1. GWLN
General
Proposal
1
Executive
Summary
It
is
increasingly
being
recognized
that
there
can
be
no
peace,
security,
or
sustainable
economic
development
without
women’s
equal
participation
in
all
spheres
of
society.
Global
Women’s
Leadership
Network
(GWLN)
has
long
believed
that
empowering
women
is
the
RIGHT
thing
to
do:
it
is
also
the
best
means
of
ending
poverty,
violence
and
terrorism,
environmental
degradation
and
creating
a
more
just,
free
world.
That
is
why
GWLN
is
part
of
Santa
Clara
University
-­‐-­‐
helping
to
build
leaders
of
competence,
conscience,
and
compassion
–
particularly
women
leaders.
GWLN
was
founded
in
early
2004
with
the
mission
of
providing
women’s
leadership
that
was
global
in
scope
and
was
effective
across
cultures
and
generations.
That
has
been
accomplished.
GWLN
has
educated
100
women
leaders
from
29
countries
through
its
Women
Leaders
for
the
World
(WLW)
program,
most
of
them
from
NGO’s.
Ranging
in
age
from
25
to
75,
these
women
are
a
powerful
network
–
supporting
each
other’s
projects
and
fortifying
each
other’s
spirit
through
the
use
of
the
Internet.
As
an
organization,
GWLN’s
approach
is
ready
to
scale.
According
to
Laying
a
Solid
Foundation
from
Public/Private
Ventures,
GWLN
meets
all
of
their
criteria
for
replication:
1. GWLN
addresses
an
important
social
problem
or
need.
More
and
more,
the
role
of
exceptional
leadership,
and
particularly
women
as
leaders,
is
being
recognized
as
a
high
leverage
point
for
gaining
traction
on
numerous
world
issues.
2. GWLN’s
program
is
effective.
GWLN
commissioned
an
Impact
Report
in
2009,
which
showed
lasting
effects
of
the
leadership
training.
The
effectiveness
could
be
attributed
to
the
combination
of
leadership
methodologies
used
as
well
as
the
follow-­‐up
coaching
sessions
and
the
“network
effect”
on
an
ongoing
basis.
3. The
participants
in
Women
Leaders
for
the
World
make
immediate
and
lasting
impacts
in
their
communities.
Participants
meet
their
3-­‐month
milestone
as
well
as
continuing
to
chart
and
achieve
breakthroughs
with
their
initiatives.
4. The
essential
elements
of
our
leadership
education
are
clear
and
replicable.
We
are
poised
to
go
in-­‐country
to
train
trainers
and
coaches
who
will
be
able
to
train
in
local
language
at
a
much
lower
cost.
Given
funding,
GWLN
is
ready
to
have
its
leadership
education
accelerate
efforts
around
the
world.
For
instance,
Icon
Academy
in
Uganda
has
already
agreed
to
partner
with
GWLN
to
start
an
initiative.
Imagine
that
the
top
leader
from
each
of
20
health-­‐related
NGOs
are
trained
in
the
breakthrough
leadership
methodologies
used
in
the
WLW
program.
(Debbie
Kaddu-­‐Serwadda,
the
Executive
Director
of
Icon
is
a
graduate
of
that
program.)
A
small
“seed”
fund
will
be
given
to
each
leader
as
an
initial
investment
in
their
projects.
The
leaders
will
be
coached
by
Debbie
and
other
trained
coaches
for
the
6
months
following
the
initial
education
in
the
implementation
of
projects
to
forward
women’s
and
girl’s
health.
An
impact
analysis
system
of
measurement
will
be
put
in
place
to
monitor
and
determine
which
of
the
organizations/projects
warrant
further
investment.
This
measurement
system
will
use
tools
from
Open
Action
and
Women’s
Funding
Network
(Making
the
Case)
and
all
leaders
will
be
encouraged
to
implement
it
for
their
entire
organization.
Thus,
in
one
year,
there
will
be
improved
leadership
capability
instilled
in
a
vital
social
society
sector.
Several
projects
will
have
been
implemented
and
results
achieved.
New
measurement
discipline
will
have
been
instilled.
Future
investment
opportunities
will
have
been
identified.
Last
but
not
least,
there
will
be
in-­‐country
people
capable
of
continuously
educating
leaders
who
can
lead
organizations
more
effectively.
The
Issue
Meeting
the
basic
requirements
of
survival
and
independence
is
still
a
significant
challenge
for
many
women
in
the
world
(57%
of
the
world's
population
lives
on
less
than
$2.50
a
day;
most
are
women
and
children).
Centuries
of
male-­‐dominated
cultures
have
“taught”
women
to
be
powerless.
In
the
context
of
women
as
leaders,
there
is
real
irony
in
Maryanne
Williamson’s
words,
“Our
deepest
fear
is
not
that
we
are
inadequate.
Our
deepest
fear
is
that
we
are
powerful
beyond
measure.
It
is
our
light,
not
our
darkness
that
frightens
us
most.
We
ask
ourselves,
'Who
am
I
to
be
brilliant,
gorgeous,
talented,
and
famous?'”
1
And,
then,
she
speaks
the
truth
that
women
worldwide
need
to
heed,
“Actually,
who
are
you
not
to
be?”
1
An
excerpt
from
A
Return
To
Love
by
Maryanne
Williamson
and
used
by
Nelson
Mandela
in
his
inauguration
speech

