“There’s security in staying with what you know. But there are a lot of other interesting pursuits out there,” said Tania Mulry, Founder and CEO of DDx Media and edRover. “Take a chance and do something you’ve always dreamed of doing.”

Mulry took the plunge herself – leaving her career at a mobile marketing strategy company to pursue her dream of doing something that would help the world – and eventually founded edRover, a mobile app that helps families direct donations from businesses to a school of their choice.

She continued, “It’s about taking a risk. At the end of the day, you don’t want to say “I really wish I had…”

Taking Risks from Coast to Coast

Mulry, who calls herself “a New Yorker at heart” studied Economics and Near Eastern Studies at NYU. She said, “I’ve always had a desire to think about the world and a mindset to think about solutions,” she explained. After graduating, Mulry went to work for Baring Securities, and hopped to a few different investment banks before joining Mastercard, where she built the majority of her career.

“I spent ten years there – it was a great experience and I learned a tremendous amount, including the rules and regulations for keeping a healthy franchise alive. Then I got into major IT projects. For my last five years there, I worked in information products and mobile phone products – and I became infatuated with mobile phones.”

But, Mulry soon realized she wasn’t totally fulfilled – and she needed more freedom. She said, “I wanted the feeling that what I was doing was helping the world.”

She moved her husband, three boys, and father to California and joined a VC funded start-up in Santa Monica. “This was right before the big crash,” she said. “And our backers did not decide to move forward. Everyone got laid off. And I thought, ‘what are we going to do now?’”

Mulry began consulting and got hired into a marketing role – working with companies like AT&T, JCPenny, GameStop, and more, working on mobile and digital market strategy.

“But after two years, I thought, I moved to California for a reason, and I was not fulfilling my dream.”

That’s when Mulry took her first steps toward creating edRover.

“I’ve done a lot of interesting things I’m proud of,” Mulry said, “like winning awards from Microsoft and AT&T on the same day. But the number one thing has to be acknowledging the risks I took to start this company.”

Founding edRover

“Education is the root of so many societal issues,” she began. “If we solve the gaps in education budgets, and support teachers and children in classrooms, we can address so many issues down the road.”

“It all comes down to training kids to be successful.” With three boys (aged ten, eight, and six) and having done a bit of moving around, Mulry explained, “I’ve seen the same issues everywhere. No matter where you are, every school is facing the same funding challenges.”

She continued, “Parents are burnt out, too.”

That’s how Mulry got the idea for edRover, the new mobile donation application she created for smart phones. It is currently available for the iPhone and Windows Phone, and is expected to come out for Android and Blackberry platforms by the end of the year. EdRover is a location aware mobile app that enables consumers to “check in” to participating businesses, which triggers a donation from the sponsoring business to the educational program of the consumer’s choice.

“It does three things,” Mulry explained. “First, it helps fill American classrooms with supplies. Second, it helps businesses attract families to shop at their location. And third, it gives families the satisfaction of helping schools and getting special offers at nearby businesses.”

Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship

“Entrepreneurship looks really cool, but there are a lot of risks associated with it,” Mulry said.

“As someone coming from corporate America, you are not always prepared to have to really roll up your sleeves. You have to have your finances in order because you don’t have a safety net.”

She continued, “You have to be sure you’re not putting your whole family at risk – maybe that’s why so many young people do it.”

She added with a laugh, “It was rewarding for me, but it was a little scary.”

As for her experience in technology, Mulry said there is a serious lack of visible women. “I go to a lot of trade shows, but I don’t see any women. I know there are women in technology, but I wish they would be more visible.”

Women are using new technology in rapidly growing numbers, she continued. “I hope more women take stock of what they find useful in their lives and take part as a creator.”

Importance of Authenticity

“When I started my career on Wall Street, there was definitely a mold I felt I needed to fit into. There were rules – how you dressed, how you acted, how you presented yourself. I wish I had known that it’s more important to be authentic and present who I really am – rather than who my boss wanted me to be,” Mulry recalled.

“I think I would have been a lot happier with my career choices.”

She advised young women beginning their careers to be authentic. “Take an honest look at who you are and what you want and what you need. A lot of women are shy about asking for what they need. You need to get over that to get ahead.”

In Her Personal Time

“I do a lot of family travel,” she said. “Part of my journey was finding a job to support me and to take my family to interesting places.”

Her love of travel is related to her interest in education issues, she explained. “Education is about taking your family on an interesting adventure, experiencing life. Sometimes the best part is going on a drive and popping into the places you find along the way.”

While she’s traveled to Rome, Rio, Brussels, and many other places, she said, “Its more fun to have those unscripted adventures with my family.”

