International Women’s Day: 100 Years, 100 Women

On this, the 100^th Anniversary of International Women’s Day, we would like to take a moment to recognize 100 women who inspire Philanthropiece.  The power these women hold to effect change in those around them and the larger communities as a whole is something to be celebrated and honored.  Please join us in saying thank you to all of these women, the women that came before them, and the women of future generations, for making our world a beautiful and better place.

1. Libby Cook…For your fearless vision and strength of spirit. (Philanthropiece)
2. Joanie Knudson …For your great heart and skillful way with words. (Philanthropiece)
3. Lee Lazar…For your brilliant ability to teach through questioning. (Philanthropiece)
4. Julie Moyle…For your sense of wonderment and the insight that it brings. (Philanthropiece)
5. Cathy Cook …For your unending ability to care deeply for all people, everywhere. (Philanthropiece)
6. Nancy Stevens…For your great leadership and never-ending insight. (Philanthropiece)
7. Rachel Fuchs…For your incredible perceptiveness and no-nonsense nature. (Philanthropiece)
8. Morning Glory Farr…For combining wisdom and humor in a way that allows us all to grow and learn and laugh. (Philanthropiece)
9. Becca Lewis…For your boundless energy, vision of sustainability, and social media prowess! (Philanthropiece)
10. Melissa Vaughn…For your boundless spirit and limitless energy.
11. Laura Hundley…For your dedication to philanthropy and going global with your giving.
12. Lynn Thore…For your deep compassion for all sentient beings.
13. Beret Strong…For your incredible intellect and unwavering energy to give to the world.
14. Nancy Printz…For your dedication to providing educational avenues for the children of Nicaragua!
15. Lorraine Masterson…For being there at the beginning and for being the first “Friend of Philanthropiece”.
16. Katie Doyle Myers…For your abilities to take a vision and put it into action and for teaching us how to do everything better for the people we work with.  (Philanthropiece)
17. Colleen King…For your quiet and strong leadership that supports Philanthropiece and the people we serve in every way. (Philanthropiece)
18. Helen Gemmill…For your thoughtful and gentle spirit and incredible smile.
19. Beth Osnes…For sharing Vocal Empowerment with mothers (and others!) of the world. (Mothers Acting Up)
20. Joellen Radersdorf…For ACTION! (Mothers Acting Up)
21. Juliana Forbes…For the artistic beauty and acumen that you bring to all your endeavors. (Mothers Acting Up)
22. Anjali Kochar…For your honesty, guidance and inspiration to all mothers.(Mothers Acting Up) — And to Kiran for showing us that activism and empathy can begin at any age!
23. Karen Brightly…For your intrepid leadership of US moms! (Mothers Acting Up)
24. Katie Morrow…For your steadfast and selfless energy that you so carefully give to the people of Chajul, Guatemala. (Limitless Horizons Ixil)
25. Kelty Davis…For your enviable poise, incredible patience, and beautiful insight that you provide as Philanthropiece’s Community Advocate in supporting sustainable, community-led programming in Chajul, Guatemala. (Philanthropiece)
26. Courtney Wong…For your ability to get things done for the people of Chajul! (Limitless Horizons Ixil)
27. Molly Robbins…For your love of youth and commitment to justice. (Limitless Horizons Ixil)
28. Bridget Barry…For your dedication to community development and empowerment! (Limitless Horizons Ixil)
29. Veronica Yat Tiu…For being a powerful example of leadership for indigenous women in Chajul and all over the world. (Limitless Horizons Ixil)
30. Edilma Ijom…For your resilience and courage. (Limitless Horizons Ixil)
31. Catalina Aracely Utuy Ajanel…For your commitment to literacy for the children of Chajul. (Limitless Horizons Ixil)
32. Suzy Arce Rojas…For your great commitment to your community of Laguna San Ignacio. (Philanthropiece)
33. Rubi Moreno…For your spunk and ability to mobilize your community! (Philanthropiece)
34. Minerva Cordero…For your dedication to community development in El Datil, Baja. (Philanthropiece)
35. Rita Beadle…For turning your artistic vision into ACTION for the conservation of the natural spaces of Ensenada, Mexico. (Vamos a Limpiar la Ciudad)
36. Deborah Halstead…For the energy and expertise that you put into creating the LSI Intensive English Program! (Philanthropiece)
37. Robin and Kathy Beeck…For leading the way in utilizing the power of film as a CALL 2 ACTION! (Boulder International Film Festival)
38. Sue Raab…For your coordination and dedication to making the Call 2 Action program such a success. (Boulder International Film Festival)
39. Paige Doughty…For the music, creativity, and love of environment that you share with children and families in Boulder, CO and Laguna San Ignacio! (Rocky Mountain Music)
40. Josie Heath…For being a role model and mentor for so many women, including us.  (The Community Foundation)
41. Gretchen Wallace…For gracefully and powerfully providing avenues for social entrepreneurship and community empowerment for the women of Rwanda. (Global Grassroots)
42. Sally Hempy…For being forever young at heart and a living example to your daughter – Philanthropiece’s Joanie Knudson – that every person is worthy of care.
