Enlisting Women to Give

October 19, 2008

For 37 years, Opportunity International, in Oak Brook, Ill., has provided small loans mostly to poor women overseas to help improve their lives and the lives of others in their towns and cities. Now the charity is seeking more donations from women in the United States to help reach its goal of moving 100 million people out of poverty by 2015.

To connect more female donors to its cause, the group created a new position, vice president for women’s philanthropy. The occupant of the job is Ruth-Anne Renaud, who has 20 years of corporate marketing experience.

Despite the tough economic climate, Ms. Renaud told The Chronicle in an interview that she is optimistic about her mandate.

“We have a cause that is particularly relevant — it’s built around the concept of women helping women,” she says. “Here is an opportunity for women in the developed world to transform the lives of women and children who live in less developed countries, to impact the lives of women who have far fewer opportunities.”

Women have long supported Opportunity International, but the charity hopes having Ms. Renaud on board will enable the group to focus specifically on creating more opportunities for involving female donors.

What do you think about the organization’s effort to create a job solely focused on raising money from women? Has your organization stepped up efforts to cultivate women?

Share your experiences by clicking on the comments page below this post. You may also want to read Power of the Purse, an article on women’s giving from the Chronicle’s archives that includes many tips on raising money from women.

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