Those are just a few of the words we could use to describe the incredible women we’ve met over the years. These are women who raise families, start businesses, and perfect their crafts.

Women who are capable of so much—especially when they’re relieved of their 40-pound (about 20 kilos) Jerry Cans and their long, dangerous walks for water.

But the reality is, women and girls are disproportionately responsible for collecting water in nearly every developing region. As we spend this month celebrating and observing International Women’s Day and World Water Day, we want to share that reality with you.

For women, collecting water steals time

We’ve met young girls who walk in the 115ºF (46ºC) heat of the Sahel Desert to collect water from 1,000-year-old holes. We’ve met women in Ethiopia who walk to the river before sunrise and don’t get back until after lunch.

We’ve even met mothers in Mali who sometimes sleep next to an open water source so they can be first in line when the water refills the next morning.

For women, collecting water limits opportunities

When we met 8-year-old Rita in Nepal, she was crouched down at the front of a long line, scooping water from a rocky basin into her metal water container. It was just after 6 a.m., and Rita and her mother had been waiting in line to collect water for their family of nine since 3 a.m.

This isn’t an uncommon experience for young girls living in rural, mountainous parts of Nepal. Every day, they can spend hours waiting in line for the nearby source to refill or trek miles down the mountain to another dirty water source far below.

The post The Water Crisis is a Women’s Issue appeared first on createfuturegood.

Running a program designed to increase the resilience of small charities is a fantastic job, but one of the biggest challenges is measuring resilience. In reality, whether a charity is resilient can only be known when they face difficult events or changing times. 

When funding is such a challenge and public bodies are using charities to deliver their mission, it can be easy to fall into the trap of following the funding, by allowing external entities to dictate your organization’s direction.

It is important for the good governance of your charity that you record your decision and the reasons for it.

Jony Doe

PCharity governance

• Charity Governance Code
• Kent Good Governance Charity Forum, Brachers
• Governing your organisation, NCVO

This was our experience with one charity in particular. As part of our initial meeting, we asked why they existed because their work felt very disjointed. The charity could tell us all about what they did in terms of activities and projects – but struggled to articulate what they were trying to achieve. 

Effective leadership

In the time we’ve been working with them they have agreed to their purpose and reviewed how their activities fit with this. Their theory of change document has also allowed them to regularly ensure the organisation stays focused, makes informed decisions about strategy and measures itself against its intended impact.

If you do consider such a decision is necessary, you should follow any rules in your charity’s governing document that allow for postponement or cancellation.

Awareness

In many parts of the UK, the local voluntary sector landscape has changed significantly in the last decade, let alone since Covid-19. As a board and senior management team, it’s important to spend time researching who else is out there because your information can quickly go out of date and this may have an impact on your delivery. 

The post Six characteristics of a resilient charity appeared first on createfuturegood.

Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in Louisiana on August 29, 2021 as a powerful Category 4 storm, was the fifth-largest hurricane to hit the U.S. Ida’s maximum sustained winds topped 150 mph, and along with its storm surge and torrential rainfall, Ida has left a trail of devastating flooding and structural damage as it continues to move northeast.

Do not donate to unknown individuals purporting to need aid that post on Facebook, GoFundMe, etc.

Jeremy Lin

DONORS BEWARE

As with any charitable contribution, Americans wanting to help with disaster relief efforts should only give to legitimate charities with an established track record of helping people in need.

• Be on guard for a surge of solicitations related to any highly publicized crisis.
• Do not respond to, or click on any attachments, links or pictures.
• Beware of individuals or others claiming to be third-party intermediaries for charities or those in need.
• Avoid name confusion by independently verifying that the charity is legitimate before you donate. 

SEND A CHECK, NOT GOODS

The best way to help is by sending a check or donating securely by credit card. Such cash donations enable charities to buy the most needed types of food, medicine, clothing, shelter materials, and other supplies. By buying relief products locally or regionally, charities can reduce shipping costs and more rapidly deliver assistance.

For many charities, having enough funds to meet the increased demand for their services has been a real obstacle to address. Grants in particular remain and will always be an important source of funding. Locating such sources is only part of the challenge, the other is presenting an application that resonates with the provider and illustrates the charity in its best light.

The post Hurricane Ida Relief appeared first on createfuturegood.