The gift, matched dollar for dollar for a total of $50,000, will help provide financial services and training to 500 women in developing countries

Chicago, June 27, 2018 – Opportunity International today announced that Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO), a privately-owned philanthropic organization with a mission and movement to empower women and girls globally, and alleviate poverty worldwide, made a $25,000 gift to help provide financial services and training to women in the developing world, which was matched dollar for dollar by an anonymous donor. When combined, the WEDO investment plus the generous match total $50,000, which will help provide financial products and services to 500 women in countries across Africa and Asia in 2018.

Opportunity International is a global nonprofit organization providing financial solutions, training, and support to families working their way out of poverty in 22 countries across the developing world. The organization will leverage WEDO’s commitment to promote entrepreneurialism and job creation through access to financial services, training and support for women in impoverished communities across Africa and Asia. Through loan repayments and the multiplier effect of microfinance, this contribution will continue to impact lives long after the initial investment.

“WEDO is proud to support Opportunity International and alleviate poverty by empowering, celebrating and supporting women in business,” Wendy Diamond, CEO and Founder of WEDO, said.  “I know our ongoing partnership with Opportunity International is making a difference. During my recent trip to Rwanda and Uganda with Opportunity, I clearly saw the transformation of women’s lives—from the tailor getting a small business loan to purchase an additional sewing machine to expand her business and educate her children, to the farmer who used the loan to dramatically increase her income and better provide for her family. Our partnership with this organization is helping women living in poverty launch and expand businesses, and giving opportunities to those who need them most.”

The Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization has a long-standing history of celebrating and supporting women in business worldwide.

“We are deeply grateful for WEDO’s generosity and commitment to women’s entrepreneurship and reducing extreme poverty,” Atul Tandon, CEO of Opportunity International, said. “This commitment enables us to help clients earn a living and transform their lives.” 

About Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization

Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization is a non-governmental volunteer organization. Our mission is to accelerate and educate the world on the importance of why it’s pivotal to empower women in business globally. WEDO convenes Business Leaders, Change Makers, Government Officials and Civil Society to collaborate and find solutions in critical areas of entrepreneurship eco-systems, education, and policy creation to empower women in business. WEDO is celebrated at the United Nations and in 144 countries and 65 universities/colleges internationally. When women are elevated financially, communities, states, and countries prosper, this builds a global blueprint to alleviate and eradicate poverty.

ABOUT OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL  

Opportunity International is a global nonprofit organization that helps people in developing countries work their way out of poverty. Since 1971, the organization has provided more than $12 billion in loans to help 24 million clients launch and expand businesses, feed and educate their children and create jobs in their communities. In 2017, more than 10 million clients in 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe, were using an Opportunity International loan, savings account, insurance policy or training to improve their lives. Through microfinance and complementary products and services in digital inclusion, education, agriculture, and health, the organization has helped clients create and support 19.4 million jobs on the way to achieving its goal of 20 million jobs by 2020. More than 85 percent of Opportunity’s loan clients are women who would otherwise likely not have access to financial services because of legal and cultural gender inequities. The global headquarters of Opportunity International are in Chicago, with other key offices in Australia, Canada, Germany, Singapore, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The organization serves clients through a network of more than 23,000 people worldwide. Discover more at opportunity.org or join the conversation on facebook.com/opportunityintl and twitter.com/opportunityintl.

Christina Koliopoulos
VP of Communications 
+1312-242-4164
[email protected]