Foundation

Zonta International is excited to announce the launch of the Zonta Community Give Back Grants program, a new initiative to recognize and support impactful, local service projects led by Zonta clubs around the world.

The program provides small grants to support mission-aligned community projects led by Zonta clubs, using a dual-tier model that combines financial support with opportunities for global recognition. The vision for the program, if it is to continue long-term, is to have one grant cycle per biennium, with each cycle rotating its focus across Zonta’s strategic priorities; the 2026–2028 Biennium will focus on ending violence against women and girls. Grants will be awarded through a competitive application and selection process.

Eligibility & Expectations

Applicant clubs must:

• Be in good standing.
• Align projects with Zonta’s mission, with a focus on ending violence against women and girls.
• Demonstrate clear community impact with defined outcomes.
• Implement hands-on projects (partnerships with NGOs or Z or Golden Z clubs encouraged).
• Disclose any additional funding, partnerships or sponsorships.
• Commit to reporting results and sharing outcomes for visibility

To maximize fundraising revenue, the Zonta Foundation for Women has a new partnership with Freewill.  FreeWill provides digital tools, educational resources and fundraising support that can help the Zonta Foundation for Women strengthen its planned giving program and encourage gifts of non-cash assets. Its offerings include the Planned Giving Suite and the Smart Giving Suite. We will begin to promote these opportunities with our upcoming Every Member Every November campaign.

Planned Giving

FreeWill helps to make legacy giving more accessible by offering free estate-planning tools for eligible donors, making it easier for them to include the Foundation in their estate plans. For Zonta, these resources can strengthen the Zonta 1919 Legacy Circle, encourage more members and supporters to consider leaving a lasting legacy, and help develop a more consistent planned giving pipeline.

Smart Giving

FreeWill’s Smart Giving tools will help Zonta Foundation for Women accept and promote gifts beyond traditional cash or credit card donations. These gifts can provide donors with additional ways to donate, while potentially unlocking significant philanthropic resources.

Although most Smart Giving options are specific to the U.S. financial and tax system, international donors may also benefit from access to these resources:

• U.S. assets held by donors abroad: A donor living outside the United States may have U.S. – based property or investments. FreeWill states that its wills can address property located in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.; foreign property may require separate estate-planning advice.
• U.S. – based account holders: International donors who maintain eligible U.S. brokerage accounts, IRAs or donor-advised funds may have opportunities to use applicable non-cash giving methods.

FreeWill offers an opportunity to expand the Foundation’s fundraising beyond traditional donations. Combining planned giving resources with accessible non-cash giving options will support long-term financial sustainability.… Read the rest

Zonta Foundation for Women  June, 2026 Update

Zonta District 1 has exceeded its goals:
District:  $45,000, 100% club donation  25% member donation
As of May 30, 2026, $46,015.21 raised, with 100% of clubs and 27.5% of members donating,  (Zonta International average is 21,.5%)

Of 32 districts, D1 is one of eight to have all clubs donate and eighth in percentage of individual donations!!! Individual donation percentages for our district are the highest in more than five biennia!
We are indeed a mighty district.

Top three donating clubs:
Quaboag Valley – $8,978
Chelsea and North Shore – $4,634
Concord – $10,867

It has been an honor to serve as District 1’s Foundation Ambassador this biennium. Thank you to my sister Zontians and the District 1 board for their support, enthusiasm and fellowship.
With Zonta spirit,
Mary Ann

Dr. Mary Ann K. Rubis
Zonta International
Cross-mentoring Committee
District 1
Foundation Ambassador
2024-2026

Build a better world
for women and girls

 International Service Projects Update:

Climate Empower: Community Empowerment and Innovation for Gender-Transformative Climate Action

• Gender-based violence manual and tools developed
• Community dialogues and workshops held
• Peer-led spaces created and sustained
• Human stories produced and disseminated
• Youth-focused innovation hubs started
• Return to school policies after childbirth created
• Road-map for 2026 showing monthly tasks created

Ending Child Marriage: A Programme to Accelerate Global Action Phase III

• 8 million boys and men have participated in group education and dialogue
• Nearly 3 million traditional and religious leaders engaged in sensitization and consensus-building
• Over 2.5 million girls and boys accessed prevention and protection services – more than double the original target
• 81 policies or legal instruments directly addressing child marriage have been drafted, proposed or adopted

Laaha: A Virtual Safe Space for Women and Girls

• Available in 21 countries, an increase of nine since report last year
• More than 160 interactive modules
• New content on how to speak to adolescents on various topics has been developed for parents

Education Programs

Amelia Earhart Fellowships

• Three Fellows studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology receive their wings at a January event hosted by District 1 Zonta Club Chelsea and North Shore with assistance from the Zonta Club of Malden.

Zonta Women in Business Leadership Award

• Casey McDermott D1’s candidate from Nova Scotia wins one of 10 $10,000 international awards

From aerospace engineering and space sciences to business to leadership to STEM, learn how The Zonta Foundation for Women’s educational programs are building a better world for women and girls in our own backyard.

Discover how the Foundation is partnering with UN agencies this biennium to address relevant issues of our time, like climate-induced gender-based violence and child marriage. See firsthand the groundbreaking approach for addressing gender-based violence and sexual reproductive health in a virtual safe space.

Whether you want to pay it forward, connect with others who share your values or just bring some positivity to your life, consider donating. Every dollar donated makes a difference.

Please contact me for more information or check out online resources:

Zonta International – Our Programs

Zonta District 1 – Member Resources – Foundation for Women

… Read the rest

As a reminder of the wonderful things our donations can accomplish, please check out this article, which appeared in Forbes: Zonta Partnership with UNICEF USA Here is a link to the article. Also, check out the bios of 2023 scholarship winners on the ZI member site! Thank you to all the clubs who participated in these programs. Consider inviting a scholar to speak at a district or club event.

As of January 30, 2023 donations to the Zonta Foundation for Women supporting international service projects, educational programs, and endowment funds totaled $3,558,359 for the 2022-2024 biennium! That is 78% of the biennium goal.

For District 1,

• Total donations from seven of our eleven clubs total $34,823. Great work! Thank you to our amazing clubs!
• Five of our members and 1 club have made donations to the endowment funds for a total of $1,541.
• Individual donations so far total $9,840, from 37 of our 193 members. 19%

Our district ranks 28th out of 31 districts in donations from individuals. I know we can do better, especially when I look at the average donation per member ($179) compared to districts with many more members. Thank you to all who have donated to date. Let’s all remember the important work of the Foundation. Can we reach the goal of 100% of our members donating? I think we can. I know how much our District 1 Zontians care about the work the Foundation does.

If you have any questions about the work of the Zonta Foundation for Women or would like a speaker for your meeting, please feel free to contact Ambassador Donna Clifford at clifford.d22@gmail.com. Thank you all for your efforts to improve the lives of women and girls around the world.… Read the rest