The Wonderful, Amazing, Stupendous, Inspiring, Butt-Kicking Organizations Women Created

Did you know that the American Red Cross was founded by a woman (Clara Barton)? Did you know that the Salvation Army was cofounded by a woman (Catherine Booth)? Did you know that a woman (Eleanor Roosevelt) drafted the Declaration of Human Rights (passed by the United Nations on December 10, 1948) and was instrumental in helping the United Nations start UNICEF? Think of the billions of people around the world who have been helped by these three organizations, organizations that began due to the heart, mind, and guts of three amazing women.

And what about Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)? Did you know that since MADD was founded by Candy Lightner in 1980, the legal drinking age was raised to twenty-one, all fifty states have lowered the blood alcohol concentration illegal drunk driving limit to .08, and that alcohol-related traffic fatalities have decreased 43 percent (www.madd.org). In MADD’s twenty-six-year history, 300,000 lives have been saved because of efforts that began with one woman!

Think about the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, which was founded on a promise made between two sisters, Susan Goodman Komen (who died of breast cancer in 1980) and Nancy Goodman Brinker (who promised her sister she would do everything possible to end breast cancer). Did you know that since Nancy Brinker founded the Komen Foundation in 1982 with just $200 and a shoebox of friends’ names, the Foundation and its affiliates have raised more than $750 million, created a Web site that has educated millions, and started a toll free hotline that helps thousands every year? In just over twenty years the Komen foundation - through its pink ribbon campaign, its Races for the Cure, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp (the first semipostal stamp ever offered to generate funding for disease awareness and research), and its continued lobbying for better funding and legislation - has made sure that breast cancer has gone from a disease not discussed to a disease that many have survived and many more may never contract. As their Web site says, “a single person’s vision can make a difference in the lives of millions.” (www.Komen.org)

And what about Oprah’s Angel Network? What began as an invitation by Oprah in 1997 to her viewers to collect spare change for The Boys & Girls Clubs of America scholarships and to volunteer time building homes with Habitat for Humanity is now a public charity that has raised more than $27 million dollars for charities and non profit organizations that make a difference in people’s lives around the world. Oprah’s vision “to inspire individuals to create opportunities that help underserved people rise to their own potential” has enabled so many people to make an even bigger difference in the world. (www.Oprah.com)

What women do you admire for going into the world and making it a better place? Who do you think of when you’re searching for inspiration? Who would you include on your list of Butt-Kicking Women Who Have Made a Difference?