Who is Mona Foundation?

Mona Foundation believes

•in the innate capability of everyone to lead themselves and their communities
•in building capacity at the local level so people can become active protagonist of their own development
•in building long-term partnerships
•and in giving 100% of all contributions that are designated directly to the project(s) you choose to support

Founded in 1999 by a small group of people committed to unconditional service to humanity, the Mona Foundation is a Seattle based nonprofit development agency that supports communities in becoming agents of change in their own social and economic development. We do this by establishing long-term partnerships with locally based educational initiatives in the USA and around the world. Our main objectives are to support providing quality education to all children, with a focus on raising the status of girls and women.

The fundamental belief of the Mona Foundation is that everyone, irrespective of race, religion, social classes, or economic systems deserves an education. Furthermore we believe that education is one of the main means of alleviating poverty and raising the status of women.

The Foundation seeks out development initiatives that have started at the grassroots; have a track record of success, and are managed locally. Mona then partners with these projects to help provide financial assistance and other types of support as requested to build capacity at the local level and help people help and lead themselves.

The foundation has supported over 25 projects in more than 15 different countries since 1999. In 2011 we will be reaching 40,000 children, women, and their families around the world.

What does Mona mean?

Mona was a 16-year-old high school girl who was executed in 1983 in Iran for her beliefs as a Baha'i and for teaching children classes. Mona loved children and helped as a volunteer in an orphanage since she was 13 and She said a prayer for the unity before she was executed. Her youthful example of commitment to service to humanity inspired us to name our foundation after her.

What is a social and economic development project?

Social and economic development projects are community-based initiatives that develop capacity at the grassroots so people can help and lead themselves. These projects may include schools, healthcare initiatives, agricultural projects, vocational training and other similar undertakings. The Mona Foundation believes that allowing communities to determine how they want to use resources and take charge of their own future ensures the sustainability of these projects for the long run.

What are your Guiding Principles?

The underlying basis for all the activities of the Mona Foundation is the belief that the key to poverty reduction and the development of human resources lies in universal education and gender equality. We believe that successful programs are those that begin at the grassroots and which seek to raise the social and economic status of the community as a whole, including those of women and girls.

How involved are you in the projects that you partner with?

Mona Foundation believes that every person has the innate capacity to develop themselves and their communities through a process of consultation, action and reflection. Our relationship with the projects we support is also based on consultation, action and reflection. We closely partner with the projects for the long term, support their plans as they develop them with their community, learn with them to see what works and what does not, and adjust our support based on their needs. The foundation does not own or initiate projects, rather, partners with already existing initiatives that have a record of sustained success and supports their development plans.

What is your approach to development?

Our approach to development is also guided by a set of principles**. These include:

Organic Growth:
In general, sustainable social and economic development activities begin at the grassroots by the members of the local community and in response to specific community needs. Over time, the community builds its capacity through a process of consultation, action and reflection as it learns how to implement increasingly more complex projects. A small school, for example, can in time grow and develop to a full K-12 school and become a center for activities such as health education, family counseling and reforestation, as in ADCAM, Brazil.

Capacity Building:
Capacity building is directly related to learning how to take initiative in a disciplined way, how to use consultation as a medium of decision making, replacing the adversarial relationship with the relationship based on collaboration and service to others, and how to develop the skills and commitment necessary to generate and apply learnings to build more capacity for more complex actions.

Development is a process in which individuals and communities in all parts of the world, regardless of the degree of their material prosperity, become the principal actors in defining, analyzing and solving their own problems. Success of a development initiative is ultimately measured by its impact on the capacity of a community to address development issues at increasingly higher levels of complexity and effectiveness.

Learning:
We have never had or experienced a prosperous, peaceful world for all. And we need to learn how to learn from our own involvement at the grassroots to build this world. As with any new skill, engaging in learning through a systematic and ongoing process of consultation, action and reflection designed to bring about consistent patterns of change, is essential to building the capacity and skills we need to build this world together.

Development of Human Resources:
Development ideas and projects cannot be imposed on communities from above. Institutions should respond to the aspirations and initiatives of communities at the local level. However, the application of these principles does not preclude the possibility of utilizing proven and well-conceived approaches to training developed at the national or international levels. Thus, project sites may be seen as locations where training is provided for an increasing number of individuals from all parts of the world and from all sectors of society.

