We are Mona Foundation — a global community of individuals, businesses, and organizations who believe the key to alleviating poverty and achieving sustained community transformation lies in universal education and gender equality.
2024 Impact
Our Approach
2025-27 Strategic Plan
Board of Directors
Every member of Mona Foundation's Board of Directors is a thought leader who has made significant contributions to our society. Each one brings a unique set of skills and expertise to our organization.
Mona Staff
Mona Representative to the UN-DGC-CSO and Brookings Institution
Ms. Nikoo Mahboubian has been Mona Foundation's designated representative to the UN Department of Global Communications and Civil Society organization since 2021.
Prior to this engagement Ms. Mahboubian worked for the Baha’i International Community, a non-governmental organization (NGO) at the UN from 1994 to 2002. As an Alternate Representative to the United Nations for this organization, she worked with UN officials, UN diplomats and other NGOs to advance human rights agendas, especially in the area of freedom of religion or belief. She also participated in many sessions of the United Nations General Assembly Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Committee, the Commission on Sustainable Development, and the sessions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council Commission on the Status of Women.
She was the President of the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief for two terms leading the committee to coordinate the NGO activities in support of protecting the rights of freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief; communicating with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, other relevant UN Offices, and UN member states. Ms. Mahboubian was also a member of the NGO Committee on the Family assisting to advocate for the inclusion of the family in decisions and policies at the United Nations.
Ms. Mahboubian holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Business from the University of San Diego. She also has a certificate of French language from the Sorbonne University in Paris.
Mona Advisory Board
Comprised of individuals who are passionate about Mona's mission, our Advisory Board members offer their time, resources, expertise and community standing to advance the goals of the organization. Their commitment to the organization is deep, rather than broad, as reflected in their willingness to add their skills and expertise on issues and act as ambassadors within the larger philanthropic and humanitarian community. Click here to learn more about each of our exceptional advisors.
- Rainn Wilson
- Urvashi Sahni
- Shiva Dustdar
- Parisa Fitz-Henley
- David Khorram
- Nikki Meshkin
- Dawn Vemilya
- Leila Milani
- Nikoo Mahboubian
- Ridvan Foxhall
- Roy Steiner
- Gordon Britton
- Shiva Riddell
- Janet Zabeti
- Nava Ghalili
- Marjan Davoudi
- Elham Rouhani
- Desiree Akhavan
Youth Advisory
- Don Dao
- Maleka Darvish
- Chloe Rastegar
- Nessa Samimi
Partner Advisory Board
Comprised of the leaders of the grassroots organizations that Mona Foundation supports, our Partner Advisory Board:
- Creates a community forum where Mona partners can meet each other, share their experiences, opportunities and challenges across boundaries, and leverage each other learnings when and if appropriate.
- Provides Mona Foundation a venue to: learn more systematically from the practitioners in the field about the realities of the communities they serve; gain deeper insights into the social, economic and environmental forces that impact our partners and their services; better understand the emerging trends in education, gender equality and community engagement in different communities; and better anticipate the needs across our partner organizations so that we can more effectively plan and budget.
- Provides our partners another opportunity to provide suggestions and recommendations to improve on the quality of Mona's collaboration and partnership.
- Dulamsuren Chadmaa, Mongolian Development Center, Mongolia
- Flavio Azm Rassekh, ADCAM, Brazil
- Honorable Joseph Lamin, Programme for Children, Sierra Leone
- Bita Correa, FUNDAEC, Colombia
- Vilma Saloj, MAIA Impact School, Guatemala
- Mam-Yassin Sarr, Starfish International, Gambia
- Michael O'Neal, Parent University, USA
- Oscar Torrez, Badi School, Panama
- Paul Flowerman, Educational Initiatives, India, South Africa
- Payman Agahnejad, ADCAM, Brazil
- Ridvan Foxhall, New Era Creative Space, USA
- Roxana Diaz Palacios, Ruhi Arbab Foundation, Colombia
- Tahera Jadhav, Barli Institute for Rural Women, India
- Urvashi Sahni, Study Hall Educational Foundation, India
- Victor Ali, Badi Foundation, Macau
- Tiati Zock,
Emergence Foundation, Cameroon
Mona Chapters
Comprised of Mona supporters dedicated to advocating for our mission in their area, Mona Chapters work to involve organizations and businesses, engage local youth in philanthropy, and host events and other activities to widen our circle of supporters and raise funds.
San Diego Chapter
- Nava Ghalili
- Heather Hays
- Naghmeh Tagdiri
- Jaleh Brunst
- Nika Samimi
- Nikoo Mahboubian
- Nadia Mahalingam
- Prabakar Mahalingam
- Albert Knowles
Los Angeles Chapter
- Duane Clark
- Maya Beesley
- Tammy and David Wood
- Jason Joel Lautenschleger
- Eva LaRue
- Matt Earl Beesley
- Barrett McLaughlin
