FROM THE FOUNDERS When we launched a media campaign called “She’s the First” in 2009, we never dreamed we’d be writing you this letter a decade later. But even then, we knew this to be true: Every girl deserves to choose her own future. Since the beginning of She’s the First (STF), we have united local organizations, philanthropists, and passionate student advocates around the world to create a movement. Whether you were there at the start or joined along the way, we are grateful to you and your commitment to strengthen our message and stand up for girls everywhere. If you’re just now meeting us, welcome to the journey. We’ve got a long road ahead, but we know what we’re heading toward: a world where every girl is educated, respected, and heard. We’re glad to have you by our side. In this Annual Report, what you hold is the product of a decade of persevering, refining, partnering, and learning— as well as the Christen Brandt first steps into Chief Programs Officer a new decade of progress. We’ve never been prouder to stand with this community. Cheers to 10 years!
Christen Brandt Chief Programs Officer
Cover: STF Scholar Winnie in Uganda (by Kate Lord)
Tammy Tibbetts Chief Executive Officer
OUR MISSION
SHE’S THE FIRST FIGHTS FOR A WORLD WHERE EVERY GIRL CHOOSES HER OWN FUTURE. WE TEAM UP WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE SURE GIRLS ARE EDUCATED, RESPECTED, AND HEARD.
Ellie Kaaya met Michelle Obama in October 2018. Ellie graduated high school and university in Tanzania with support from She’s the First and our partner AfricAid. She is now an STF Fellow.
Photo credits: Rene Moses Ceesay (front cover, Mariama T. from The Gambia) and Kate Lord (back cover) The Obama Foundation (above) and Jeff Allen (left)
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GIRLS EVERYWHERE DESERVE TO BE:
EDUCATED
130 million girls are out of school worldwide.
Limited education for girls costs the global economy up to $30 trillion USD.
In addition to providing the resources for more girls to enroll in and graduate from high school, we make sure they learn about sexual and reproductive health and receive crucial life skills training.
HEARD
Girls’ lack of leadership opportunities means there isn’t a pipeline for political participation: only 1 in 5 government ministers are women.
Globally, girls spend 40% more time on chores than boys do. This is time they aren’t spending on play, education, and building social networks. This narrows their ambitions and can put them at risk of violence.
We amplify girls’ voices to challenge gender bias and the policies that limit girls’ potential through advocacy campaigns, program design, and storytelling. Sources: World Bank, UNICEF, World Health Organization, UN Women Icons: The Noun Project
RESPECTED
One girl under the age of 15 gets married every 7 seconds.
23 million girls become pregnant each year.
Girls’ safety is at risk; 1 in 3 women have experienced violence.
It isn’t enough to educate girls when the world hasn’t fully learned how to support them. We train educators and mentors to shape girls’ environments around their needs. We collaborate on campaigns to promote the end of practices trampling on girls’ rights, such as child marriage or forcing pregnant girls to leave school.
WE BELIEVE GLOBAL PROBLEMS HAVE LOCAL SOLUTIONS. WE LOOK FOR HIGHLY EFFECTIVE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS WITH WHOM WE SHARE KNOWLEDGE, POWER, AND RESOURCES.
