Join Us in Brooklyn April 7-9!

We are thrilled that Executive Director of the new UN Women and former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet will be delivering the keynote at our upcoming conference, The Power of Global Networks, in Brooklyn, New York, April 7-9!

The Power of Global Networks is open to all so register online before February 18 to take advantage of discounted rates!

Among the highlights this year:

• A warm welcome April 7 from MacArthur "Genius" awardee and world renowned eco-entrepreneur Majora Carter.
• Meet social change movers and shakers throughout New York City during a tour guided by local women leaders.
• Workshops to increase your activism and leadership in creating equality and social change in your community.
• Dynamic conversations and tools for how to embrace social media to bring about social change -- with a gender lens.
  

We cannot wait to see you there! Register online now!

Holiday Giving Strategy: Find Power in Numbers

U.S. News and World Report has included Women's Funding Network in its "10 Smart Money Ways to Give" rundown. You can read more here.

Women's funds are a great choice for charity giving because the money you give is an investment in a community, whether the women's fund is supporting improvement in your community, state, nation or worldwide.

If you are looking for an innovative way to honor someone special in your life, consider giving to your local women's fund.

Taking Our Case to Congress

Deborah Richardson, Women's Funding Network's Chief Program Officer, testified before a Judiciary Committee hearing on domestic minor sex trafficking Sept. 15 about the problem of underage girls being commercially sexually exploited across the United States.

You can read Deborah's testimony here.

The hearing is a major step in bringing awareness to the issue of domestic minor sex trafficking and taking real action toward preventing and ending this problem. But so much more remains to be done.

If you want to take action right with us right now in the U.S. you can urge your lawmaker to sign on to H.R. 5575, which would create a comprehensive system of care for survivors of trafficking as well as increased penalties for those who buy and sell girls for sex.

SF Chronicle Hones In on Craigslist Ads

Craigslist's hometown paper, the San Francisco Chronicle, has taken notice of all the pressure mounting nationwide for the online services firm to do something about ads posted on their site that allow the prostitution of girls -- some as young as 11 years old.

Yesterday, the Rebecca Project placed an ad in the print edition of the Chronicle calling Craigslist to task for not doing enough to restrict prostitution of children on the site. It was accompanied by this letter on Huffingtonpost.com.

You can do your part to send Craigslist a message by signing our petition here. Keep up with the latest on this issue at A Future. Not A Past.

Craigslist UPDATE

Women's Funding Network Chief Program Officer Deborah Richardson has co-authored a commentary in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on preventing child sexual exploitation. Read it here.

Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster responds to GEMS founder Rachel Lloyd's criticism of the online service as contributing to the sexual exploitation of girls. Read it here.

And, of course, join our effort to prevent child sexual exploitation. Sign our petition to Craigslist here (or at the link below) and learn more about A Future. Not A Past.

Tell Craigslist: Make Real Changes to Adult Services Ads to Protect Our Children

Craigslist is making a $40 million profit from "Adult Services" -- a section that includes the sale of children for sex.

Tell Craigslist you will BOYCOTT them until they take action to prevent the sexual exploitation of children on their site!

Our goal is to get 150,000 signatures for every girl at risk of being endangered and sold this year. Sign NOW and spread the word.

JOIN US NOW!

Thank You

Thanks to all of you who voted, the band Metric won the Pepsi Refresh SXSW Challenge. As a result, Women's Funding Network will receive a $100,000 grant toward the national expansion of A FUTURE. NOT A PAST., a campaign to stop the commercial sexual exploitation of girls in the United States! Women's Funding Network is grateful to Metric and the Pepsi Refresh Project for making this possible. You can read the announcements at Spin Magazine and Pepsi's Refresh Blog.

Deborah Richardson, Women's Funding Network's Chief Program Officer, says, "It is estimated there are more than 200,000 children -- mostly girls -- being bought and sold in this country every year. Your clicks were for them!!"

A FUTURE. NOT A PAST. was created in 2007 to address and prevent the prostitution of girls in the state of Georgia. The campaign seeks to protect and inspire hope in girls who have survived commercial sexual exploitation, disable demand and prosecute and increase penalties for pimps and johns. The Georgia campaign has been so successful and the issue is so prevalent in states across the country that Women's Funding Network is launching the national expansion of A FUTURE. NOT A PAST. this Spring.

The $100,000 grant from Pepsi will support Women's Funding Network's efforts to:

• Collect data on the number of sexually exploited girls in target states to document the national scope of the issue
• Develop a plan of action for a nationwide comprehensive system of care for sexually exploited girls
• Create and implement public awareness and advocacy campaigns to decrease demand and provide support for survivors
• Increase programming that prepares girls to lead full and healthy lives