Susan Saxon-Harrold

July 7, 2009 — Is there some good news on the horizon for U.S. charities hampered by reduced donor contributions?   A recent Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) survey found that 42 percent of charities in the United Kingdom are struggling to deliver services because of the ongoing recession.  The survey also showed that low interest rates have reduced contributions and are forcing almost half (45 percent) of charities to dip into their savings or reserves to deliver essential services, a pattern that is further weakening the finances of charities already facing fundraising pressures.

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 3, 2009 — The One Woman Initiative (http://www.OneWomanInitiative.org), a one-year-old public/private initiative to empower women in countries with significant Muslim populations, today announced its first grants, totaling more than $500,000 to five grassroots organizations in Azerbaijan, Egypt, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. The OWI grants are being made to locally focused organizations with results-oriented programs providing women access to legal rights, political participation, and economic development. 

The Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire” — depicting the often dire circumstances faced by children in poverty in India – has sparked interest in charities that target the problem, according to CAFAmerica, which promotes borderless charitable giving as part of the CAF International Network that spans six continents and has over $4 billion of charitable funds under management.