2. GWLN
General
Proposal
2
As
demographer
Maddy
Dychtwald
explains,
in
a
recent
study
on
the
growing
role
of
women
in
the
global
economy
and
their
growing
influence
in
the
marketplace
in
the
21
st
century,
women’s
full
participation
is
required
if
a
nation
hopes
to
remain
globally
competitive:
“The
health
of
the
global
economy
demands
that
women
realize
their
full
potential
as
economic
participants.
This
transformed
world,
where
women
hold
economic
power
equal
to
men’s,
is
inevitable
not
only
because
it’s
fair
and
just
(which
it
is),
but
because
human
economic
success
now
depends
on
it.
In
the
coming
decades,
countries
that
harness
women’s
economic
power
will
win;
those
that
fail
to
do
so
will
lose.”
2
Today,
with
these
high
stakes
in
the
balance,
there
is
a
heighted
awareness-­‐-­‐if
not
the
political
courage-­‐-­‐to
accelerate
social
investments
to
improve
the
lives
of
women
and
to
provide
them
with
the
technologies
of
self
(e.g.
employment,
education,
empowerment,
leadership
training,
etc.)
needed
to
fully
participate
as
global
citizens,
workers
and
change-­‐
makers.
3
The
potential
ROI
speaks
for
itself:
 In
2006,
The
Economist
estimated
that
over
the
past
decade,
women’s
work
has
contributed
more
to
global
growth
than
China.
4
 The
Economist
further
noted
that
if
Japan
raised
the
share
of
workingwomen
to
American
levels,
it
would
boost
annual
growth
by
0.3%
per
year
over
20
years.
5
 According
to
the
United
Nations,
economies
in
the
developing
world
grow
by
3
percent
for
every
10
percent
increase
in
the
number
of
girls
able
to
access
secondary
schooling.
These
are
but
a
few
examples
of
studies
showing
that
educating
and
empowering
women
and
girls
are
among
the
most
cost-­‐effective
means
to
long-­‐lasting
development.
Educated
and
empowered
women
and
girls
marry
later,
earn
more,
and
have
fewer,
healthier
and
better-­‐educated
children.
The
GWLN
Approach
It
is
time
for
women
to
become
the
leaders
they
are
destined
to
be
-­‐-­‐
in
every
realm
and
in
every
sector
of
society.
This
is
the
task
that
GWLN
is
focused
on.
Impactful
social
movements
take
60
to
80
years.
GWLN
is
building
leadership
capacity
for
sustainable
global
change
beyond
any
one
person’s
lifetime.
As
an
organization
dedicated
to
a
new
future
for
humanity,
the
Global
Women’s
Leadership
Network
(GWLN)
is
fueling
this
historic
demographic
shift
towards
female
economic
emancipation
worldwide.
In
the
past
six
years,
we
have
focused
our
capacity-­‐building
efforts
for
women
around
transformative
leadership.
We
strive
to
engage
and
empower
women
as
leaders
and
agents
of
change
by
shifting
their
thinking
about
themselves
and
their
communities,
giving
them
confidence
in
their
abilities
beyond
what
they
ever
imagined
and
networking
them
together
for
support
and
the
proliferation
of
best
practices.
GWLN’s
strategies
to
accelerate
and
foster
social
justice
and
economic
sustainability
include:
A. Leadership
Development
–
today
held
in
the
U.S.
for
global
leaders;
in
the
next
5
years
by
establishing
women’s
learning
centers
in
Africa,
Asia,
and
the
Middle
East
B. Complementary
Services:
Using
the
knowledge
and
expertise
of
our
global
network
to
discover
and
support
the
rapid
growth
of
civil
society
and
business
organizations
with
high
social
impact
potential.
Activities
include
coaching,
mentoring
and
cooperative
projects.
We
enlist
the
social
capital
across
GWLN’s
“human
network”
to
foster
relationships
that
stimulate
new
levels
of
capability.
C. Partnering
with
international
groups
and
members
of
GWLN
to
accomplish
A
&
B
while
spreading
awareness
of
women’s
impact.
2
Quoted
in
Dychtwald,
M.
&
Larson,
C.
Influence:
How
Women's
Soaring
Economic
Power
Will
Transform
Our
World
for
the
Better.
Voice
2010.
3
International
Labour
Organization
(ILO).
2008.
Global
Employment
Trends
for
Women,
March
2008.
Available
from:
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/-­‐-­‐-­‐dgreports/-­‐-­‐-­‐dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_091225.pdf
4
Economist.
2006.
The
importance
of
sex
(April
15).
Retrieved
6
February
2009
from
Academic
Search
Premier
database.
5
Ibid.

3. GWLN
General
Proposal
3
Worldwide
women
represent
the
largest
untapped
source
of
leadership.
Generally,
women
play
a
limited
role
in
decision-­‐making
processes
and
are
underutilized
in
most
economies.
GWLN’s
vision
is
a
world
in
which
capable,
competent
and
committed
women
assume
leadership
roles
across
all
domains
of
society.
GWLN’s
vision
and
approach
are
built
around
three
core
principles
for
creating
authentic,
transformative
and
emboldened
leaders
embodying
the
quintessence
of
their
character
and
community:
• Whole
Woman
-­‐-­‐
as
an
individual,
fulfilling
her
purpose
• Whole
Leader
-­‐-­‐
inspiring
and
enrolling
others
because
they
are
needed
to
fulfill
a
vision
• Whole
World
-­‐-­‐
as
part
of
a
network,
working
to
ignite
a
new
future
for
humanity
in
harmony
with
nature
GWLN
Results
The
graduates
from
the
GWLN
education
program,
Women
Leaders
for
the
World
(WLW),
have
embraced,
extended,
and
embodied
GWLN’s
vision
by
carrying
out
social
justice
projects
that
challenge
and
change
the
status
quo
in
their
communities.
The
transformations
take
place
across
three
domains:
1)
the
individual,
2)
the
relational,
and
3)
the
social
spheres.
Three
examples
of
work
conducted
by
WLW
alumna
instantiate
these
transformations
across
these
interdependent
domains:
1) The
Individual
(Whole
Woman):
Sema
Basol
is
a
Turkish
American
who
has
lived
in
the
United
States
for
more
than
25
years.
After
a
successful
career
with
Mattel
Toys
(launching
and
building
the
Barbie
Doll
Clothes
for
Girls
product
line
to
over
$1B),
she
left
her
business
career
to
help
start
the
Turkish
Space
Camp.
In
2007,
she
began
working
with
GWLN
and
participated
in
WLW.
At
WLW,
the
Turkish
Women’s
Initiative
(TWI)
was
born.
Now,
she
is
fulfilling
her
purpose
–
to
be
a
bridge
between
the
United
States
and
Turkey.
As
that
bridge,
she
is
liberating
females
in
the
economy.
From
young
women
in
universities
who
are
doing
social
projects
to
the
Garanti
Bank
and
KAGIDER
(the
Entrepreneurial
Women’s
organization)
stimulating
new
women-­‐owned
business
to
independent
artisan
cooperatives
in
Anatolia
to
Mercedes
Benz
launching
social
change
initiatives,
Sema
is
advancing
economic
and
social
expression
among
Turkish
women.
2) The
Relational
(Whole
Leader):
Alma
Cota
de
Yanez
is
the
Director
of
an
organization
called
FESAC
((Fundacion
del
Empresariado
Sonorense,
A.C.)
in
Nogales,
Sonora,
Mexico.
In
2005
when
she
came
to
the
Women
Leaders
for
the
World
leadership
education
program,
she
was,
according
to
her
own
words,
a
“loner
with
a
coffee
pot
and
a
copier”.
Her
project
was
to
obtain
1
(yes,
just
1!)
computer
for
the
30
NGO’s
that
she
assists.
Within
8
weeks
of
leaving
the
leadership
program,
she
had
obtained
27
computers
to
fuel
the
various
worthy
causes
she
fosters.
Five
years
later,
her
organization
is
raising
hundreds
of
thousands
of
dollars
to
develop
this
border
town.
Her
organization
is
recognized
for
its
role
in
ensuring
that
life-­‐giving
services
are
available
to
the
citizens
of
her
city
and
that
it
does
not
become
another
“Tijuana.”
Through
her
outreach
and
contact
with
partners,
Alma
helped
reorient
how
people
in
Nogales
viewed
philanthropic
initiatives.
Her
efforts
changed
the
conversation
among
her
predominantly
Catholic
community
from
one
focused
on
the
piety
of
“individual
charity”
to
one
focused
on
the
need
for
“social
investment.”
Alma
led
a
purposeful
shift
in
moving
the
philanthropic
community
of
Mexico
from
a
traditional
culture
of
charity
to
one
of
investment
in
empowerment.
3) The
Social
(Whole
World):
Maame
Yelbert-­‐Obeng
is
a
native
of
Ghana
and
a
grant
officer
with
Global
Fund
for
Women.
At
WLW,
Maame’s
vision
became
to
“create
a
new
paradigm
of
leadership
where
women
can
bring
all
of
their
gifts
to
work.”
She
is
now
not
only
approving
grant
requests,
but
partnering
to
see
the
projects
to
fruition.
She
recently
partnered
with
another
graduate,
Melinda
Kramer
for
a
water
project
congress
in
Africa.
Maame
was
a
role
model
and
leader
at
the
event
helping
other
women
to
shatter
the
traditional
role
of
women
as
beasts
of
burden
to
the
civil
engineers
of
water
projects.
At
a
recent
meeting
of
women
from
6
S.F.
NGO’s,
she
led
a
conversation
that
may
lead
to
a
stronger
international
coalition
of
development
and
educational
organizations.
Women,
like
Sema,
Alma,
and
Maame
are
only
a
few
of
the
success
stories.
Nearly
all
of
the
100+
say
that
their
results
are
well
beyond
what
they
predicted
prior
to
the
education
and
coaching
they
received.
Since
more
than
90%