At the headquarters of the Girl Scouts of the USA on Tuesday, the organization welcomed home its beloved leader Frances Hesselbein, who served as its CEO from 1976 to 1990. Upon taking the reins, she led the faltering organization to a new era of dynamic success, by implementing new delivery methods and ushering in a host of initiatives aimed at improving diversity. At the event, Hesselbein recalled the lessons she has learned throughout her life and career.

Now President and CEO of the Leader to Leader Institute (formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management), Hesselbein’s model of servant leadership has inspired powerful people around the world, and in 1998, she was awarded the Presidential Model of Freedom, the highest honor a civilian can receive in the US. She is the recipient of over 20 honorary degrees, and her work on leadership and management is respected globally. As Marshall Goldsmith, who moderated the event, explained, “In the world of leadership she is the role model.”

Hesselbein, who is deeply patriotic, said her commitment to diversity comes from her love of her country. “How can we sustain democracy if we don’t know the power of inclusion?” she asked.

Democracy and Diversity

“How can you sustain a democracy if you don’t have respect and equal access and equal opportunity for all people?” Hesselbein asked.

In fact, she said, diversity was a key part of the turnaround of the Girl Scouts. She explained, “When I came in, and because I was the first person in 67 years [to be named] CEO, who was a leader of a local Girl Scout council, I had on the ground experience.”

She continued, “And one of the first questions I asked was how many of our three million plus members came from racial or ethnic [minority] groups.”

The organization didn’t know the answer – and, they said, they felt it would be discriminatory to ask. Hesselbein explained that there was no way to improve the diversity of the membership if they didn’t have a way to measure it. “So I said it would be discriminatory not to know. And we found out it was 97 percent white – in 1976 – and, fortunately, that was intolerable to the organization.”

Working with Dr. Robert Hill, at the time Director of Research for the National Urban League, the organization found that every ethnicity group wanted their daughters to be able to join the Girl Scouts. “But they didn’t know how to access it,” she said.

“We asked the Council how they felt, and they said, ‘That’s wonderful. We’re just waiting for them to come in.” The team implemented a plan, and quickly, the organization tripled the racial/ ethnic minority representation. “It was wonderful. Everyone came together.”

Servant Leadership

Throughout her conversation, Hesselbein’s modesty shone through. She credited by name people who had helped along the way, and pointed out that the GSUSA’s current CEO was also a former troop leader – the second in 100 years (after herself) to lead the organization.

She mentioned those who had done work for free – including Goldsmith, Peter Drucker, and other big names. In fact, upon meeting Drucker in 1981, Goldsmith came into the organization to do 360 degree feedback on its management team. “He said we start with you, and moved across the organization. It was one of the greatest gifts we ever had,” she said.

Asked her proudest contribution, Hesselbein responded, “I think that one great change that marvelous people brought about was when the organization said this is an organization for all girls. And we built a wonderful organization that Peter Drucker said was the best in the world.”

She explained that implementing the diversity measures early in her tenure as CEO did meet with some resistance. She recalled how very successful corporate leaders told her she would lose her sponsorship dollars. “We raised ten million dollars that year,” she said with a chuckle. “The country was ready.”

Finally, Goldsmith asked her her best advice for those in leadership.

Hesselbein recalled an event when Drucker interviewed her on stage in front of 335 Girl Scout council CEOs, asking what she wanted the brass plaque under her portrait to say. “And I heard myself say, ‘I hope it will say she never broke her promise.’”

Drucker responded, “No. It will say ’she kept her faith.’”

She continued, “I think keep the faith is the most powerful message you can carry and travel with.”

Editor’s Note: event attendees received a copy of Hesselbein’s new book My Life in Leadership: The Journey and Lessons Learned Along the Way.

As the light faded outside the offices which overlooked the Statue of Liberty last week, a team of professionals gathered at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP to celebrate women’s successes. The event honored Ms. JD’s New York City chapter and its new Global Education Fund, founded last year to assist women in developing countries in becoming lawyers.

In its first year, the Fund highlighted their support of two women, Joaninne Nanyange and Monica Athieno, as they attended law school in Uganda. In a video comprised of interviews over Skype, the women described the challenges they overcame and their single-minded devotion to achieving their goal of making a life for themselves in law. Nanyange hopes to leverage her hard-won education to become a human-rights activist, while Athieno wants to become a judge.

In a country where only 45% of women have access to any type of schooling, and men are more than twice as likely to have an opportunity to attend any type of higher education, these successes change the landscape of a developing nation like Uganda.

Changing Impressions

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, author of The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, a “true story of this unlikely entrepreneur who mobilized her community under the Taliban,” was the keynote speaker and discussed her experiences finding the stories of women during wartime that make up her book. Tzemach Lemmon feels strongly that more attention must be paid to women entrepreneurs in war-torn nations.

