Last year I joined the board of Girls Write Now, a nonprofit organization that pairs at-risk teen girls with professional writers who support them. The pairs meet regularly, alone and in groups, and the girls who finish the program all go on to college.
Amalie, for instance, broke down a little in her first reading (until the other mentees rushed in — video below), sailed through the second (also below), and has just finished her first semester at Smith College.
Girls Write Now has continued to flourish this year despite an economic climate that is as challenging for nonprofits as it is for everyone else. In November, our director, Maya Nussbaum, traveled to Washington, D.C., with third-year mentee Tina Gao to receive the Coming Up Taller Award from First Lady Michelle Obama. (Video above.)
But most of our support comes in small increments from individuals like you. Right now we’re just a little bit short of our $50,000 holiday fundraising goal. I know things are tight all over, but if you have a little to give, please do. And a million thanks to all who’ve donated in the past.