About Us

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The mission of Women’s Empowerment International (WE) is to give women the tools they need to work their way out of poverty. In partnership with nonprofit microfinance organizations, WE supports diverse strategies to provide small, repayable business loans and services to women in places where WE can make a difference. WE’s commitment is to education, to mutual communication, and to furthering the worldwide effort to alleviate poverty.

Women's Empowerment International
P.O. Box 501406
San Diego, CA 92150-1406
858-486-6466
womens.empowerment@cox.net

Questions & Answers

Q: What distinguishes WE?
A: • 100% of WE donations go directly to fund loans and services for poor women.
    • Even small donations can help transform a life.
    • WE maintains empowering communication with loan clients.
    • WE increases awareness about microcredit and other efforts to alleviate poverty.

Q: How does WE achieve its goals?
A: Currently, WE is focused on impoverished women who live in small villages in Sonora, Mexico, and on refugee women who have fled violence in their native lands to be legally resettled in San Diego.

In Mexico, WE loans are administered by Grameen de la Frontera, a highly regarded nonprofit microcredit organization that has provided business loans to over 2,600 Sonoran women. WE has raised over $50,000 - the equivalent of over 520 start-up business loans - for these women.

WE has launched a business incubator for refugee women in San Diego so they can start small businesses and better provide for their families. The one-stop business-launch services offered at the WE Center for STAR (Support, Training and Assistance to Refugee) Women has launched and expanded many businesses, from dressmaking, licensed childcare, small retail businesses, jewelry-making etc.

WE seeks donations that will enable an ever-growing number of entrepreneurial women to start businesses in Mexico, the United States, and throughout the world.

Q: What is microcredit?
A: Microcredit, or microfinance, provides very small business loans to poor people. It was developed by Muhammed Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank, in Bangladesh in 1982. Since, more than 2,900 institutions have adopted the approach and made loans to more than 80 million families worldwide.

Q: Do loan recipients have a good record of repaying their loans?
A: Yes. The repayment rate at Grameen de la Frontera is above 98 percent.

Q: Is my donation tax deductible?
A: WE is an independent 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Memberships and donations are exempt from U.S. and California taxation.

Q: What does it mean to be a member?
A: We welcomes all people who support the goal of alleviating poverty through small business loans. WE empowers members through educational and community building efforts. Connection among members and borrowers is maintained through visits with loan clients, small and large group meetings, e-mails and a newsletter. WE values the contributions of each member, and ensures that the men and women who join WE have the opportunity to fully participate in its work.

WE Strategic Plan 2007 (PDF)

WE Bylaws (Revised 2007) (PDF)

WE IRS 990-EZ 2006 (PDF)

WE IRS 990-EZ 2006 Schedule A (PDF)

WE IRS 990-EZ 2006 Supplemental Information (PDF)