4. GWLN
General
Proposal
4
of
the
participants
are
from
not-­‐for-­‐profit
entities,
we
have
provided
whole
or
partial
scholarships
for
them
to
attend
the
residential
program
in
Silicon
Valley.
GWLN
Measurement
In
our
2009
Impact
Report
on
graduates
from
the
first
four
years,
there
were
gratifying
results:
• 91%
responded
that
the
vision
they
left
WLW
with
still
directs
their
life
• Multiple
benefits
experienced,
both
personally
and
professionally:
o Increased
confidence,
courage
o Expanded
network
and
global
perspective
o Viewed
by
others
as
leaders,
given
more
responsibility;
sought
after
as
subject
matter
experts,
and
community
leaders
relative
to
their
project/vision.
o Reported
experiencing
better
communication
and
relationships,
career
advancement,
and
more
energy/well-­‐being
• Well
above
average
assessment
of
WLW’s
impact
on
their
success
and
ability
to
network
effectively
• On
the
difference
made
to
their
success
(in
fulfilling,
moving
toward
their
vision),
on
a
scale
of
1-­‐10,
with
10
being
“a
very
significant
difference”
60%
rated
WLW
as
8
or
above
Noted
below
are
some
of
the
quantifiable
local
impacts
reported
by
alumna
after
participating
in
WLW
training:
• Able
to
reach
out
to
more
than
12
million
radio
listeners
in
sub-­‐Saharan
Africa;
• Trained
12
head
trainers,
who
oversee
810
community
trainers,
who
serve
250,000
girls
and
25,000
boys.
• 5,000
villagers
in
the
Manyesa
area
are
beginning
to
take
ownership
of
their
own
development.
• Serving
125
women
in
India
within
four
months
of
beginning
operations
there.
• Established
a
“Living
Library”
in
Golcuk
Art
Center
that
27,000
people
visited
in
1.5
years.
• Trained
60
Journalists
on
gender-­‐sensitive
reporting
to
promote
women
candidates
in
Ghana’s
2008
Parliamentary
elections.
• Over
600
Veterans,
Wounded
Warriors
and
Caregivers
trained
in
Healthcare
and
IT,
with
2,000
more
estimated
this
year.
• Expanded
operations
from
10
to
18
hospitals
in
18
months.
• Recruited
81
trekking
guide
trainees
annually;
received
award
for
positive
impact
on
Nepal
GDP
• Trained
the
Capacity
Development
Unit,
Adolescent
Development
Programme,
Education,
BRAC
in
Bangladesh
serving
250,000
girls
and
25,000
boys.
BRAC
the
world's
largest
non-­‐government
organizations.
• Purchased
120
acres
of
land
for
women
survivors
of
domestic
violence.
Purchased
one
brick
maker
• Attracted
2,500
participants
to
the
Tropical
Farmers
conference
in
Mexico.
Part
of
our
future
plans
is
to
increase
the
ability
of
GWLN
members
and
WLW
graduates
to
report
on
and
share
best
practices
from
their
social
justice
projects
via
web-­‐based
tools.
Currently,
we
are
piloting
an
outcome
mapping
and
impact
measurement
initiative
with
some
WLW
graduates
using
the
Open
Action
web
portal.
The
GWLN
Business
Model
–
to
date
GWLN’s
success
to
date
is
a
tribute
to
the
entrepreneurial
spirit
and
generosity
of
hundreds
of
Californians.
We
have
no
permanent
staff,
relying
on
hundreds
of
volunteers
and
a
few
people
who
are
paid
through
program
grants
on
a
part-­‐time
contractor
basis.
According
to
the
Foundation
Center,
each
hour
of
labor
volunteered
is
valued
at
$20.61/hr.
6
GWLN
volunteers
donate
over
5,500
hours
each
year,
valued
at
over
$110,000
in
in-­‐kind
services.
Moreover,
each
year
we
are
fortunate
to
call
upon
the
services
of
an
elite
corps
of
professional
coaches
whose
services,
valued
at
over
$250/hour
would
normally
be
out
of
reach
for
most
WLW
participants,
but
who
make
themselves
available
to
WLW
participants
as
coaches
throughout
a
three-­‐month
long
process.
Santa
Clara
University’s
Leavey
School
of
Business
provides
us
with
meeting
space,
financial
oversight,
web
services,
etc.
To
pay
for
out-­‐of-­‐
pocket
expenses
such
as
airfare,
lodging,
etc.,
we
have
raised
over
$650,000
from
individuals,
corporations,
and
a
few
small
foundations,
particularly
private
family
foundations.
6
Corporation
for
National
and
Community
Service.
“Research
Brief:
Volunteering
in
America
Research
Highlights.”
(2009).

