Press Release

Jolkona Foundation Now Covers US Projects

AUGUST 25, 2009 - SEATTLE, Wash. - Jolkona Foundation now allows donors to give to projects in the United States. Jolkona.org is the world’s first website that provides tangible proof of impact for EVERY donation and currently features 3 projects in the Seattle area.

Two of the projects aim to reduce educational disparities between students of different racial backgrounds in the Pacific Northwest. Less than 60% of student of color in Washington State graduate high school. The third project provides business training to micro-loan borrowers in Washington where 26% of the population is considered "working poor".

Jolkona Foundation has partnered with Technology Access Foundation (TAF) and Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help (CASH) to make 3 projects available on Jolkona Foundation’s website. The 2 TAF projects allow donors to support the education of students of color in the underserved Seattle communities for as little as $50. Donors can provide business training to the Washington CASH’s borrowers for as little as $30.

"We have always believed that our platform would be attractive to projects around the world, including those in the United States," said Adnan Mahmud, CEO of Jolkona Foundation. "We are excited to partner with TAF and Washington CASH not only because these successful and innovative programs, but also because they are located right here in Seattle. We love Seattle and we are glad that we can utilize our platform to assist TAF and Washington CASH in addressing some of the biggest needs in our hometown. We believe poverty and lack of education are not only problems in remote villages of Africa and Asia but also close to home."

About Jolkona Foundation

Jolkona Foundation (www.jolkona.org) is a 501(c)3 organization that whose goal is to infuse philanthropy into the human DNA by using technology to make the giving process easy, engaging, and fulfilling, regardless of income. Their donors can easily choose from a variety of innovative projects on the web, each of whichshows a one-to-one proof of impact for each donation.

Jolkona foundation’s partnerships with a diverse set of projects, their commitment to tangible proofs of impact for each gift, and their effective use of technology make them an attractive vehicle for mobilizing today’s youth to stay engaged and make a difference. The website allows "microdonations" starting at $5.00 to over 45 projects in five different categories: Public Health, Education, Empowerment, Environment, and Cultural Identity in more than 25 countries.

About Technology Access Foundation

Technology Access Foundation (TAF) prepares underserved children of color for higher education and professional success by providing a rigorous and relevant K-12 curriculum. TAF’s vision is to change the trajectory of 20,000 students of color in Washington State public schools every year by 2020. By providing exceptional public education options, TAF programs empower students to graduate on-time and college-ready to pursue degrees in critical STEM fields.

About Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help

Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help (CASH) was founded in 1995 to transform people’s lives and communities by creating a pathway out of poverty using small loans and business training to build individuals’ confidence, credit, knowledge and assets. Washington CASH’s lending and business training and support model is based primarily on the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, which pioneered the life-changing practice of providing small loans and business support to the poorest members of society. As of August of 2008, approximately 1,600 low-income people have graduated fromtheir business training courses, more than 750 businesses have been started or expanded, and 327 loans have been made to low income individuals, totaling $690,250. Washington CASH is the only microcredit program using the peer lending model in the state of Washington.