She said:

“Almost no one thinks about these women, because when we think of war stories, we think of men who go off and fight with guns. Almost never do we stop to think of the women who make sure that there is a community to go back to when the fighting is over.”

Tzemach Lemmon flew to Afghanistan to meet one such woman who credited the Taliban with her entry into the business world, the only avenue open to her to be a breadwinner during an oppressive regime. Her ability to create a successful dressmaking business, to learn the craft and grow her network while trying to work within the increasingly tight restrictions on women created by the Taliban, changed Tzemach Lemmon’s impressions of such women.

She said, “We are used to seeing women as victims of war to be pitied, rather than survivors of war to be respected. For me, it’s been really a journey to bring this story to readers, because I think, even as a woman reporter, you feel as though you almost have to apologize for writing stories about women. These are seen as…the soft stories. They’re not seen as the main event, when it comes to war. Yet…the work they do is really, really hard.”

Education is Key to Empowerment

Education, Ms. JD believes, is the key to empowering women to enter the worlds of business and law and change the face of developing countries.

Celebrating those successes, as Tzemach Lemmon has done through her book and journalism, may draw further attention and support to the cause. As she says, “This is one small part of evening out the ledger.”

On Wednesday, Morgan Stanley held its third annual Strategy Challenge event, the culmination of an eight-week program in which 60 of the firm’s up-and-coming talent put their skills to use for fifteen charities in need of strategic advice on organizational growth.

Audrey Choi, Managing Director of Global Sustainable Finance at Morgan Stanley, remarked, “At Morgan Stanley, we have a long standing, deep commitment to giving back to the community.”

The non-profits are not the only beneficiaries of the program, though. Choi added that the participants in the Strategy Challenge are nominated by their business leaders as future leaders of the firm. They are able to make connections with other rising stars, and gain access to senior level individuals they wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to meet, in addition to gaining valuable skills and experience.

As a result, Choi said, Morgan Stanley has donated 6,500 hours of community service this year, worth approximately $1 million – and that figure does not include the value of the advice provided by the firm.

Joan Steinberg, Managing Director and Global Head of Philanthropy at the firm, added, “When we say we want to deliver the best to our communities, this is what we mean.”

Building Employee Engagement through Pro Bono Competition

Steinberg explained that while Morgan Stanley has always engaged in a significant amount of employee volunteer work, the Strategy Challenge came about three years ago as a way to engage the firm’s workforce in philanthropic efforts in a way that would utilize their best assets – their analytical skills. She said, “We felt we weren’t taking advantage of the skills of our employees and wanted to test that and figure out how to do it.”

She continued, “The idea was to take teams of the best and brightest employee and give them two months and a problem to work on, and actually apply everything they know to solving that problem.”

“And then to add extra oomph – because that’s how we are – we added an element of competition,” she said with a laugh.

Morgan Stanley has now run the competition three years in a row. This year, 15 teams of Associate and VP-level individuals with varying cross divisional skillsets were assembled, and assigned to the participating non-profits, which had to apply though an RPF process to participate in the program.

On Wednesday, President and CEO James Gorman announced the winning teams of Morgan Stanley advisors and presented grants of $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000 to the nonprofits they advised: Women’s Initiative for Self Employment, Feeding America, and Episcopal Social Services.

Many women who are featured or profiled on The Glass Hammer have sung the virtues of volunteering – from serving on non-profit boards to working in soup kitchens, many women are breaking the glass ceiling while taking part in philanthropic efforts.

Some have described how volunteering has helped their careers, and some have discussed how volunteering has helped them grow closer to their families. And still others have explained how volunteer work can help build the next generation of female leaders.

Why should professional women consider volunteering? Here are five voices from The Glass Hammer on what volunteer work has done for them.

1. Become a Leader

While building her Wall Street career, now-President of The Financial Women’s Association Susan Ganz felt the need to give back, and has now managed to successfully transition her passion into a new leadership role. She explained, “I began helping recruit mentors for the [FWA's] Wall Street Exchange program, a workshop series for to-be college seniors who were interested in the Financial Services arena.” She continued, “And from there I was hooked.”

Ganz became more and more involved with the FWA, first serving as a volunteer, then a committee chair, then later Annual Dinner Co-Chair, then Treasurer and Vice President. When the organization began searching for a new president, Ganz was a natural choice. She explained, “My passion is educating and empowering women, businesses, and non-profits.”

2. Figure Out Your Path

Recently, Shearman & Sterling Partner Patricia Hammes explained that it was her time volunteering with the Peace Corps that set her on the path to law. After graduating from college, she had no idea what she wanted to do, she said. But her experience working in Honduras changed that.

