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Give Girls A Chance
Q&A with Maxine Crook, Fund Advisor
Give Girls A Chance (GGAC) was started in 2002 by Dianne Rinehart, editor of Homemakers magazine, and its publisher Carol Shea.
Tides Canada enables Give Girls A Chance to carry out fundraising activities by providing a range of gift and grant management services.
What sparked the idea for Give Girls A Chance and when did it start?
It was inspired by a 2001 World Bank report that confirmed what many aid organizations had known for years: countries where girls are educated have healthier populations, faster growing economies and less government corruption.
A fund to educate disadvantaged girls in Canada and in developing countries was set up. Thousands of women across Canada responded by sending cheques and lacing up their running shoes to raise money for the fund.
The dream is kept alive by volunteers who raise money through myriad fundraising activities – from speakers groups to ski film previews – for projects that educate girls from Afghanistan to Zambia to Canada.
Did you imagine at start-up what GGAC would grow to be?
We could only hope! But fortunately, our board members are all achievers, optimists, and hard workers. And we’ve had great help. The running world has been a mainstay of GGAC funding, particularly John Stanton and his Running Room network.
Why work with Tides Canada?
Tides Canada makes it possible for GGAC to exist for a number of reasons.
Their track record in managing social justice initiatives is wide and peerless so it was the perfect charitable foundation to partner with.
They help us make sure the majority of money raised goes to projects to educate girls, rather than to administration fees. They also help ensure that only projects run by successful, accountable Canadian organizations would be funded.
Tides’ founding executive director Tim Draimin was involved directly in the launch of GGAC, and Tides’ staff continue to mentor, encourage and provide support to the GGAC board.
For all this, they charge a very low overhead allocation.
GGAC has one of the lowest administration records of any fundraising initiative in Canada.
It’s the perfect partnership of goals and dedication to educating girls.
Three words that describe what you feel when you consider what you have been able to do?
Commitment, connection, inspiration.
We feel commitment to the goal of educating girls, and to the projects we fund. We feel a connection to the girls, their problems and the countries where they live. We’re inspired to keep on working to better their lives.
