The Dick & Bestsy DeVos Foundation supports IEEW with $100,000 Sponsorship
May 26th, 2008 Posted by Catherine Neill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Jennifer Dennis-Smith
405-516-9686
[email protected]
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation Supports Women’s Business
Programs with $100,000 Sponsorship of
The Institute For Economic Empowerment Of Women
OKLAHOMA CITY (May XX, 2008) — The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW) has announced the addition of the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation to its $100,000 Global Ambassador sponsorship level. As a nonprofit organization dedicated to the empowerment of women throughout the world, IEEW oversees the Peace through Business program that brings women from other countries to the United States for an intense three-week course of study at a major university, and one week of mentorship with American women business owners.
“We are grateful to the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation for their support in helping women in the United States and abroad. Dick and Betsy are true visionaries,” said IEEW Founder and CEO Terry Neese. “As Chair of Peace through Business, Betsy brings a strong sense of ethics and leadership to the program.
We are grateful for her continued desire to spread democracy worldwide.”
Peace through Business began its groundbreaking program in 2007 by partnering with the U.S. State Department and the US/Afghan Women’s Council to host 12 women entrepreneurs from Afghanistan.
This year, IEEW will bring 30 international women entrepreneurs to the United States in July for business education with partnering universities and mentorship with American women business owners. Oklahoma Christian University will host 15 women from Rwanda and Northwood University will host 15 women from Afghanistan.
“Dick and I, together with our children, are very pleased and honored to support the pioneering Peace through Business program,” says Betsy DeVos on behalf of the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation.
“Equipping women to unleash their entrepreneurial and enterprising spirits is an important personal step. Empowering women serves more broadly to promote freedom and encourage interdependence in their fledgling democracies. We believe this is a powerfully positive combination for these brave, wonderful women and the countries in which they live.”
IEEW also organizes the popular Empowering Women, a one-day training course that encourages women business owners to become more active in public policy advocacy. Held in five major cities throughout the U.S., theEmpowering Women workshops demonstrate how women can make a difference in their communities by tapping into local, state and federal elected officials.
Additional support for IEEW is provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the US State Department, the US/Afghan Women’s Council, and other private donations.
For more information about IEEW and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.ieew.org.
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About IEEW: The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization empowering women to grow their businesses, pursue greater entrepreneurial ventures and become more active public policy advocates. The Institute accomplishes this mission by focusing on education,
mentorship, and coaching women in the United States and abroad who are seeking to acquire entrepreneurial skills to help start and grow a business.
About the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation
The mission of the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation is to serve as faithful stewards of God’s blessings through a focus on 1) Christian Evangelism through church building, family building, and youth programming; 2) Education through programs that provide support for parental choices in determining
where their elementary and secondary school-aged children attend school; 3) Public Policy that results in a freer, more virtuous, more prosperous society.
