Information
Board of Directors
History
Who is Virginia Gildersleeve?
Mission Statement
VGIF Endowments
Documents
Strategic Plan
[PDF]
Bylaws
Annual Report 2007
Gift Acceptance Guidelines
New Fund Creation Guidelines
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About VGIF
Women and children
in developing countries…
Our
mission:
their health, nutrition, physical
security, and economic stability. VGIF, a charitable and educational
fund, helps to improve the lives of women through…
... leadership training
... community development
... educational seminars and workshops
World population is over 6 billion people, the majority of whom are women in developing countries who live in poverty. Gender disparities in economic power-sharing, in education, and access to adequate health care – all contribute to the oppression of these women.
VGIF is meeting the seemingly insurmountable challenges of combating poverty and achieving gender equality in developing countries. Our donors are making a difference. VGIF has contributed in excess of $1.4 million USD to support nearly 300 projects worldwide to help... one women's group at a time... alleviate these problems.
Over 300 successful projects funded with over 1,400,000 USD in project grants since 1969.
The Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund (VGIF) was founded in 1969 by eleven members of the International Federation of University Women. Initially, the Fund assisted women college graduates - particularly in low per capita income countries - to identify and implement solutions to a variety of problems confronting their nations. Grants of small amounts of money were awarded in aid for educational projects and other community development projects affecting the condition of women and girls. Within a decade, the Fund broadened its original purpose and began to encompass projects beyond those narrowly aimed at university women and to utilize a variety of conduits for aid.
The Fund to date has awarded more than 300 grants for a total project aid disbursement of over $.4 million USD to women’s groups in low per capita income countries. Priority is given to income generation and community development projects which enhance and utilize women’s educational, vocational, and leadership skills. Project activities range from seminars, conferences, and training workshops to community-action projects.
With NGO consultative status at the UN, VGIF has more than 1,000 members worldwide who generously support the Fund’s mission with their annual donations and planned or estate gifts. The 29 member volunteer board, broadly international in scope, serves at its own expense.
VGIF is named in honor of Virginia Gildersleeve, a noted leader in women's education and Dean of Barnard College. Gildersleeve was a co-founder and twice President of the International Federation of University Women. She was the only woman appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt to the US Delegation that established the United Nations and the first woman in the United States to sign a United States treaty.