5. GWLN
General
Proposal
5
The
Future
GWLN’s
FUTURE
goals
are
ambitious
and
focused
on
the
Global
South.
In
quantitative
terms,
they
are:
• 1,000,000
people
‘s
incomes
are
increased
at
least
5
fold
through
interaction
with
the
GWLN
Network
by
International
Woman’s
Day,
8
th
March
2013
At
the
heart
of
the
GWLN
culture
is
a
passion
for
results.
Economic
empowerment
means
that
people
have
more
income.
The
greater
GWLN
Network
includes
our
program
graduates,
faculty,
staff,
partners,
donors,
sponsors,
and
the
people
in
the
communities/organizations
who
these
people
are
working
with.
• 2500
Leaders
in
the
Inner
GWLN
Network
by
International
Woman's
Day,
8th
March
2013
The
inner
GWLN
Network
consists
of
graduates
of
all
of
our
current
and
future
leadership
training
and
exchange
programs.
Thus,
it
currently
includes
the
100
graduates
of
Women
Leaders
for
the
World,
the
75
students
who
have
participated
in
the
Global
Fellows
program,
and
the
20
(men
and
women)
who
are
attending
the
Global
Leaders
for
Justice
program
this
summer
plus
our
core
staff
and
faculty
–
about
250
people.
Reaching
this
10X
level
in
the
next
3
years
requires
new
approaches
beyond
just
an
expanded
schedule
of
WLW
programs.
Our
direction
includes
defining
and
scaling
a
Train
the
Trainer
(T3)
program
in
2
to
3
developing
countries
7
and
utilizing
technology
to
enable
vastly
improved
communication,
including
the
sharing
of
best
practices
worldwide.
• GWLN
is
a
sustainable
organization
by
12/31/10
Sustainable
means
having
the
funds
and
permanent
staff
required
to
offer
regular
programs
and
to
nurture
the
network
without
disruption.
We
are
targeting
$5M
by
the
end
of
December
this
year.
• Creating
a
version
1.0
kit
of
tools
and
training
materials
for
in-­‐country
distribution
by
12/31/10.
To
reach
these
ambitious
goals
requires
leveraging
GWLN
assets:
1)
knowledge
of
transformative
leadership
education,
2)
our
human
network,
and
3)
an
emerging
technology
platform.
Garnering
massive
social
impact
will
require
using
these
assets
well
and
finding,
funding,
and
supporting
initiatives
that
are
ready
to
scale.
Here
are
7
strategies
that
we
hope
to
implement
to
transform
inputs
into
transformative
outcomes:
1. Develop
coherent,
seamless,
and
extended
learning
experiences
that
link
formal
and
informal
education
channels
and
convey
the
excitement
of
self-­‐transformation
and
actualization.
Make
these
available
through
an
open
source
model
via
the
Internet.
2. Provide
high-­‐quality,
leader
training
to
people
in
partner
organizations
(local
community
based
organizations)
so
they
can
train
local
people
in
local
language
over
the
longer
term.
3. Help
to
scale
projects
and
programs
proven
to
help
women
and
girls
succeed.
4. Find
more
established,
in-­‐country
strategic
partnerships
serving
high
numbers
of
women
and
children.
5. Find
and
provide
online
measurement
tools
such
as
Open
Action
and
Making
the
Case
(from
the
Women’s
Funding
Network)
so
the
trained
leaders
can
articulate
their
progress
and
prove
the
results
6. Embrace
new
technologies
as
a
means
of
delivering
workshops
for
graduates,
companies,
and
the
general
public.
Two
in-­‐kind
grants
from
Webex
and
LINQTO
in
2010
will
provide
the
initial
tools
to
pilot
and
refine
various
offerings
using
a
cost-­‐effective
Internet
collaboration
platform.
7. Partner
with
larger
NGO’s
for
funding
of
WLW
courses
and
building
a
worldwide
ICT
infrastructure
to
employ
new
media
and
social
networking.
Potential
collaborators
include
Ashoka,
the
global
association
of
the
world’s
leading
social
entrepreneurs;
the
Center
for
Science,
Technology
&
Society
at
Santa
Clara
University,
CEDPA
(Center
for
Development
and
Population
Activities);
Icon
Academy
in
Uganda,
Women’s
Funding
Network,
the
Turkish
Women’s
Initiative,
and
KAGIDER,
the
Women
Entrepreneurs
Association
of
Turkey.
In
the
economic
security
arena
these
will
be
micro-­‐finance
institutions
(international
as
well
as
those
in
various
countries),
banks,
the
Leavey
School
of
Business,
Women’s
Initiative,
CEO
Woman,
etc.
7
A
pool
of
young
trainers
is
created
and
utilized
for
GWLN
programs,
particularly
in
Global
South
countries

6. GWLN
General
Proposal
6
Our
policy
is
to
work
for
women,
in
partnership
with
men,
and
to
create
an
environment
conducive
to
broad
participation.
We
build
bridges
of
trust,
respect
and
friendship
and
offer
advice
and
constant
follow-­‐up
to
our
trainees
and
graduates.
We
constantly
strive
to
ensure
quality,
uniqueness,
inclusion,
innovation
and
long-­‐term
focus.
We
focus
on
transformational
and
ethical
leadership
practices.
We
continually
monitor
qualitative
and
quantitative
metrics
in
planning
and
managing
outcomes.
Funding
for
this
project
would
allow
GWLN
to
put
in
place
the
infrastructure,
including
a
small
cadre
of
permanent
staff
to
broaden
the
impact
of
our
programs.
Pilot
Project
Timeline
 Year
1:
International
Outreach
&
Capacity
Building
o Engage
partner-­‐candidates
for
in-­‐country
training
of
trainers
and
participant
training
sessions.
o Travel,
talk
and
train:
provide
technical
assistance
to
partner
or
anchor
sites
to
enable
delivery
of
quarterly
trainings.
Observe
the
trained
leaders
in
their
element
–
with
their
teams.
o Design,
develop
and
deliver:
localize
curriculum,
coaching
and
collateral
for
outreach.
 Year
2:
Share
and
Scale
Best
Practices
o Document,
analyze
and
share
emerging
best
practices
in
women’s
leadership
development
training
and
capture
data
on
subsequent
transformational
outputs
and
outcomes
as
lessons
learned
among
the
GWLN
partner
ecosystem.
o Leverage
ICT
and
other
social
networking
technologies
to
accelerate
adoption,
implementation
and
communication
of
WLW
participant
project
insights,
challenges,
and
triumphs
in
the
field.
o Publish
and
present
research
data
at
sector
conferences,
women’s
events
and
social
justice
forums.