43. Joy Bailey…For your honorable career as a nurse, and for raising a son – Philanthropiece’s Jordan Bailey – who lives life with respect and integrity.
44. Carrie Keith…For your tenaciousness and desire to learn.  (Philanthropiece)
45. Christine Evans…For living life with both a genuine curiosity and the skill to pursue that which interests you! (Philanthropiece)
46. Nina Kramer-Feldman…For caring deeply that girls everywhere learn to advocate for themselves and the care and protection of their bodies. (Philanthropiece)
47. Emily Hearst…For a deep compassion for women and girls, and for turning that compassion into an innovative cross-cultural program for youth worldwide. (Philanthropiece)
48. Susan Doyle…For showing your daughter – Philanthropiece’s Katie Doyle Myers – what it means to live a life void of judgment and full of unconditional love.
49. Emily Loose…For your great skill and enthusiasm in non-profit management! (WILD Foundation)
50. Kris Abrams…For your commitment to supporting women activists worldwide. (Urgent Action Fund for Women)
51. Laura Simms…For your love of story, and for your beautiful gift of storytelling.
52. Linda Smith…For your innovative approach to promoting literacy in Guatemala, and for your relentless energy to create a culture of reading. (Reading Village)
53. Lisa Wertz…For your incredible commitment and selfless volunteerism to Philanthropiece’s Youth Global Leadership program!
54. Audra Bishop…For your vision and incredible energy for Philanthropiece’s Youth Global Leadership program! (Philanthropiece YGL)
55. Hannah Davinroy…For your passion for clean water for all people, everywhere! (Philanthropiece YGL)
56. Chloe Beckman…For your courage and leadership! (Philanthropiece YGL)
57. Rachel Moline…For your energy in creating meaningful local service opportunities for YGLers! (Philanthropiece YGL)
58. Emily Robertson…For your steadfast work-ethic and excitement about community development.  (Philanthropiece YGL)
59. Aleiya Evinson…For your beautiful soul and passion for empowerment through creativity! (Philanthropiece YGL)
60. Melisande Osnes…For your passion for family planning and your artistic vision. (Philanthropiece YGL)
61. Sabrina Mayoral…For dedicating your life to sustaining the family-owned eco-tourism operations of Laguna San Ignacio! (Pachico’s Eco-Tours)
62. Zenia Tata…For the depth of insight that you bring to the world of international community development, and for your generosity in sharing it.
63. Zubaida Bai…For your innovation in creating and disseminating appropriate technology for women to lead sustainable, healthy, and productive lives. (AYZH)
64. Stella Gilliland…For that inner spark that always keeps you wondering, learning, writing, and laughing. (Philanthropiece)
65. Carly Knudson…For your compassion for all people and animals, and for your dedication to making the world a safe and just place for all.  (Philanthropiece)
66. Dana Knudson…For keeping us in touch with the youth of today and all that means.
67. MaryBeth Lewis…For being a mentor, a teacher, a friend and wise counsel.  Not to mention being the best example of how to shine when things get tough.
