District 1 Foundation Ambassador:
Dr. Mary Ann Rubis, Zonta Foundation for Women Ambassador – Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley MA USA
Zonta Foundation for Women May, 2026 Update
Fundraising Goals:
International: $4,617,000
As of March 31. 2026, more than $4.5 million raised (99% of goal)
District: $45,000, 100% club donation 25% member donation
As of March 31, 2026, $34,387 raised (76% of goal), with 89% of clubs and 28% of members donating
Top three donating clubs:
Quaboag Valley – $8,978
Chelsea and North Shore – $4,634
Concord – $3,867
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
2026-2028 Biennium Proposals
- Global Programme to End Child Marriage – proceed with phase III
- Laaha A Virtual Safe Space for Women and Girls – proceed with next phase – bringing platform to schools and training educators
- Gender Transformative Mechanism in Climate Adaptation – bring gender equality to climate action in selected rural districts in two Pakistani provinces
Final project to be decided by the members:
- Global Feminist Tech and Innovation Lab – end violence against women and girls, focusing on Africa and Latin America or
- Standing with Afghan Women: Expanding Community-led Solutions to End Gender-based Violence
Zonta Community Give Back Grants
- Zonta International expands its support beyond UN-affiliated projects to directly fund and recognize impactful, local service projects led by Zonta clubs.
Educational Awards
- Celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Amelia Earhart Fellowships with an increase in the award for 2028 to $12,000. (2027 award will remain at $10,000)
Foundation Update May 2025
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
Foundation Update February 2024
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.
Resources and Links
District 1 Videos: Fundraising and Education Programs (30 min) | International Service Projects (30 min)
Quick Guide – Zonta International and Zonta Foundation for Women
International Service Programs
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- Adolescent Girls’ Health and Protection in Peru
- Strengthening Response to GBV Survivors in Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste
- Engaging Girls on Climate Change ~ Madagascar 2024 Update
- Ending Child Marriage
Stopping Violence: Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women
- Amelia Earhart Fellowship
- Women in Business Scholarship
- Young Women in Public Affairs Award
- Women in STEM Scholarship