Contributing to the Advancement of Society:
Collaboration with organizations and leaders of thought concerned with social, moral and economic advancement is an important component of Mona Foundation’s development endeavors.

Integration:
The world's experience has shown that fragmented activities in different fields do not bring about development. The integration of efforts across various fields, such as health, education, agriculture, and environmental preservation, is essential for real progress in a region. Such integration can be achieved when simple grassroots initiatives evolve to more stable and complex stages of operation. The concept of integration also pertains to the integration of material progress and spiritual development.

In summary,Mona Foundation believes that social and economic development activities are therefore an expression of faith in action underpinned by the belief that every culture and segment of humanity represents a distinct heritage that must be encouraged to flourish and contribute to an emerging global civilization.

** Principles gleaned from www.baha’i.org

Why focus education on women and girls?

Global experience, as reflected in the 2008 United National Development Program (UNDP) report, has proven over and over again that education of women and girls directly impact the progress, health and welfare of entire communities and the positive effects of education increase with every year a girl stays in school. Considering all the potential positive effects, Mona Foundation believes that the education of girls and women is one of the most powerful investments in a community's future.

How are the projects chosen?

Mona Foundation has a deep network of trusted individuals and organizations all around the world. We carefully consider the proposals we receive, make a site visit to the candidate projects to ensure that they meet our selection criteria, and then adopt the project after a review with our Board of Directors.

This sounds great. How can I help?

We have many ways for you to help. Join us! Became a member of Mona Foundation family and select a project to support through your contributions. You can also become a member of our "Circle of Giving" by choosing to give on a regular basis. If you are interested in volunteering with Mona Foundation or one of our partner groups, then visit the "Contact Us" section and send us an email. We would be happy to facilitate the process of finding you volunteer opportunities.

Who started the Mona Foundation?

Mona Foundation was started in 1999 by a small group of people committed to service. They consulted, formed a non-profit, started with supporting two projects in two countries, and never gave up. Today Mona Foundation supports 19 projects in 10 countries, touching the lives of 40,000 children, women and their families.

Do you have paid staff?

Mona Foundation's work gets done because many volunteers from all walks of life offer their professional services to the Mona Foundation free of charge. This allows for us to have a two paid staff who offer their professional services at significant discount.

What percent of the money I donate goes straight to the project?

Mona Foundation sends 100% of all designated funds, and 97% of contributions given to the General Fund, to the projects it supports after a 3% bank processing fee for online contributions.

Are my donations tax deductible?

The Mona Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit organization in accordance with the Internal Revenue Service codes of Untied States. All donations made from donors within the United States of America are tax deductible. Donors from other countries should consult a certified public accountant registered within their countries.

How can you guarantee money I donate will be put to good use?

All projects supported by the Mona Foundation go through a thorough review by the Board of Directors and are visited regularly to insure that projects are accountable and transparent. This ensures that your financial support is being used for the intended purpose. Additionally, the projects also provide the Board semi annual reports which we post to our website so that you can directly see the difference that your contribution is making.

How can my project apply for a grant from Mona Foundation?

If you know of, or are part of an education or development project that you believe meets our criteria, feel free to contact us with the information listed in the "Contact Us" section. Our Board carefully considers the proposals it receives and communicates the results of its consultation following its annual meeting.

Is the Mona Foundation recognized by third-party non-profit rating agencies?

Mona Foundation is officially certified every year by State of Washington Secretary of State. We embrace nonprofit accountability and transparency and are a registered member of GuideStar, www.guidestar.org.

How do we show the needs for our partner projects online?

Mona Foundation supports many projects around the world with a diverse array of needs. We categorize these needs into five different groups: Scholarships; Infrastructure; Training: Educational Needs; and Equipment & Furniture. We raise funds to support these needs in a variety of ways including fundraising events, through the mail, and online.

When you visit a project page on our website you will see under the Needs section that we list the total need for the year for each category where there is a need. We provide a brief explanation of the need and a breakdown of the funds requested when available. We then provide an online goal for that need which is the amount we would like to fundraise online with your support. For more details on the needs please download our Annual Report available in the About Us: Donor Relations section on our website.