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"MY EDUCATION HAS TAUGHT ME TO STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT." - SHINEY, 2018 GRADUATE
ALL GIRLS MUST BE EDUCATED We team up with 12 local organizations in 11 countries, all of which ensure that girls stay on track to complete 12 years of education. What this looks like varies by partner: four are schools and eight are wraparound programs that supplement learning beyond the classroom. We support a comprehensive education that includes: Academics: Classroom access Tutoring support Sex and Health Education: Healthy relationships Understanding power dynamics Sexual agency and consent Contraceptives Menstrual hygiene LGBTQIA+ issues Mitigating health risks Life Skills Training: Financial literacy (saving, budgeting) Confidence/self-esteem Vocal empowerment General mentorship
Photo credits: Shanti Bhavan (above, of Shiney) and Carly Piersol (left)
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"I'M GOING HOME WITH BETTER POLICIES THAT HELP GIRLS HAVE A VOICE.” - FATOU Y JAITEH, PROGRAM DIRECTOR, THE GAMBIA
THE 2019 GIRLS FIRST SUMMIT, AN ANNUAL TRAINING CONFERENCE CO-HOSTED WITH AKILI DADA IN NAIROBI, KENYA
ALL GIRLS MUST BE RESPECTED You’ve heard it before: Educate a girl, and she’ll educate a community. Why is it all on her?! We work with local experts to run trainings, conferences, and advocacy campaigns, so that we all have girls’ backs. Because when a community supports her, her possibilities are limitless. Our trainings for mentors, educators, and organizations are co-hosted with local partners and focus on: • Building programs around girls’ needs • Inviting girls’ voices into organizational decisions • Creating comprehensive child protection policies Our trainings for youth equip them to deliver impact for girls in their local communities, ensuring an early start to their social entrepreneurship. To date, STF Fellows hail from Guatemala, Peru, Kenya, Tanzania, and the U.S.
Photo credits: Carly Piersol (above) and Lynch Atong (left)
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ALL GIRLS MUST BE HEARD For too long, girls have only been talked about and not invited to be part of the larger conversation. We say, “No more!” Girls deserve a seat at the table, a spot on the stage, and a microphone in hand. Their ideas matter now more than ever as we all work toward a world where they can decide their own futures. We ensure girls are heard by: • Training local organizations to incorporate girls’ voices into program decisions • Developing Girl Hour, a conference session which brings girls’ voices directly into learning and decisionmaking environments • Amplifying girls’ own voices in campaigns, on social media, and in videos
In 2019, we’ll add two girls to our Board of Directors.
Additional amplification efforts: Our campus community invites more than 5,000 high school, college, and university students around the world to use their voices and resources to be advocates for girls’ rights and gender equality.
Photo credits: Lynch Atong (left, of Riziki) and STF Wootton High School chapter (above)
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IMPACT
7,841 41,302 GIRLS SERVED BY OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
TOTAL REACH OF FAMILY MEMBERS IMPACTED
75+
$7.5M
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS REACHED
RAISED
10 YEARS OF STF IMPACT
* The jump in 2018 is attributable to expansion efforts to reach more vulnerable girls, particularly by our partner AfricAid in Tanzania.
PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
2010: Began funding girls’
2012: First STF Summit
2013: Reached 1,000+
education globally
for campus community to meet and learn about issues affecting girls
campus community members
2014: Recognized by the
2015: Funded 2,500+ years
2016: Kicked off “Adopt a
United Nations for our work
worth of education for girls at our partner programs
Cause” with The New York Foundling, which gives us a pro bono HQ
2017: Launched the Girls First 2018: At our Community
2019: With our local partners,
Summit, a convening co-hosted with a local partner to train educators and mentors on building effective programs for girls
released “She’s a Girl First,” a video that went viral in Sierra Leone to help activists overturn a ban that prevents pregnant girls from returning to school 12
Impact Fellowship in Guatemala, trained 11 students from 6 countries to launch gender equality projects that would eventually impact 150+ girls
2018 + MARCH 2019 BUZZ 1
2
3
4
5
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1. Students at the 7th annual STF Summit hit the streets of NYC for a public “artivism” display that Good Morning America broadcasted on Instagram. 2. Michelle Obama posted about Ellie and STF on her Instagram for International Women’s Day (IWD)! 3. We closed out 2018 at the New York Stock Exchange. 4. Michelle Obama celebrated International Day of the Girl with us on The Today Show! (Pictured: Ellie from Tanzania with Al Roker and Freida Pinto) 5. Photo seen in Gap store windows worldwide, featuring STF’s co-founders in an IWD campaign 6. Our 5th annual Mentor Breakfast, honoring STF Fellow Verónica and retiring Board Chair Gwen Greene, raised record-breaking funds.