“I worked in youth development, and it was a great but very challenging experience,” Hammes recalled. “They say ‘it’s the toughest job you’ll ever love,’ and that’s true. It helped me focus on who I was, my abilities, and the work for which I was best suited.”

Hammes now works in project finance at Shearman & Sterling – and she said it was her time working in Honduras that initially drove her interest in Latin America and development, both of which have contributed significantly to her career.

3. Create the Next Generation of Leaders

According to several women we’ve interviewed, the field of technology suffers an image problem – people see it as too geeky. This stereotype is one of the issues that prevents many girls, as well as ethnically diverse children, from excelling in the field from an early age. Augusta Sanfilippo, Citi’s Managing Director of Cash Securities Operations IT, is working to change the stereotype.

“I work with a not-for-profit organization called First Robotics. There’s not enough excitement about science and technology in middle school and high school kids – and the organization provides an opportunity for high school and middle school kids to take the robotics kits, giving them six weeks to create a robot and to compete in the Robotics Games,” she said.

Sanfilippo also served as a judge at the upcoming Regional Competition in the New York Javits Center in March. She said, “It focuses on inner city kids – it keeps them out of trouble and challenges them as they raise the $6,000 to build, test, and transport their robot to the competition. It’s been an amazing experience for me over the past few years, and I’ve gotten my family involved as well.”

4. Become a Better Manager

In a recent Intrepid Woman article, Margaret Schramm Horn, a self-described “casualty of the financial crisis,” wrote about her experience volunteering in earthquake-devastated Haiti after leaving her role at a top financial company. She explained that what she learned in Haiti actually has had a lot of bearing on her team management skills. She wrote:

“The work reminded me of what was truly important in life and put some of my challenges in perspective. Even though I had no medical training, there was still much that I could do to make people’s lives better. Small tasks such as sorting the medical supplies and donated clothing that came from around the world, helping the surgeons find the bone screws they needed, contributed in a tangible way to the hospital’s daily accomplishments and efficiency.

The trip provided me with a great grounding, as I decide what to do in the next chapter of my professional life. Such efforts reminded me how essential each team member can be to achieving the larger objective.”

5. Connect with Family

Volunteering can also be a meaningful experience to share with family. Yaarit Silverstone, Managing Director of Talent & Organization Performance at Accenture, explained that she makes time for volunteer work with her children. She said, “We give so much at work – how do we pass our values to our family?”

As a member of Hands On Atlanta, she volunteers with her children at shelters, packing food, or serving breakfast to the needy. “It’s so they can see a different state, and so they can contribute,” she explained.

As India’s growth – 8% last year, measured by GDP – quickly outstrips its supply of talented workers, the country will need to focus on better educating its huge population, particularly its girls and young women. According to a new report by Catalyst, India is facing a severe projected talent gap – more than 5 million – by 2012. The report adds, “Women’s labor force participation, at 36 percent, is less than half of the labor force participation rate of men (85 percent).”

But keeping up with labor demand is only one reason to focus on educating girls. As Sheetal Mehta, Trustee and Executive Director of Project Nanhi Kali, explained, when girls are educated, they have more opportunities, and a better chance in life. In many areas of India, girls are seen as an expense, not an asset. While educating girls can lift entire families from poverty, Mehta explained, the impact of an education begins with each girl herself. She said, “When girls get educated, the earnings go back to their families. All of that is wonderful, and it does happen. But more importantly, it’s for their own self esteem.”

Education, Mehta said, keeps girls safe. She continued, “If girls are not educated, they are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. They could fall prey to other possibilities (like getting involved in terrorism or sex trafficking). If a girl is educated, she becomes independent and able to make her own decisions. She need not reach the level of poverty where she has to earn money by selling her body or risking her life. It’s about self respect, and those benefits are huge.”

Educating Girls: Key to a Thriving India

Project Nanhi Kali is a non-profit which provides education and school supplies for girls across India. In most cases, the barrier to an education is not the cost of attending school – public schools are free – but the cost of uniforms, books, lunches, and more, which must be footed by the family. In a country where over half of the population lives below the poverty line, the cost of an education can be staggering. Project Nanhi Kali provides these necessities, with the aim of improving India as a whole.

According to the World Economic Forum’s most recent Global Gender Gap Index, India ranks 112th out of 134 countries for gender parity. If India is to thrive, explained Mehta, its attitude toward educating girls will have to improve.

Nanhi Kali (which means “little bud”) was founded by the K. C. Mahindra Education Trust, named after one of the founders of the Mahindra Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates which focuses on automotive, agribusiness, and finance products, among other things. Mehta, who started her career with the Group in the ’80s, said Anand Mahindra, Managing Director and Vice Chair of the Mahindra Group, has championed educating girls since the mid ’90s, when he founded Project Nanhi Kali.