7. GWLN
General
Proposal
7
Who
We
Are
Organization
Name:
Global
Women’s
Leadership
Network
(GWLN)
Contact:
Linda
Alepin,
GWLN,
Founding
Director
Email:
alepin@scu.edu
Organization
Website:
http:
//www.gwln.org
Organization
Phone:
+1
(408)
551-­‐1831
Organization
Address:
GWLN,
Santa
Clara
University,
Lucas
316c,
500
EL
Camino,
Santa
Clara,
CA
95053
USA
Is
your
organization?
 A
non-­‐profit/NGO/citizen-­‐sector
organization:
GWLN
is
a
sponsored
program
at
the
Leavey
School
of
Business
at
Santa
Clara
University.
How
long
has
this
organization
been
operating
(please
delete
those
that
don’t
apply)?
 More
than
5
years
What
is
this
organization’s
annual
budget
(in
USD.
Please
delete
those
that
don’t
apply)?
 Less
than
$499,999
Does
your
organization
have
a
board
of
directors
or
an
advisory
board?
YES,
both
Does
your
organization
have
any
non-­‐monetary
partnerships
with
NGOs?
YES
Does
your
organization
have
any
non-­‐monetary
partnerships
with
businesses?
YES
Does
your
organization
have
any
non-­‐monetary
partnerships
with
government?
NO
Funding
sources:
 Friends
and
family
 Individual
donations
 Foundations
 Businesses

8.
1
GWLN,
c/o
L.
Alepin,
Lucas
Hall
316C,
Santa
Clara
University,
500
el
Camino
Real,
Santa
Clara,
CA
95053
June
18,
2010
Office
of
Global
Women’s
Issues
U.S.
Department
of
State
2201
C
Street
NW
Washington,
DC
20520
Dear
Amb.
Verveer
and
Ms.
Rodin:
In
response
to
the
Secretary’s
Innovation
Award
for
the
Empowerment
of
Women
and
Girls
Call
for
Concept
Papers,
the
Global
Woman’s
Leadership
Network
(GWLN)
respectfully
submits
the
enclosed
proposal
requesting
funding
in
the
amount
of
$500,000
over
three
years
in
support
of
our
replication
and
scaling
initiatives
for
the
Women
Leaders
for
the
World
program.
GWLN
is
committed
to
participatory
and
creative
methods
and
approaches
in
providing
quality
and
sustainable
leadership
programming
to
women
and
girls
across
the
Global
South.
GWLN
is
creating
the
network,
training
programs,
and
leadership
support
systems
necessary
to
embolden
and
enhance
the
capability
of
women
leaders
worldwide.
A
key
part
of
sustaining
results
is
the
availability
of
a
vibrant
social
network
to
facilitate
continuous
mentoring,
training
and
collaboration.
GWLN
is
committed
to
providing
this
network
through
the
use
of
technology.
The
establishment
of
in-­‐country
academies
and
the
gathering
and
sharing
of
best
practices
among
a
network
of
committed
change-­‐makers
will
further
enhance
the
impact
of
this
collaborative
web-­‐based
platform.
GWLN
plans
to
expand
and
deepen
its
already
existing
and
successful
initiatives
to
include
people
of
both
sexes
in
a
continuous
process
of
cooperative
learning
and
civic
engagement.
We
are
poised
for
continued
success
and
believe
that
there
is
a
current
need
to:
1. Expand
the
WLW
program
to
cover
additional
in-­‐country
sites
and
to
broaden
their
working
network
to
include
other
Global
South
countries.
2. Facilitate
networking,
mentoring
and
exchange
of
information
between
WLW
participants
via
partnership
with
LINQto
and
WebEx
to
provide
ICT
training
and
technical
assistance.
3. Upgrade
training
materials,
books
and
video
resources
for
GWLN
while
creating
an
online
version
of
some
sections
of
WLW
under
a
Creative
Commons
license.
4. Design
joint
programs
with
other
in-­‐country
women’s
NGOs
that
do
programming
for
young
women
and
men
in
general
and
develop
and
expand
international
networks
dealing
with
the
status
of
women
5. Bring
in
subject
area
specialists
for
areas
of
network
building,
scaling
operations,
entrepreneurship,
and
economic
security/sustainability.
.
6. Exchange
best
practices
to
enable
the
ongoing
sustainability
and
scalability
of
successful
social
ventures.
7. And,
GWLN
will
encourage
the
formation
of
an
alumni
network
of
graduates
and
selected
members
to
form
a
WLW
Advisory
Council.
This
council
will
include
outstanding
graduates
of
GWLN
programs
who
will
be
responsible
to
support
the
GWLN
management
with
information
on
women
needs
and
expectations
of
their
respective
leadership
projects.
They
can
also
aid
in
outreach
for
potential
trainees,
and
potential
supporters
and
advocates,
as
well
as
follow
up
with
training
graduates
to
perform
alumni
network
activities.
They
will
come
from
both
locally
based
organizations
in
the
Global
South
as
well
as
internationally
dispersed
organizations
such
as
Room
to
Read,
Women’s
Funding
Network,
and
Global
Fund
for
Women.

