I recently joined the Board of Directors of She’s the First, a non-profit organization that sponsor girls in developing countries, helping them to become the first in their families to graduate from high school. I learned about She’s the First last year when it was nominated for the Chase Community Giving Awards. I was immediately drawn to the organization and the fresh approach to fundraising and sponsorship.
She’s the First started in 2009 as a public service announcement on YouTube. It was intended to start a conversation about global education and why local students should care about their peers in developing countries. Tammy Tibbetts wanted people to know facts about this important topic-- like the research showing that when girls have the opportunity to attend high school, access to economic equality increases over the course of their lives. The same is true with health, well-being, and productivity, all of which ultimately impacts a nations GDP.
Tammy's initial video was met with a very enthusiastic social media response. People really cared about this issue and wanted to do something about it. She decided to harness the energy of her peers and create a bigger movement with more tangible results, launching She’s the First with Christen Brandt. Today, the organization partners with schools in Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Nepal, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, where girls make up only 33 percent of students in secondary schools. The cost to send a girl to high school in a partner schools ranges from $300-$1600, an amount that many college students can raise by motivating their peers to contribute small amounts (think buying a one dollar cupcake or asking for $10 at a party).
The organization now has 40 campus chapters throughout the country and has rallied 150 plus college groups to get involved in its mission. One of the benefits of the campus chapter model is that people can easily take all of that social media energy offline and raise money locally. It also provides leadership opportunities for those who want to get involved. For example, She’s the First trains campus chapters on how to effectively fundraise for girls' sponsorships and how to communicate to local communities why ites imperative to invest in girls education globally.
One hundred percent of proceeds raised go directly to education and the organization is completely transparent about fundraising separately for operational expenses. The She’s the First website makes it easy to sponsor a girl, and once a selection is make, a sponsor can be kept up to date on progress through photos and emails.
I believe She’s the First will quickly become the blueprint for social entrepreneurship. It perfectly blends innovation with execution and reminds us that small actions (like selling a one dollar cupcake) can add up to make a difference. It captures the very essence of entrepreneurship—finding creative ways to solve problems, often on small budgets. It maintains a strong online voice while encouraging an equally strong presence in hyper-local communities. It also connects donors directly with those they want to impact.
I’m very excited to join this incredible Board and will be writing more about She’s the First here.
