen.org or dawnmarie.lemonds@gmail.com. New events will be posted on the Project Independence website periodically at http://www.womenforwomen.org/ProjectIndependence/soropstories.htm.

Q: What types of events can my club do to get involved and raise awareness for Project Independence?

A: To see what other clubs are doing to raise awareness for Project Independence, see http://www.womenforwomen.org/ProjectIndependence/soropstories.htm. You can also check the Resources Page on the Project Independence website for other ways to get involved and for materials that will help make your event a success.

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Q: What is an Ambassador for Project Independence, and how can I become one?

A: You must be a Soroptimist International member to become an Ambassador. Ambassadors help spread the word about Project Independence to other Soroptimist International clubs and outside groups. Ambassadors read and review all of the available materials on a regular basis. You can check the Project Independence website for updates and progress reports at www.womenforwomen.org/projectindependence.

The website also has the club protocol which offers information about women in post-war countries; ideas for fundraising and outreach; and general information about the project. In addition, you can contact your Federation to get the Project Independence brochure and a copy of the Women for Women International video

For more information about becoming an ambassador, please see http://www.womenforwomen.org/ProjectIndependence/YourPart/ambassad.htm.

If you are interested in being an ambassador, contact Soroptimist International Quadrennial Project Liaison Dawn Marie Lemonds at dawnmarie.lemonds@gmail.com.

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Q: Are there materials available for me or my club to use for awareness raising and fundraising events?

A: There are a variety of materials available for you to use for awareness raising and fundraising activities. Women for Women International has a short video available on VHS, PAL and DVD that explains Women for Women International’s programs and services. A Project Independence specific video is currently in the process of being made and will be available in the fall of 2005.

Each Federation has Project Independence brochures available with basic facts about the countries Project Independence is serving, as well as information on women survivors of war. There are also many materials available for download on the Project Independence website under the Resources Page on the Project Independence website – i.e. a poster, ice-breaker games and role playing activities, and suggestions for fun, interactive activities your club can do to support the Project.

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Financial Information

Q: How much money raised actually goes to the program?

A: Women for Women International is committed to dedicating the most funds possible to the women we serve. Nearly 80% of all our funds, including funds raised through Project Independence, go directly to support women and our programs in the field. To see Women for Women International’s 2003 audited financial statements, please visit: http://www.womenforwomen.org/aoanrpt.html.

Q: How is Women for Women International funded?

A: 81% of Women for Women International’s funds come from individuals; 8% comes from foundation and government grants; 8% comes from microcredit interest; and 3% comes from other income (product sales, gains in currency exchange, etc.). In order to remain non-partisan and independent, Women for Women International has self-imposed a limit of 30% of revenue coming from all government sources at any time.

For more financial information, you can also see a summary of our financial statements at http://www.womenforwomen.org/aoanrpt.html.

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Q: Has Women for Women International been evaluated by the Better Business Bureau or other charity evaluation services?

A: The most recent review by the Better Business Bureau of Women for Women International was in January of 2004; the program information in the report will be updated in June/July 2005. Click here to see their report online. Please contact us at projectindependence@womenforwomen.org if you have any questions about the report.

Charity Navigator, one of the largest charity evaluators in America, recently gave Women for Women International its highest 4-star rating for "prudent fiscal management." To read Charity Navigator's evaluation, visit http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/7623.htm.

Women for Women International is also reviewed by GuideStar at www.guidestar.org. The review includes financial information, as well as basic program information.

We are currently seeking reviews from American Institute of Philanthropy and other charity review services to better serve our donors. If you can not find the information you are looking for, please feel free to contact us.

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Miscellaneous:

Q: How do I invite someone from Project Independence or Women for Women International to come speak at an event or conference my club is hosting?

A: To invite a staff member from Women for Women International to speak at an event for Project Independence, please contact Erica Tavares at etavares@womenforwomen.org.

To invite Dawn Marie Lemonds to speak at a Project Independence event, please contact dawnmarie.lemonds@gmail.com.

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