2018 FINANCIALS* CONTRIBUTIONS BY CATEGORY
EXPENSES
7.5% 8.6%
8.9%
7%
28.7% 13.3% 84.3% 13.9%
27.6%
Corporate and Foundation
Individual
Program Services
Grants
Mentor Breakfast Fundraiser
Management & General
Other (Board, Campus)
Donated Good and Services
Development
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM 2011-2018* ($)
*Charts are derived from annual 990 and audit reports. STF has been audited by WithumSmith+Brown since 2013. Contributions from 2011 & 2012 are from the 990 and Accountant’s Review. 14
LOOKING AHEAD As we think about our role moving forward, we see ourselves as the connective tissue: the glue that bonds together innovative, impactful solutions happening locally and elevates them to the global stage. For the last decade, STF has built trust and relationships with community-based leaders as well as the public, which uniquely positions us to meet this challenge. We support grassroots organizations striving to do better in their girls’ programming and we’ll continue to broaden the availability of our resources until every girl has limitless possibilities, regardless of where she is born. To support our commitment, we look forward to: • Organizing a global Girls’ Bill of Rights for the 2019 International Day of the Girl—written by and for girls everywhere • Creating the Girls First Coalition, a collaboration among STF and other girl-first organizations who apply for funding together • Hiring our next two staffers and electing a board member in Nairobi, Kenya To scale, we need: Sustainable funding: a combination of multi-year foundation grants, multi-year pledges from individuals in our Luminary Circle,* and monthly donors in our Front Row** Catalytic funding: developmental grants of $100K-$3M that allow us to make key hires, expand our reach and programs, and deepen our impact on girls everywhere Visibility: girls have powerful stories to share and deserve bigger stages and media outlets to amplify them
*visit shesthefirst.org/luminary **visit shesthefirst.org/frontrow Photo of Candelaria in Guatemala: Kate Lord
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LEADERSHIP 2018 Board of Directors
Selamta Family Project (Ethiopia)
$15,000+
Gwen Greene, Outgoing Chair
Shanti Bhavan (India)
Brides for a Cause
Tara Abrahams, Incoming Chair
Starfish International (The Gambia)
Catbird
Harish Nataraj, Vice Chair
FCTRY
Kimberly Heinen, Outgoing Treasurer
2018-2019 Communications
Johnson Family Foundation
Angela Brisotti, Incoming Treasurer
Committee
Todd Herman's 90 Day Year
Andrea Lontoc, Outgoing Secretary
Chanel Cathey, Co-Chair
Tom Kerns & Jeanmarie Hargrave
Vivian Nunez, Incoming Secretary
Susan Goodall, Co-Chair
Christen Brandt
Suzanne Berman
$10,000+
Tammy Tibbetts
Kimberly Dixon
Ani & Mark Gabrellian
Outgoing Board Directors:
Robin Gelfenbien
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Chernor Bah
Ann Shoket
Christen Brandt
Ingrid Simunic
Jennifer Simon
Daria Foster & Eric Wallach
Jennifer Simon
Jessica Tarlov
Hajim Family Foundation
Incoming Board Directors:
Philippe Lust-Bianchi
2018-2019 Strategic Partnerships
Gwen & John Greene
Dee Poku
Committee
Inmaat Foundation
Lisa Sepulveda
Ingrid Simunic, Outgoing Chair
J.P. Morgan Securities
Erin Leigh Patterson, Incoming Co- Marie Forleo International STF Staff
Chair
May Day Women
Christen Brandt, Co-Founder/CPO
Amy Shoenthal, Incoming Co-Chair
Mighty Leaf Tea
Tyler Harris, Operations Assistant
Kristen Tully
Beatrice & Reymont Paul Foundation
(new to the team in 2018!)
