Tonight we honored Fran Hauser, newly elected Chair of the Board of GlobalGiving, for her outstanding leadership in establishing the New York Leadership Council for this vital NGO. GlobalGiving is an online giving platform that makes it easy for you to contribute to carefully vetted nonprofit organizations anywhere in the world. You can support solutions run by innovative, grassroots projects and organizations that are working to educate children, feed the hungry, build houses, train women (and men) with job skills, and hundreds of other amazing things. GlobalGiving also helps corporations to achieve their corporate giving objectives including recognizing employees for volunteering.
Hauser was inspired to become involved in GlobalGiving a few years ago by Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. At the end of their groundbreaking book, "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide," Kristof and WuDunn recommend that there are "Four Steps You Can Take in the Next Ten Minutes." The first step included the suggestion to go to www.globalgiving.org and open an account, where you can "give money in education, health, disaster relief, or more than a dozen other areas around the developing world." The organization's mission and approach resonated with Hauser who is President of Digital for Time Inc.'s Style & Entertainment and Lifestyle Groups. In her role, she oversees PEOPLE.com, the most visited site in the publishing industry, as well as EW.com, InStyle.com, Realsimple.com and others. Fran is also responsible for the mobile and tablet strategy for these brands, including the launch of over 20 products, reaching more than 4 million users. Not only did Fran appreciate the scope and impact of GlobalGiving, but she particularly connected with the organization's online approach to accomplish its mission.
Instead of simply going to the organization's website, Hauser went a step further and contacted GlobalGiving founders Mari Kuraishi and Dennis Whittle to offer her assistance. After meeting Hauser--and noting her formidable leadership gifts, Kuraishi, President as well as Co-Founder, and Donna Callejon, the organization's Chief Business Officer, asked Hauser to establish the New York Leadership Council to further expand support beyond the NGO's Washington, D.C. base. Delighted to say yes, Hauser built the highly effective NY Leadership Council together with Brian Walsh, Executive Director, Liquidnet for Good.
The lesson of Hauser's experience is not to wait to be asked. Be alert to organizations where you feel a connection to the mission and the approach. Reach out and offer your assistance. Be open to ways that you can be useful to the organization. You might find, as Hauser did, that this will become one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.
So tonight we celebrated Hauser and her spirit of generosity. Special thanks to Hannah Milman, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, for hosting tonight's happy occasion! And to so many fantastic friends of GlobalGiving for joining us tonight!
Since 2002, 327,593 donors have given $86,539,149 to 8,043 projects at GlobalGiving. We invite you to GlobalGiving's site to choose a project that is personally meaningful. Also, consider GlobalGiving to help your company to advance your corporate social responsibility purposes.