About Us

headerbar

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: WE focuses on helping women in Sonora, Mexico; Intibucá, Honduras; Benin, Africa; and in San Diego where our program helps refugee women who have fled violence in their native lands and been legally resettled.

In Mexico, WE loans are administered by Grameen de la Frontera, a highly regarded nonprofit microcredit organization that has provided over $3.8 million in microloans since 2000 to women in small, rural villages in Sonora. As part of this effort, WE has funded the equivalent of 625 startup loans and continues to help GDLF meet a rapidly growing need for both business startup loans of $96 and expansion loans that go as high as $900.

WE's loans in Honduras are targeted to impoverished women in remote and mountainous Intibucá, home to the indigenous Lenca Indians, who are among the poorest and most marginalized in the country. Working with the nonprofit Adelante Foundation, WE's goal is to provide at least 375 women with business loans averaging $74 each - all that is needed to start a successful business.

Almost three-quarters of the population in the West African country of Benin live on $2 a day or less, making it one of the poorest countries in the world. Tragically, infant and child mortality are among the highest in the world. WE's business loans are targeted to struggling women farmers in the remote Zakpota and Ouissi regions of Benin. These impoverished rural women are part of the African Woman Food Farmer Initiative, sponsored by the nonprofit Hunger Project. WE's critically needed assistance will enable 430 women to start businesses and eventually establish their own bank.

In San Diego, the WE Center for STAR (Support, Training and Assistance to Refugee) Women enables refugee women to start modest businesses, augment their families' incomes and reduce or eliminate their dependence on public assistance. The Center, a partnership with the International Rescue Committee, provides technical support, business training and access to loans and grants. And WE volunteers work individually with clients to help them develop their businesses.

In just two years, the Center has launched or expanded 36 businesses and assisted 57 refugees with their business needs. WE is committed to the STAR Center's success because it is a pivotal resource for women in San Diego's growing refugee communities.

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 in all WE's programs is higher than 95 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 2009 (PDF)

WE IRS 990-EZ 2009 Schedule A (PDF)

WE IRS 990 2009 Supplemental Information (PDF)

WE CA 199 2009 (PDF)

WE IRS 990 2007 (PDF)

WE IRS 990 2007 Schedule A (PDF)

WE IRS 990 2007 Supplemental Information (PDF)

WE IRS 990-EZ 2006 (PDF)

WE IRS 990-EZ 2006 Schedule A (PDF)

WE IRS 990-EZ 2006 Supplemental Information (PDF)