9.
2
GWLN’s
mission
is
to
create
a
new
future
for
humanity
by
training
and
galvanizing
women
leaders
to
bring
us
all
to
a
world
where
there
is
universal
economic
security
in
harmony
with
nature.
We
fulfill
on
this
mission
by
providing
leadership
education
and
partnering
with
organizations
to
provide
other
necessary
vocational
and
life
skills.
Women
Leaders
for
the
WorldTM
(WLW)
is
GWLN’s
highest
impact
program.
Annually
WLW
brings
together
20-­‐25
international
participants
from
multiple
sectors—business,
government,
nonprofit,
academia—to
explore
what
it
is
to
be
a
global
citizen
and
innovation
leader,
and
to
expand
women’s
leadership
capacity
and
capability.
Each
woman
must
bring
a
visionary
project
she
wants
to
implement,
as
well
as
the
commitment
to
achieve
significant
milestones
after
completing
the
program.
Rare,
among
training
sector
offerings,
WLW
is
a
leadership
program
for
global
women
leaders.
Moreover,
the
residential
portion
of
the
program
is
followed
by
three
months
of
coaching
and
mentoring
conference
calls.
From
experience
and
research,
we
understand
that
the
coaching
during
and
after
the
classroom
sessions
is
a
key
component
of
the
process
that
enables
ongoing
breakthrough
results.
WLW
is
focused
on
sparking
innovation,
creativity,
and
breakthrough
thinking;
launching
women
into
global
leadership
roles;
and
expanding
women
leader’s
capacity
and
capability
for
creating
networks,
coalitions,
and
alliances.
The
intensive,
residential
portion
of
the
program
includes
classroom
presentations,
small
group
sessions,
reading
and
reflection,
all
designed
to
have
participants
assimilate
new
information
that
enables
them
to
take
their
project
to
the
next
level.
Afterwards,
three
months
of
coaching,
along
with
on-­‐going
communication
among
cohort
members,
supports
implementation
of
plans
formulated
and
revised
during
the
course
of
study.
This
year,
GWLN
is
partnering
with
the
Santa
Clara
University
Law
School
to
offer
a
“themed”
WLW
program
called
Global
Leaders
for
Justice.
GLJ
will
bring
together
social
justice
leaders
including
business,
government,
non-­‐profit
organizations,
and
academia.
These
are
leaders
who
have
demonstrated
their
commitment
to
social
justice;
for
example,
leaders
in
human
rights,
the
environment,
health
care,
or
other
areas
of
public
interest.
With
your
support
we
envision
a
more
just
and
humane
world
led
by
women
and
men
committed
to
economic
sustainability
and
social
justice
for
all.
For
clarification
or
additional
information,
please
feel
free
to
contact
me
at
lalepin@scu.edu
or
(650)
948-­‐
4122.
Respectfully
submitted,
Linda
T.
Alepin
Founding
Director,
GWLN

10. 1
GLOBAL WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP NETWORK (GWLN)
OVERVIEW AND HISTORY
Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) is a non-governmental, non-profit
organization that has been training women leaders with a vision who are willing to catapult
themselves and their communities from “excellent to extraordinary” since 2004. GWLN was
founded to develop the leadership capacity of women who aspire to transform their
organizations, communities and the world. Generally, women play a limited role in decision-
making processes and are underutilized in most economies. GWLN’s vision is a world in
which capable, competent and committed women assume leadership roles across all
domains of society.
Over the past 6 years, graduates from the Women Leaders for the World (WLW) program
have embraced, extended, and embodied GWLN’s vision by carrying out social justice
projects that challenge and change the status quo in their communities. The transformations
take place across three spheres: 1) the individual, 2) the relational, and 3) the social
domains. Three examples of work conducted by WLW alumna instantiate these
transformations across these interdependent domains:
1) The Individual (Whole Woman): Sema Basol is a Turkish American who has lived
in the United States for more than 25 years. She had a very successful career at
Mattel Toys – launching and building the Barbie Doll Clothes for Girls product line to
over $1B. She left her business career and helped to start the Turkish Space Camp
for kids from around the globe. As her family grew up and left home, she found
herself thinking more and more about her vocation. She began working with GWLN
and participated in WLW. From her work there, she has started the Turkish
Women’s Initiative which is bringing creativity and entrepreneurship to young women
in universities in Turkey. She knows that she is fulfilling her purpose – to be a bridge
between the United States and Turkey.
2) The Relational (Whole Leader): Alma Cota de Yanez is the Director of an
organization called FESAC ((Fundacion del Empresariado Sonorense, A.C.) in
Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. In 2005 when she came to the Women Leaders for the
World leadership education program, she was, according to her own words, a “loner
with a coffee pot and a copier”. Her project was to obtain 1 (yes, just 1!) computer
for the 30 NGO’s that she assists. Within 8 weeks of leaving the leadership program,
she had obtained 27 computers to fuel the various worthy causes she fosters. Five
years later, her organization is raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop
this border town. Her organization is recognized for its role in ensuring that life-
giving services are available to the citizens of her city and that it does not become
another “Tijuana.” Through her outreach and contact with partners, Alma helped
reorient how people in Nogales viewed philanthropic initiatives. Her efforts changed
the conversation among her predominantly Catholic community from one focused on
the piety of “individual charity” to one focused on the need for “social investment.”
Alma led a purposeful shift in moving the philanthropic community of Mexico from a
traditional culture of charity to one of investment in empowerment.
3) The Social (Whole World): Maame Yelbert-Obeng is a native of Ghana and a grant
officer with Global Fund for Women. Maame’s mission has been furthered by WLW
in helping her to define her vision of implementing “a new paradigm of leadership.”
She is now dedicated to fostering a new wave of leaders that are “empowered at
every level who lift others up around them.” Maame recognizes that a vision is only
as powerful at its implementation. As a result, she currently utilizes her global leader
skill of enrollment rather than marketing to connect her vision to that of others to

11. 2
ensure the commitment of both parties. She recently partnered with another
graduate, Melinda Kramer to initiate a water project congress in Africa. Maame
found herself stepping far beyond her normal role of “grantor” into a leader at the
event helping other women to shatter the traditional role of transporting water to
engineering fresh water projects.
Women, like Sema, Alma, and Maame represent the largest pool of untapped talent in all
societies. GWLN’s mission is to create a new future for humanity through liberating these
women leaders to bring us all to a world where there is universal economic security. We
fulfill on this mission by providing leadership education and partnering with organizations to
provide other necessary vocational and life skills. The 100+ graduates from the Women
Leaders for the World program represent 29 different countries from Africa, Asia, Latin
America, Europe and USA. More importantly, about 90% of them are from not-for-profit
entities, many of them grassroots organizations. We have provided whole or partial
scholarships for 90% of these women to attend the residential program in Silicon Valley.
GWLN PROGRAM AND PROJECT GOALS:
1- Improving the ability of women from diverse fields - particularly young women and
those serving underserved populations - to take on a transformative leadership role;
2- Increasing the access of women to opportunities for participation in the economic
and civic spheres;
3- Mobilizing our networking capability - locally, regionally and internationally through
the strategic use of information & communication technology (ICT);
4- Raising the level of awareness of the global need to unleash the power of energized
and engaged women leaders; and
5- Accelerating economic security for women through social entrepreneurship and
social venture incubation.
As an organization dedicated to a new future for humanity through social change GWLN is
seeking ways to accelerate the impact being made. As such, we focus our technical
assistance and capacity-building efforts around: 1) education, 2) entrepreneurship, and 3)
leadership.
GWLN’s strategies to accelerate the building of social justice and economic security include:
1. Leadership training – today held in the U.S. for global leaders; in the next 5 years by
establishing women’s learning centers in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East
2. Consulting: Using the knowledge and expertise of our global network to discover
and support the rapid growth of civil society and business organizations with high
social impact potential. Activities will include research, coaching, and business
model development.
3. Partnering with international groups and members of GWLN to accomplish A & B
while spreading awareness of women’s impact.
4. Mentoring: Enlisting the social capital across GWLN’s “human network” to foster
mentoring, coaching, sharing and visioning between alumna and partners worldwide.
WHY INVEST IN WOMEN AND GIRLS?
Documented evidence on the positive impact of investing in women and advancing women’s
rights continues to grow, for example:
• According to the United Nations, economies in the developing world grow by 3
percent for every 10 percent increase in the number of girls able to access
secondary schooling.