Mehta said, “He believed that the social issues India was facing were linked to the fact that women were not being educated. He thought the best way to get the nation to thrive is to educate women. If women are educated they are better able to exercise control over their lives and to reduce their family size.”

She continued, “And all of these things have turned out to be true. As women are educated, population rates go down, which is exactly what he anticipated, not only in India.”

Indeed, keeping girls in school prevents them from being married off as children, which helps reduce birth rates, a statistic that has shown a correlation to rising GDP. In a recent Time Magazine article, Nancy Gibbs wrote:

An extra year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10% to 20%. An extra year of secondary school adds 15% to 25%. Girls who stay in school for seven or more years typically marry four years later and have two fewer children than girls who drop out. Fewer dependents per worker allows for greater economic growth.

Investing in girls means investing in families – and entire communities. Gibbs continued, “And the World Food Programme has found that when girls and women earn income, they reinvest 90% of it in their families. They buy books, medicine, bed nets. For men, that figure is more like 30% to 40%.”

Challenges for Nanhi Kali

Currently, according to the organization’s web site, “Over 45% of girls dropout of school and this increases to over 73% by the time the child has reached Std. X.” Nanhi Kali aims to change these rates dramatically.

“Even today, female literacy is only at 54%. One out of two women is not literate and India is also one of the youngest populations. The numbers are mind boggling,” said Mehta.

“We’ve managed to reach 70,000 girls. 70,000 girls is frankly a mere drop in the ocean. Our aim is one million – and that’s still not sufficient. Hopefully together with other programs, though, we will succeed, but it will take time.”

She continued, “Our goal is one million, but that won’t happen within a year. Our three year ambition is 500,000 girls and from there we will reach one million. The challenge for Nanhi Kali is working in rural or tribal areas that are very remote. They don’t have electricity. These are the kind of areas where if people don’t get a wage for the week, they won’t eat. It’s that sort of poverty.”

“We are also working in conflicted areas – and there are multiple challenges there as well, like getting quality teachers and the right curriculum. While we have concentrated on mathematics, English, and language, we want to add a new concentration on gender – including sex education and hygiene. These girls are sometimes exploited even within their families.”

The Girl Store

To drive home the point that providing an education could mean saving a girl’s life, earlier this year, Project Nanhi Kali launched a new website “The Girl Store.” Designed as an e-commerce site and created pro bono by advertising firm Strawberry Frog, the site caused quite a buzz. Visitors saw images of girls, as if they were for sale. In actuality, the site asked potential donors for small amounts of money that could keep the girls in the classroom.

The site was criticized for making light of child slavery. But, Mehta said, the site was designed to be provocative. “It started conversation and debate, which got even more people interested. That’s what we want to do with Project Nanhi Kali – start a movement of people who believe in the girl child. I don’t mind the criticism of the site, as long as more girls are getting educated.”

“The message is save the girl from what she could become if she is not educated,” added Mehta.

“There are 600 million young women between the ages of 13 and 19,” said Louise Guido, president and CEO of the Foundation for Social Change. The organization works to unite leaders from non-profits, governments, and companies, to share best practices and collaborate in their efforts toward improving environmental and social issues.

Guido continued, “Helping a few thousand people is great, and it’s necessary, but if you really want to change the world, it takes a lot of resources.”

“We really need to share the cost and the outlay. And what we’ve been trying to do seems like it’s working,” she added.

The Foundation is currently launching a program designed to provide job training and education for young women around the globe. But unlike most corporate philanthropy efforts, in which one company “owns” the project and might contract with local non-profits, Guido’s project is bigger.

“We are getting as many corporations involved as possible.” The network includes a major technology company, financial corporations, and hopefully telcoms – and more. Through a “shared enterprise platform,” Guido said, the program will be able to reach more girls, provide more resources, and create better programming.

The initiative will involve several programs around the globe, featuring learning and development modules around business and life skills, as appropriate to each individual culture. These programs will enable the participants to improve their job prospects, and hopefully become the next generation workforce for companies sponsoring the program. “So there’s an HR sustainability component as well,” Guido explained.

Benchmarking Progress and Impacting Women

Besides collaboration, Guido said the next step in major philanthropy work is longitudinal benchmarking – that is, measuring the impact of the program over time. With the FSC’s new development program for young women, she explained, the participants’ progress will be tracked for years after they complete the initial program.

Guido said, “In a 15 year period, there were 374 programs for young women funded by the World Bank. Very, very few showed that they tried impact measurement. If you aren’t measuring your success, you’re throwing the money away.”

By measuring progress over time, organizations can not only insure that their program is working, but they keep program participants in the fold, which can also increase impact levels.

