New York, NY (PRWEB) September 17, 2015
Tonight, leading philanthropic organization, Women Moving Millions, hosts their fourth annual summit in New York City. The organization, comprised of a global community of committed, purposeful people making bold gifts of $1 million or more for the advancement of women and girls, has inspired unprecedented levels of giving by women. Through Women Moving Millions, members share knowledge, strengthen skill sets, foster leadership development and leverage networks to elevate women and girls across the world.
“Women Moving Millions was founded on a simple, yet bold vision to invite women to make a minimum million-dollar gift in support of women and girls. What started as a singular campaign has become a dynamic community – one filled with formidable and compassionate individuals, who together are changing the landscape of philanthropy. Less than 10% of global philanthropic dollars address the needs of women and girls. Even now in 2015, issues related to women and girls are understudied and underfunded,” says Jacki Zehner, Chief Engagement Officer and President. “At Women Moving Millions, we are working to change this. By 2026 women alone could give an estimated $1 trillion dollars per year if they gave 1.7% of their wealth. To date, 234 donors in 12 countries across the globe have pledged over $500 million to a variety of organizations and initiatives of their choosing that share Women Moving Millions’ commitment to advance women and girls throughout the world.”
Kicking off the Summit, Thursday evening begins with “Stories of Purpose” to celebrate the work of their members, partners and allies. Speakers (in order of appearance) include Jacki Zehner, Chief Engagement Officer and President of Women Moving Millions; Pat Mitchell, Executive Chair of the Paley Center for Media; Christy Turlington Burns, Founder of Every Mother Counts; Sarah L. Colamarino, Vice President of Corporate Equity and Partnerships at Johnson & Johnson; Stephen Lewis, AIDS-Free World Co-Founder and Co-Director; Yang Lan, Women Moving Millions Member and Founder of Sun Culture Foundation.
The evening closes with a conversation between Meryl Streep, Actor and Activist, and Cathy Schulman, Academy-Award Winning Producer and President of Women In Film Los Angeles, about the state of women in film and the advancing gender equality in the arts and beyond.
“I believe in the power of women supporting women to achieve change,” states Meryl Streep, Actor and Activist. “The work of Women Moving Millions is critically important right now. I am personally committed to reshaping the film industry by opening up more opportunities for women screenwriters over the age of 40. Women currently control an estimated $13.2 Trillion of wealth in North America. We have the power to collectively exert our influence and change landscapes in film, in philanthropy, and beyond.”
The Summit will continue over Friday, September 18th and Saturday, September 19th with additional speakers and workshops discussing leadership, entrepreneurship and empowerment including a session with Founding Partners of Seneca Point Global, Kim K. Azzarelli (Co-Founder & Chair, Avon Center for Women and Justice) and Ambassador Melanne Verveer (Executive Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace & Security), discussing how women can use their economic power to enrich their lives and build a better world, a topic covered in their upcoming book Fast Forward: How Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose.
The Annual Summit: The Power of Purpose, Women Moving Millions is supported by lead partners The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Johnson & Johnson, as well as Charles Schwab Foundation, J.P. Morgan Private Bank (Founding Partner), LUNA, TD Bank Group, Circle Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs, Pearson and the PIMCO Foundation.
For media enquiries please contact Cari Sommer or Catherine Pope of Sommer Communications Group at Cari(at)sommercg(dot)com / Catherine(at)sommercg(dot)com or via phone at 646-480-7683.
About Women Moving Millions: Women Moving Millions is a U.S.-based registered non-profit organization whose mission is to catalyze unprecedented resources for the advancement of women and girls around the world. Women Moving Millions is not a grant-making institution.