68. Emily Barton…For your loving and altruistic nature, and for sharing your Spanish-language skills for the betterment of people everywhere. (Philanthropiece)
69. Jenna Saldaña Merritt…For your commitment to providing clean water – sustainably! – for the people of Nicaragua. (El Porvenir)
70. Gail Hollander…For your desire to learn and support the people of Ecuador, and for sharing your skill of facilitation.
71. Aseel Anton…For being an incredible, powerful role model for the women of Iraq, and for working towards the justice of all! (Running Water International)
72. Becky Fedack…For integrating your engineering skill with a desire to create more healthy and sustainable lives for the people of Kenya. (Running Water International)
73. Chelsea Hackett…For dedicating your life to utilizing theater as a way to promote social justice. (Philanthropiece)
74. Sandy Dahlberg…For your dedication and passion for the students of the GSSE program. (GSSE)
75. Angie Jeffords…For your resilience and dedication to doing the best for your community of Boulder, CO.
76. Kat Teague Ernst…For your warm direction of the GSSE program and for your efforts with aquaponics in Peru! (GSSE)
77. Yadira Yourn…For using your artistic vision to teach the children of Mexico to love and care for their environment.
78. Azalia Villa Murillo…For your energy in mobilizing the women of Laguna San Ignacio to promote and take action for their health and well being!
79. McKenzie Campbell…For your love and dedication to the youth of Baja (Living Roots).
80. Chandra Greenlee…For your courage and energy in creating a community First Aid and CPR Course for Laguna San Ignacio.
81. Anne McEnany…For your incredible strategic vision for the people, land, and communities of Mexico (International Community Foundation).
82. Nell Merlino…For your revolutionary stance to empowering girls and women. (Count Me In)
83. Kim Zocco…For your willingness to pile 10 women in your truck and for paying it forward.
84. Alice Swett…For your unwavering commitment to the youth of Boulder County. (YOAB)
85. Annie Bacon…For your innovative approach to education in Nicaragua. (Seeds of Learning)
86. Araceli Montoya…For being the courageous FEMALE mayor of Laguna San Ignacio, B.C.S. Mexico.
87. Karen Ashmore…For tirelessly working towards building sustainability in Haiti. (Lambi Fund for Haiti)
88. Mary Ellen Arthur…For empowering the underserved women of Denver, CO. (The Gathering Place)
89.  Debbie Young…For selflessly sharing your insights and expertise on international community development! (Americas Association for the Care of Children)
90. Rachel Epstein…For spending a month in medical rotation and public health education for the people of Chajul.
91. Anna Galdames…For your energy in providing for the people and the planet!
92. Jenny Gomez…For supporting Philanthropiece in strengthening our programs in Laguna San Ignacio!
93. Deanna Camell…For taking what you learned in Laguna San Ignacio into the Peace Corps with you, and for providing literacy programs for the people of Ecuador!
94. Julie Carden…For teaching your daughters – including Philanthropiece’s Colleen King – what it means to take care of others.
95. Marie Wilson…For your leadership and advocacy of women leaders. (The White House Project)
96. Maria Aguilar…For your Mexican culinary delights and caring hospitality.
97. Tammy Brislin…For your inspiration and energy in creating the Voices Women’s Film Festival in Denver, CO in honor of International Women’s Day.
98. Suzanne Thompson…For your dedication to creating avenues for education for youth all over the globe.  (Global Education Fund)
99. All of our Ecuadorian Host Mothers, Sisters, Aunts, and Daughters…For extending such warmth and hospitality to us during our stay in Pucará, Intag Valley. (CASA Interamericana)
100. Our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts and girlfriends…For your hearts, hands, and minds that have shaped us into who we are today.

And…this is in no way an exhaustive list!  There are so many women who inspire and empower us each and every day and we could go on, and on, and on.  If there is a special, inspiring woman not mentioned on this list, please include her in the comments below, and know that we celebrate and honor her!