She continued, “Women, if you get to them when they’re young, have the ability to make a difference. They are a tremendous asset to a community.”

“They carry through,” she added, pointing at studies showing women are more responsible with repaying microloans, and that putting money into women’s skills development programs correlates to higher GDPs and lower domestic violence rates.

“They’re rockstars,” she said.

Can Girls Change America?

“We’ve lost so much in our own education system,” Guido said. “There’s a fundamentally financial problem that education has to overcome in the US.”

Guido said that while the FSC’s development program for girls and young women is focusing on international locations, the US may be the future of of the program as well. She is hoping the program will have as broad an impact as possible, and it’s hard to deny that the education system in the US needs help. “We plan to be places that are overlooked,” she said.

“Young girls can make a difference across the board.” She added, “I would like to see success for young women more than anything else.”

The Value of Collaboration

Guido explained that the FSC was organized about a year ago. “It’s an organization that provides a platform for a lot of different groups to get together to collaborate on issues. We are facing really big issues, and we have to go beyond the normal structure of responsibility.”

She continued, “Some companies do a lot of corporate responsibility work, and some companies do very little. Responsible product delivery should be part of their DNA, not just a nice thing or an extra.”

“We’re not trying to educate the CSR people – they already get it. The Gen Y people don’t need to be convinced. We are educating the top level of companies – the ones who will be in charge for the next ten to twenty years – about how this will improve their bottom line.”

On The Glass Hammer, we’ve covered a number of corporate philanthropy and development programs. Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot about the importance of making sure those programs are sustainable in the long term, and measuring success over time.

But by maintaining a large-scale, institutional focus (as important as it may be for strategic planning and benchmarking success), it can be easy to lose sight of the individuals whose lives are touched by volunteers and scholarship programs every day.

Recently we had the opportunity to speak with a remarkable young woman, Sophie Kirby, who is one of those people. After growing up in California’s foster care system, Kirby, who was married and a new mom at 21, and then divorced and single mother 4 years ago, is working to finish college and enter the financial services industry. She’s faced down lifelong challenges, and with the help of mentors and sponsors, and a scholarship from Mass Mutual’s general agency, Sapient Financial Group, she is well on her way to entering the leadership pipeline. Here is her story.

Overcoming Challenges

“I’m a 29 year old single mom with an eight year old daughter and six year old son,” Kirby began. “I was born and raised in California, and was in foster care, and emancipated when I was 18.” After completing high school and becoming pregnant at the age of 21, Kirby said she had to put college off. For the past year, Kirby has been living in San Antonio, Texas with her family.

She continued, “I’m going back to school, now that my children are school-aged. When they’re in school, I’m in school. Right now I attend my local community college, but I hope to transfer to UT San Antonio. I have had a great partner for the last 4 years, and his support has given me the opportunity to go back to school.”

Kirby said she’s grateful for the help of mentors and role models she’s had who’ve encouraged her throughout her life.

She explained, “There are three important people who have helped me in my life. The first is Jackie, my independent living skills coordinator at Orangewood,” a California organization helping emancipated young adults transition out of foster care. “She helped me realize that there is a future. I look at her as if she is my sister.”

She continued,”The second, I call my father but he’s more my pseudo-father, Don. He was the detective assigned to my case 13 years ago. They’re not supposed to keep in touch with us, but we’re allowed to keep in touch with them. I’ve always kept in touch. And now that I’m emancipated, he’s been the father figure I’ve always looked to. I invited him to my graduation. I call him my dad and he’s Grandpa to my kids.”

“The third person is my partner for the last four years. He has helped me and supported me and stepped into the fatherly role for my kids,” she added.

Looking Ahead and Giving Back

Kirby has faced a lot of challenges throughout her life – but she is determined not to be held back. Once she finishes school, she intends to become a CPA. She said, “My desire to work in accounting has always been there – ever since graduating… I love the challenge of working with numbers. And really, everybody needs an accountant.”

She explained, “When I finished high school, I worked in admin roles and wanted to be a bookkeeper. And after that I worked in program management and sales positions.” After taking time off to be with her children, she is back in school. “Well, first I plan to go to UTSA – it’s a 150 hour dual program – which means you earn your bachelor’s degree and go straight into your master’s.”

She explained, “I just recieved a scholarship from Mass Mutual Sapient Financial Group, which awards scholarships to help bring women and those from multicultural backgrounds in to the financial industry.”

“After I get my MBA,” she continued, “I’ll need to work under a CPA for a year, and then do a CPA program.” After school, she continued, “I would love to work in non-profit programs. And another part of me wants to help out the foster community – whether as a mentor, volunteer, or helping in other capacities.”