12. 3
• The impact of education for girls extends into their adult years. Each extra year of
education obtained by mothers results in a 5-10% reduction in the mortality rate for
children under the age 5. (UNFPA)
• World Bank data collected during 1990s and early 2000s from 87 villages in
Bangladesh showed that when women started small businesses to increase their
income, they spent the money on improving the welfare of the family, including
education for both girls and boys. Household welfare was significantly better than
when men controlled the income.
These are but a few examples of studies showing that educating and empowering women
and girls are among the most cost-effective means to long-lasting development. Educated
and empowered women and girls marry later, earn more, and have fewer, healthier and
better-educated children. Moreover, it is increasingly being recognized that there can be no
peace, security, or sustainable economic development without women’s equal participation
in all spheres of society. GWLN has long believed that empowering women is the RIGHT
thing to do: it is also the best means of ending violence, reducing poverty and creating a
more just, free world.
In fact, the 2009 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development makes the argument
that gender equality in the distribution of economic and financial resources has positive
multiplier effects for a range of key development goals, including poverty reduction and the
welfare of children.1
However, the current global financial and economic crisis challenges
progress made in gender equality in many areas.2
Despite considerable progress on many
aspects of women’s economic empowerment through increases in educational gains and
share of paid work, deeply entrenched inequality persists as a result of discriminatory norms
and practices. The pace of change has been slow and uneven across regions. In many parts
of the world, women continue to face discrimination in access to land and other productive
resources, as well as to infrastructure, services and technologies needed to facilitate their
effective use of those resources. Their access to financial services is often limited. Without
access to the economic resources provided through social protection, many women are
unable to insure themselves against contingencies arising from old age, ill health, disability,
unemployment and other life-crises.3
Moreover, historical data and research by the UN Development Program over the last 3
decades reveal that there is a statistically significant positive association between gender
equality and economic development.4
Not surprisingly recent research provides empirical
evidence indicating that a country failing to close the gender gap in education and
employment could experience a decrease in per capita income of 0.1 to 0.3 percentage
points per annum. In view of the above, issues surrounding gender equality need to be
addressed for effective and sustainable economic and human development.
Today, there is a heighted awareness--if not the political courage--among policy-makers
worldwide of the need to accelerate social investments to improve the lives of women and to
provide them with the technologies of self (e.g. employment, education, empowerment, etc.)
needed to participate fully as global citizens, workers and change-makers.5
The potential
return on investment speaks for itself:
1
United Nations (2009). World Survey on the role of women in development: women’s control over economic resources and
access to financial resources, including microfinance. New York: Division for the Advancement of Women.
2
King, R. and C. Sweetman (2010). “Gender perspectives on the global economic crisis”, Oxfam International Discussion
Paper, Oxford.
3
United Nations (2010). World economic situation and prospects 2010. United Nations publication Sales No. E.10.II.C.2.
4
Abu-Ghaida, D and S Klasen (2004) The Costs of Missing the Millennium Development Goal on Gender Equity. IZA DP, no
1031.
5
International Labour Organization (ILO). 2008. Global Employment Trends for Women, March 2008.
Available from: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_091225.pdf

13. 4
 In 2006, The Economist estimated that over the past decade, women’s work has
contributed more to global growth than China.6
 The Economist further noted that if Japan raised the share of working women to
American levels, it would boost annual growth by 0.3% per year over 20 years.7
 EU has reported that different countries and regions of the world could
dramatically increase GDP simply by reducing the gap in employment rates
between men and women: the Eurozone could increase GDP by 13%; Japan by
16%; the US by 9%.8
When women are afforded the equality of opportunity that is their basic human right, the
results can be striking. Chris Grumm, president and CEO of the Women’s Funding Network,
Judy Patrick, president and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of California, and Kavita
Ramdas, president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women said this in a March 2009
editorial in the San Francisco Chronicle, “…as lawmakers and economists attempt to find a
way to stop the downward spiral and rebuild the economy, investing in women and women-
led solutions must be central to any plan. Women are capable of forging lasting change,
starting with their families, then transforming entire communities and beyond.”
MEETING THE NEEDS OF WOMEN
Worldwide women represent the largest untapped source of leadership. GWLN’s vision and
approach are built around three core principles for creating authentic, transformative and
emboldened leaders embodying the quintessence of their character and community:
• Whole Woman -- as an individual, fulfilling her purpose
• Whole Leader -- inspiring and enrolling others because they are needed to fulfill a vision
• Whole World -- as part of a network, that is working to ignite a new future for humanity
GWLN is committed to participatory and creative methods and approaches in providing
quality and sustainable leadership programming to its target groups with a focus on
increasing opportunities of women and the poor based respect for human rights.
GWLN and TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP EDUCATION
Transformational leadership education engages the leader intellectually and emotionally9
and alters their assumptions and worldview. This produces a significant and irreversible
shift in understanding and behavior10
According to adult learning theorists11
, the
transformational learning process is an inherent part of expanding personal agency, a critical
task in the process of becoming a leader. For example, Zaleznick12
argued that leaders are
twice-born individuals, and Bennis13
noted “What distinguishes the leader from everyone
else is that she takes all of her life experiences…and makes herself all new and unique.”
6
Economist. 2006. The importance of sex (April 15). Retrieved 6 February 2009 from Academic Search Premier database.
7
Ibid.
8
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). 2008. Report on the Global Gender Pay Gap. Available from:
http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/gap-1.pdf
9
Kegan, R. (2000). What ‘form’ transforms? A constructive-developmental approach to transformative learning. In J. Mezirow
(Ed). Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress (pp. 35-69). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
10
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. ; Clark, C.M. (1993).
Transformational learning. In S.B. Merriam (Ed.), New directions for adult and continuing education: no. 57. An update on adult
learning theory. (pp 47-56). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass
11
(Kegan 2000; Mezirow. J. (2000). Learning to think like an adult: Core concepts of transformation theory. In J. Mezirow (Ed.),
Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress (pp. 3-33). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; Rogers,
C. R. (1961). On becoming a person: A therapist’s view of psychotherapy. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co.
12
Zaleznick, A. (1977). Managers and leaders: Are they different? Harvard Business Review, May/June, 67-78.
13
Bennis, W. (2003). On becoming a leader. Basic Books: New York. , p 62

