This post was written by Tysen Gannon, the Director of Corporate Partnerships here at Jolkona Foundation.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Pacific Northwest Global Donors Conference. One of the central themes that emerged was importance of and benefits associated with giving to projects that empower women. This resonates greatly with the work Jolkona Foundation is doing with our partner organizations around the world, and coincides with women’s history month and Jolkona Foundation’s highlighting women-focused projects.

In her opening address to the international development focused conference, Kavita Ramdas, President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, delivered a direct and inspired call-to-action for philanthropists. Ms. Ramdas highlighted the sweeping changes many grassroots women’s organizations have been able to achieve by connecting with grantmakers willing to take risks in funding small projects and organizations. It is often these grassroots groups organizing around simple needs and injustices that offer the clearest and most efficient path to making a measurable difference. Small projects–such as the Global Fund for Women’s contribution to the EcoWomen group in China which fund education and safer handling of pesticides–have achieved remarkable results for women, their health, and, by extension, their families and entire communities.

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This post was written by Danielle Rind, a member of the Jolkona team.

I was first introduced to Half the Sky by my mother after she attended an event featuring Nicholas Kristof. When I received Kristof’s book I had very recently become involved with the Jolkona Foundation, a non-profit that provides a platform for individuals to donate money to causes and organizations around the world. I quickly learned about Jolkona’s partnering non-profits and the help that these organizations provide. But this was only the beginning of what I was soon to learn regarding the endless needs and human rights violations that exist around world. Kristof’s book helped educate me further…

Each page of Half the Sky was a bigger eye opener than the last. Kristof provides detailed and moving stories of women who have suffered more than I ever dreamed possible.

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Here at the Jolkona Foundation, we empower, we educate, and we offer access to much needed public health services by connecting you with many partner organizations. More importantly, we believe in the impact we can make, especially by supporting development work targeted towards improving the world. Through your support, we are having a real global impact and are working to ensure that the changes we make today have a positive and lasting impact on the future.

March is National Women’s History Month and a celebration of women who struggled to unlock doors so that women today can open the doors and walk through them. The Women’s History Project organizes this month and declares that:

Now, more than ever, the work of this movement needs to continue and expand. Each new generation needs to draw information and inspiration from the last.

As part of our global focus, we’re spending the month of March appreciating the past and looking to the future. We’re highlighting our women-focused projects that are creating lasting change around the world. We’re also honoring the obstacles women have overcome in the past and how those women inspire us to accomplish even greater goals today.

It’s going to be an incredible month, and we hope you’re as excited about this celebration as we are!

What to make a lasting global impact you can see?

Donate to support the work of our women-focused projects today!

How else can you get involved?

• Learn about the National Women’s History Project
• Check out stories and images of women throughout history at the Library of Congress
• And even more articles, videos, pictures and facts at History.com

And we want to hear from YOU! Share your story: How are you celebrating Women’s History Month?