Euan Lampett
Henah Parikh, Development and Nikki Mendell Communications Manager Alvi Rashid, Programs Coordinator
Kasia Reterska
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
Anna Spitzer
In Memory of Elizabeth Casey
Katie Riley, Director of Strategic Partnerships Tammy Tibbetts, Co-Founder/CEO Special thanks to the organizations who serve as our thought partners and collaborators in all that we do: AfricAid (Tanzania) Akili Dada (Kenya) Arlington Academy of Hope (Uganda) Blink Now (Nepal) Kusi Kawsay (Peru) MAIA (Guatemala) Project Education South Sudan Project PIKIN (Sierra Leone) Sacred Valley Project (Peru)
$7,500+
Naveen Nataraj
HONOR ROLL $100,000+ Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation Nuria $30,000+ American Express Foundation Harish & Sarah Nataraj NoVo Foundation $20,000+ Dermalogica Dow Jones Foundation Edelman Foundation to Decrease World Suck Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Richard Handler Tara & Riad Abrahams $5,000+ Andrew Zobler Angelo Gordon Crystal & Company DefineMe Fragrance Hale Advisors Muriel F. Siebert Foundation Société Générale The Cameron Family Foundation $2,500+ CharityMiles Chilton Running Club Dhvani FitWeek 2018
2018 HONOR ROLL Gary Benanav
Kimra Luna
Joan Beal
KK Ramamoorthy
Julie Steiger
Laura Davis
STF Sacred Heart Academy
Katherine Hobson
Laurie Aaronson
STF Saint John's Preparatory School
Kelly Taglialavore
Leah Austin
STF Saint Louis University
Kevin & Zhou Curry
Lindsey Feist
STF University of Central Florida
Lore de Force
Lindsey Jackson
STF University of Connecticut
Newman's Own Foundation
Milton & Marilyn Safenowitz Family
STF University of Florida
Nina Abrams Fund
Foundation
STF Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School
STF University of Minnesota
Nitya Kari
Noelle Scaggs
Pinkerton Foundation
Nomi Bergman
STF University of Notre Dame
Regena Thomashauer
Ohr Family Fund
STF University of Wisconsin (Madison)
Rhoades School Girl Rising Club
OUAI
STF Vanderbilt University
River West Meeting Associates
Pamela Theriot
Robin Gelfenbien
Patrick Dwyer
Pro Bono
Shankar Ramachandran
Proskauer Rose LLP
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
The Klein Group
Rajesh Ullatil
The New York Foundling
Tom & Paige Labadie
Rebecca Reed
AppNexus
Rosie McFarland
Lore de Force
$1,400+
Selena Soo
Elyse Richter
Amy Simpson
Shalini Suravarjjala
Andrea Bartz
Sherry Brown
Asha & Hitendra Patel
Shuchita Patel
Bethany Lampland
Susan Ann Bowen
Carrie Xu
Tammy Tibbetts
Charlie Henick
Tianna De Silva
Community Foundation of
VEERAH
Greenville, Inc. Connie Hodge
(Twin Cities)
Donors noted reflect gifts made between Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2018. We do our best to be accurate but please let us know if there is an error so we can correct our records.
Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT NY)
Elina Bromberg Elizabeth Daly
$1,400+ (STF Campus Chapters)
Emily Williams
STF American University
Emma Tynan
STF Arizona School for the Arts
Fabian Roche
STF BASIS Chandler
Gemma Rogers
STF Chaparral High School
Genevieve Tabios
STF Dartmouth College
Heather Harrell
STF Dominican International School
Helen & Nat Wisch
STF George Washington University
Jessica Newell
STF H-B Plant High School
Jess Weiner
STF Hanover High School
Jim & Sharen Branscome Fund
STF Harwood Union High School
Jon Guhl
STF Highland Park High School
Jung Eun (Silver) Choi
STF Immaculate High School
Kimberly Heinen
STF La Trobe University
Kimberly Hunt
STF Lasell College
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