Women helping Women - Empowerment Funds

As I sit at my desk and try to think of the number of women in business and those running million dollar businesses, I get stumped.
I wonder at the number of women out there who are brilliant, have brilliant minds but somehow are stuck. I have cinsistently toyed with the idea of setting up a womens fund and have women contrubute to women all over the world, who share a passion and a mind for business. Like a scholarship fund.
My initiative would be aimed at women who can give at the million-dollar level and above but every gift at every level is important.
The hope is to create greater commitment to women and girls and every gift matters. Also, we do want to start getting used to thinking about the word "million." Some women can write a million dollar check, but five hundred women can each write a $200 check.
We can pool our resources! Women all across the socio-economic spectrum are uniting their dollars in women's funds. We are amplifying each other's impact and leveraging each other dollars. But let's all raise our thinking!
We have a chance to create a contagion of meaningful gifts for women and girls. Whatever your level of giving, fund women first. In doing so, we're making history.

Women's funds bring me hope. It is bringing to the foreground a greater chance for peace on earth and the prosperity of all. As donors and activists come together to make funding decision, we sharpen our thinking and our solutions have greater impact. Instead of programs that keep people in a perpetual victim cycle, I see programs being developed that are breaking the cycle of poverty.
Funding women first and raising the bar on our giving makes it all possible.

Make mine a million $ business.

While checking in on my news subscriptions, as I try to every morning. I ran across this piece of information.

The program began in 2005 by Count Me In, a New York-based operation offering micro loans to startup businesses run by women. Founder and president Nell Merlino was dismayed to learn women-owned businesses were not growing faster or more lucrative in the three decades they have been in the work force. Only 3 percent of 10.4 million women-owned companies achieved or surpassed the $1 million mark. A vast majority, according to Merlino, made $50,000 or under.

Make Mine a Million $ Business is a program of Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence — and founding partner, OPEN from American Express®. The program provides a combination of money, mentoring, marketing and technology tools that women entrepreneurs need to help grow their businesses from micro to $millions.

What a concept- their goal is to support women in small businesses and encourage them to seek out growth in their business and make a million dollars.

Understandably as a woman in business, support is ever so limited and everyone just thinks it is a hobby. With the demands sometimes of family etc. it almost becomes hopeless to see an end.

The program is full of women from different parts of the business world.

Says one of the awardees “As part of Count Me In, you are the sum of a whole. You are constantly in touch with women who are achieving a lot. It makes you want to make the best of each day.”

Nandini says that her ongoing goal is to live life on her terms. She defines success as “the freedom to make my choices, attain my goals and work toward my dreams—taking my future in my own hands.”

Do check this out. There is a conference in Burbank, California in 2008. I will be attending. It will be like a revival- I am sure.

$135,000 in debt and spends $400/month on Starbucks? and you thought you were hopeless.

This mom has $135,000 in credit card debt and spends $400 a month on Starbucks. See her on Oprah where on a scale of 1-10 of financially disastrous situations, Suze Orman ranked her 1,000.
Her daughter says "When I grow up, I want to be just like Mommy"
A lesson for us all.