Annual Report
U.S. NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR UNIFEM
June 1, 2006-May 31, 2007

Annual Meeting
June 23, 2007
UNIFEM/USA Office at Counterpart International
Washington, DC

Opening Letter from the President:

I am honored to be offering my eighth and final Annual Report. Each of these reports has been a 12-month snapshot of our achievements, activities, problems and solutions. While annual reviews are essential, they are by their nature bounded by the calendar. As I was preparing for this report and for the transition to a new President, I thought back to 1999 when I and a new team of leaders were elected to UNIFEM/USA’s board. As we reviewed the organization we were inheriting, we recognized the contributions of our predecessors and we were determined to use the foundation of UNIFEM/USA’s 16-year history to take the organization and its members to the next level so that we could be relevant to the needs of women and their challenges in the new century.

We started with corporate governance and an effort to make UNIFEM/USA more open, transparent and democratic. As a result, voting for Board Members was extended to all members rather than just those who could attend the Annual Meeting; the leadership team has included more than 96 members who have served terms as Board Members; we have passed an independent audit for each of the last 8 years and this information is available to all Board Members; we updated the By-Laws, created Policy & Procedures and signed a Recognition Agreement with our UNIFEM Headquarters in New York City. In addition, through our website each member has access to all of UNIFEM/USA’s governing documents, reports and activity summaries.

We created a sound, long-term fiscal strategy for UNIFEM/USA. Like the annual report, too often budgets were limited to12 month timeframes. To sustain and grow UNIFEM/USA, we developed a multi-year financial vision and created an Endowment Fund that now has $100,000. This will give the new team a stronger financial underpinning on which to base its future activities. In addition, we have successfully completed four national fund raising drives to support operations, with the most successful one just completed on June 22, led by Judy Ramey and Diane Olson, and raising over $35,000.

We have engaged in creative and innovative programs to raise awareness of the challenges confronting women around the world. From Spring Walks to Eliminate Violence Against Women to Neale Godfrey’s “Tap Dancing Through the Boardroom, from the "I Can Touch the Sun" DVD to the film festivals in Sarasota, our Board Members and our Chapters have helped bring the UNIFEM program new visibility and prominence. Our widely recognized website, www.unifemusa.org, has enabled UNIFEM/USA to reach out not only to our membership, but to potential new members, and to extend the UNIFEM brand into the internet.

The measure of every non-profit is how much have you raised and what have you done with the money. A preliminary review of our audits over the last eight years, including estimates for 2007, show that we have raised approximately $1.39 million from dues, events, and donations. Of this amount we estimate that $844,000 was expended in support of UNIFEM with $520,000 donated directly to UNIFEM and $324,000 used in support of UNIFEM’s education and awareness goals. Our $100,000 Endowment Fund will assist the Committee with the task of managing the organization. By any measure and benchmark, UNIFEM/USA has achieved a remarkable record of advancing the cause of women around the world.

Finally, my most important and best accomplishment over the last 8 years was to surround myself with great people. You, the members, have given me the wonderful opportunity to be your President for eight years. My gift to you is the leadership team that we have developed during this time. We have expanded the participation in UNIFEM/USA’s management and have drawn people from every corner of the U.S. and from diverse backgrounds and experience. The talent that this group possesses has empowered me and sustained me. I am confident that the wonderful women in this group and those who will continue to replenish it will be the source of UNIFEM/USA’s continuing success.

Thank you for your support and your continued commitment to UNIFEM and to women around the world.