She continued, “I’m still involved in the foster community. I peer mentored at the Orangewood Children’s Foundation and I’m involved with the California Youth Connection, a foster care advocacy group, which is a youth run advocacy group. I sit on the Board, and for the last three years I’ve been co-chair and treasurer.”

And, she is focused on bringing up her children with as much support as possible. “For my children, the most important thing to me is that they are going to grow up in a loved family. That support goes a long way to their future. That support builds confidence. Whatever they decide to do, we’re going to be there regardless.”

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give” – Winston Churchill

So reads the quote on the site, Women In Philanthropy, an organization for women transforming the
South Carolina Midlands community through active and collective philanthropic investment.

The group is in partnership with United Way of the Midlands and the Central Carolina Community Foundation. This is one of the many philanthropic groups solely supported by women across the United States.

With women commanding more than half of the U.S. wealth and on track to hold two-thirds of it by 2030, it appears that a seismic shift in the way philanthropic endeavors are doled out to various charities and foundations is underway. While the University of Tennessee Alliance of Women Philanthropists reports that men are more inclined to leave money to the arts and humanities, a majority of participants surveyed by the National Foundation for Women Business Owners identified education as one of the top three causes they support, followed by women-related groups and the arts. Other beneficiaries include health-related charities, religious organizations, youth-related groups, social and human services, local community service groups, political organizations, and environmental issues.

Women Donors are Looking for Change

Of those in the wealthiest tier of the US — defined by the I.R.S. as individuals with assets of at least $1.5 million — 43 percent are women. And unlike the women who preceded them — old-school matrons who gave to the museum and the symphony and their husbands’ alma maters — these givers are more likely to use their wealth deliberately and systematically to aid women in need.” The article goes on to say that currently, more than 145 funds, with assets of nearly half a billion dollars, exist to improve the lives of women and girls.

Kay Sprinkel Grace, a San Francisco consultant to nonprofit groups, agrees that issues are important to female donors. “Women philanthropists,” she told the Santa Fe New Mexican, ” … want to see change. They see change in terms of fundamental issues. So they go from institution to institution, searching for one that deals with their issue.”

“Seventy percent of people living in poverty around the world are women and children,” says Christine Grumm, president and C.E.O. of the Women’s Funding Network. “If women have a roof over their heads and a home free of violence, and good and affordable health care, then so do children. In the larger picture, it’s not just about women, but entire communities. Women are the conduits through which change is made.”

So where is the money trail coming from?

According to the Council on Foundations and Community Foundations of America, “between 2010 and 2015, an estimated $12.5 trillion will transfer into the hands of baby boomer women. Most will eventually have sole custody of those assets, as they are likely to outlive their husbands and other male relatives.”

And, women-owned businesses today are the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. economy, representing $3.3 trillion in purchasing power.

One of the other driving forces behind women’s newfound financial power—and philanthropic mindset—is entrepreneurship. Between 1997 and 2004, the number of privately held, women-owned businesses in major metropolitan areas soared by 30 percent, compared to a 10 percent growth rate for all firms, according to the Center for Women’s Business Research. Today nearly half of all privately held firms are at least 50 percent owned by a woman or women.

Contrary to popular belief, women business owners are more willing than the general population to take risks in securing financing and making investments. “These women are entering the economic mainstream and serving as role models for all women who want to grow their businesses,” says Myra M. Hart, chair of the Center for Women’s Business Research and former professor at Harvard Business School.

With this transfer of 12.5 trillion dollars into women’s hands within the next 5 years and female entrepreneurship growing by leaps and bounds, one can only marvel at the possibilities that will take place shortly.

Potential Next Steps

If you’re one who is about to become the benefactor of a transfer of wealth or would like to use the profits of your business to make a big difference in the near future, one must consider a major benefit to charitable endeavors this year. According to Carolyn Martello Spaulding, an Estate Planning Attorney at David Blake & Associates, in Boston Massachusetts, the Federal Government is offering major tax deductions for charitable gifting.

“2010 is historically an unusual year in that it is the first time in generations that there is no Federal Estate Tax on those who die this year. However, the wealthy should start planning now because if Congress takes no action, in 2011, the estate tax will return in full force. For those who die with over one million dollars in assets next year in 2011, there will be an estate tax of up to 55 percent.”

She continued, “One way to plan to most reduce potential estate taxes is to set up a charitable gifting or estate plan. Not only will these sort of charitable plans reduce taxes but they also allow a woman to develop her own personal charitable legacy. Exploring your individual charitable intent and goals is a very deeply personal and fulfilling process.”

Indeed, Winston Churchill would approve.

