The Resource Foundation has helped over 45,000 at-risk women and girls in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2009 and continues to raise a call to action in the region. The Resource Foundation’s goal is to increase awareness and mobilize resources to make a difference through innovative initiatives in education, health, and job training benefiting the region’s women and girls. The foundation is looking to significantly increase philanthropic support from corporate, foundation and individual donors for these types of programs in 2010.

“We have found that the majority of focus is on Africa and Asia and this is directly related to the lack of awareness about the prevailing need for initiatives that empower women and girls in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Marcela Lopez-Macedonio, deputy executive director of the Resource Foundation. “The empowerment of women is an essential step towards eliminating poverty in the region.”

Studies by the World Bank and the UN offer strong evidence that education for girls is the single best investment a society can make. These studies show that educating girls and women delivers numerous economic benefits for individuals and communities and leads to healthier and better educated families, reduces child mortality rates and fosters greater political participation. This year, as demonstration of this issue’s importance, the central theme of the Clinton Global Initiative’s Annual Meeting was investing in women and girls.

“Since development issues are often interconnected, the Resource Foundation works with over 163 NGOs in the region on programs combining a myriad of issues,” said Macedonio. “Women and girls are just one segment of who we serve but they are an essential part of our focus. We address a broad platform of areas such as education, health care, microenterprise, clean water and the environment, which help disadvantaged men, women and children have access to the skills and opportunities necessary to improve their lives.”

The Resource Foundation vets every organization it supports on an annual basis and monitors and evaluates all projects. This monitoring enables individual and corporate donors to maximize the impact of their philanthropic efforts abroad with transparency, efficiency and strategic giving. By working with The Resource Foundation, donors receive a tax deduction for their giving overseas and can be confident that their donation will be applied as directed. In recognition of its sound fiscal management, Charity Navigator, the nation’s premier charity evaluator, has awarded the Resource Foundation its highest rating of four stars in 2008 and 2009.

“The Resource Foundation has been a force multiplier for my charge in identifying and funding effective organizations in Latin America,” said Rick Martinez, M.D., director of Latin American corporate contributions at Johnson & Johnson. “We have a long-standing commitment to supporting programs that address the needs of women, families and communities. Our partnership with the Resource Foundation is helping us make a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of women and girls throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.”

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