The Exxon Mobil Foundation’s Women’s Economic Opportunity Initiative has partnered with The Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) to support and advance women’s leadership around the world. The Global Women in Management program, a month-long workshop developed and facilitated by the CEDPA and sponsored by ExxonMobil, was most recently held in Cairo, Egypt and Douala, Cameroon in October and November.

Why would ExxonMobil make a long-term investment in educating women in developing countries? Lorie Jackson, Director of the Educating Women and Girls Initiative, says, “First, to meet a social need in our key communities and to demonstrate thoughtful and responsible corporate citizenship. Also, there is the fact that with the desired outcome – a more educated population where economic growth and prosperity are supported through good training and good institutions of individuals, including women – it makes for a better operational environment to do business in. It makes sense from both a social, as well as a business, perspective. Over time, by integrating women and girls into all areas of society and providing them with the opportunity to fulfill their potential, it gives companies like ExxonMobil, or any other company, access to best talent, regardless of gender.”

CEDPA has been educating women and girls worldwide for more than 35 years, but joined forces with the ExxonMobil Foundation in 2005. For Jackson, the choice was an easy one. “CEDPA is a very well-respected player in the field of women’s leadership training. The Global Women in Management program has been in existence and experiencing refinements for over 30 years.”

Developing Women’s Leadership

The Global Women in Management program is geared toward women who have influential positions in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that provide important services to their communities. The women come from various backgrounds and have varying degrees of business skills, yet all face similar underlying challenges and barriers impeding women in business in their region. “Our goal,” Jackson says, “is to build the capacity of those organizations to fulfill their mission, by developing their leadership body.” For each session, there are around 25 spots available, for which they routinely receive more than 300 applications.

Ketayoun Darvich-Kodjouri, Director of Communications and Advocacy at CEDPA, describes the program as a “mini-MBA.” The core curriculum is designed to strengthen each participant’s personal professional management capabilities so they can become more effective leaders within their own organizations, to better develop them into stronger institutions and broaden the reach of their services. They learn better methods for project and financial management, managing people, fundraising, communication, and advocacy. Technical information is layered on top, along with strategies for advancing other women’s economic participation in these regions.

Sharing Experiences, Learning from Other Women

Women are disproportionately burdened by poverty, and in many cultures, they bear the responsibility of caring for both the young and the elderly. More than men, women designate a larger portion of their earnings toward caring for their family. Studies show that increasing women’s participation in the work force could increase household income by up to 25 percent.

This shared experience helps the women bond and learn from one another. “I believe the richest learning experience that happens is between the women themselves,” Darvich-Kodjouri says.

Solange Beatrice Bindang, a Cameroon program attendee, is a Program Coordinator for the Save the Women and Humanity Association. During her participation in the program, Solange realized her efforts would strengthen exponentially if she came together with other women’s groups in her region.

‘“We have the same context, Central Africa. We have the same problems: political problems, environmental problems, cultural problems, they are the same,’” said Solange. She believed that by coming together, the women leaders could share approaches, strategies and lessons learned that could improve their impact.”

During the four-week program, she and the other participants came together in the evenings and formed a new women’s network, the Central African Network for Leaders of Women’s Organizations. Applying their new-found planning and advocacy skills, they identified their global objective and began to develop a course of action to prioritize and address issues in their respective communities.

Armed with knowledge, enthusiasm, and a new set of skills, graduates return home to apply what they’ve learned, but facing the same set of circumstances they left four weeks prior and attempting to effect change can prove daunting. For the period of a year, each graduate is assigned a mentor who is an alumnae of the program and has received special mentoring training. Mentors are there to listen, encourage, guide, and support each graduate so they continue to apply their new skills and don’t lose sight of their goals.

After the program is over, CEDPA and ExxonMobil follow up with participants to keep up with their progress, corresponding via email and even sharing updates on Facebook. CEDPA reports, “Strengthened by their training, many program alumni have risen to top leadership positions in their nations, becoming cabinet and parliamentary leaders, founders and heads of non-governmental organizations, political activists and leading journalists.”

CEDPA has facilitated 51 Global Women in Management workshops worldwide. Since 2005, support from ExxonMobil has helped more than 276 women leaders from 36 different countries participate in the management workshops. To date, the ExxonMobil Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $30 million (of which The Global Women in Management program is just one part).

You can learn more about the importance of educating women and girls around the world by visiting these organizations’ websites:

• Nike Foundation’s The Girl Effect
• WorldBank Report: Girls’ Education in the 21st Century – Gender, Equality, Empowerment, and Economic Growth

ExxonMobil Foundation Partners include:

• Africare
• Ashoka’s Changemakers
• Council on Foreign Relations
• FORTUNE/U.S. State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership
• Harvard Kennedy School Women and Public Policy Program and the Women’s Leadership Board
• International Center for Research on Women
• Seeds of Peace
• Vital Voices