14. 5
The GWLN transformational learning process for women’s leadership education involves the
first four phases depicted in Figure 1.14
Figure 1: The process of WLW leadership transformation.
When a leadership opportunity is encountered, it becomes salient, occupies the forefront of
the WLW learner’s emotional and intellectual attention, and creates the conditions for
meaning making. In an effort to overcome a problem and achieve a goal, the individual
seeks new information that would enable her to understand what she has to do to overcome
difficulties and effectively pursue desired outcomes. This leads to the third phase of
transformational learning, achieving a transformative insight, “epochal, a sudden dramatic,
reorienting insight or incremental involving a progressive series of transformations in habits
of mind”15
. Once a transformative insight is achieved, it tends to be irreversible16
. Finally the
emerging WLW leader must connect the transformative insight to her everyday leadership
practice through an evolving shift in thinking and acting—a re-framing.
CURRENT ACTIVITIES/ PROGRAMS
• Women Leaders for the WorldTM
(WLW) is GWLN’s flagship program. Annually
WLW brings together 20-25 international participants from multiple sectors—
business, government, nonprofit, academia—to explore what it is to be a global
citizen and innovation leader, and to expand women’s leadership capacity and
capability. Each woman must bring a visionary project she wants to implement, as
well as the commitment to achieve significant milestones after completing the
program. Rare, among training sector offerings, WLW is a leadership program for
global women leaders.
The residential portion of the program is followed by three months of coaching and
mentoring conference calls. From experience and research, we understand that the
coaching during and after the classroom sessions is a key component of the process
that enables ongoing breakthrough results. WLW is focused on sparking innovation,
creativity, and breakthrough thinking; launching women into global leadership roles;
and expanding women leader’s capacity and capability for creating networks,
coalitions, and alliances. The intensive, residential portion of the program includes
classroom presentations, small group sessions, reading, research, and site visits, all
designed to have participants assimilate new information that enables them to take
14
Mezirow. J. (2000). Learning to think like an adult: Core concepts of transformation theory. In J. Mezirow (Ed.), Learning as
transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress (pp. 3-33). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
15
Mezirow. J. (2000). Learning to think like an adult: Core concepts of transformation theory. In J. Mezirow (Ed.), Learning
as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress (pp. 3-33). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. (p. 21)
16
Clark, C.M. (1993). Transformational learning. In S.B. Merriam (Ed.), New directions for adult and continuing education:
no. 57. An update on adult learning theory. (pp 47-56). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

15. 6
their project to the next level. Afterwards, three months of coaching, along with on-
going communication among cohort members, supports implementation of plans
formulated and revised during the course of study.
This year, the GWLN is partnering with the SCU Law School to offer a “themed”
WLW program called Global Leaders for Justice. GLJ will bring together social
justice leaders including business, government, non-profit organizations, and
academia. These are leaders who have demonstrated their commitment to social
justice; for example, leaders in human rights, the environment, health care, or other
areas of public interest.
• A Global Innovation DialogueTM
(GID) brings together up to 200 people for
facilitated conversations around a particular theme. Speaker presentations, from
thought-leaders and innovators, provide a framework for small-group discussions in
which participants explore challenging, and sometimes counter-intuitive, ideas.
Speakers have included Dr. Nancy J. Hafkin, a leading scholar of gender and
information technology; acclaimed photojournalist Paola Gianturco; and Anne Firth
Murray, a leader in international health policy and women's reproductive health.
• At the WellTM
events are designed for groups of people, in dialogue, to forge
meaningful connections, to recognize and to boldly tap into their own leadership
potential. Attendees are inspired by a personal story of transformation followed by
thought-provoking conversations that guide them to discover new practices and
actions in leadership. These conversations focus on a range of life experiences,
from fulfillment of personal dreams to collaboration for social justice through
economic and gender equality, and open up new expressions of leadership.
• Global Fellows ProgramTM
: Santa Clara University is dedicated to educating
leaders of competence, conscience, and compassion. The Leavey School of
Business Global Fellows Program provides a meaningful 5 – 7 week globally
oriented work experience for undergraduate students. Approximately 30 students
per year work with graduates of the Women Leaders for the World program in their
organizations around the globe. Over the next several years, this program will be the
model for expansion into other forms of “exchanges” for both students and adults.
Longer term, programs such as the Global Fellows and Social Justice Projects provide
innovative approaches with a focus on experiential learning, networking, leadership and skill
building, all designed to prepare women and men to be agents of change in civil society, as
well as social entrepreneurs and innovative business owners.
EVALUATION
Since its inception, GWLN has conducted evaluations of its major activity – the Women
Leaders for the World program. Feedback is solicited from both participants and faculty on
a daily basis during the course and a final evaluation is collected at the end of the residential
portion of the program. Both the participants and the coaches submit reports at the end of
the 3-month coaching period. These reports provide both narrative and financial
documentation of resource expenditures and review objectives, successes, challenges and
future plans.
In 2009, GWLN completed a research project to document the first four years of WLW
programs through a quantitative and qualitative survey. The results were analyzed and both
a summary and a detail report issued. This survey is available on the organization’s website
at www.gwln.org.

16. 7
The results of the WLW survey were gratifying and heartening.
WLW alumni reported that they have an increased sense of confidence and courage, clearer
visions, more influential communication skills, an expanded and supportive network, a global
perspective, and renewed energy to deal effectively with the challenges they face. They
reported new instances of being perceived as leaders by their communities and
governments.
Over 90 percent of respondents said that the vision they had when they completed the WLW
program continues to guide their life. Many of these same women reported their vision had
expanded or evolved. They attributed this development to their increased confidence and
their ability to share their vision so others could participate, thus removing the pre-WLW
perception that they no longer “had to do it all” themselves.
While 88 percent of respondents reported that WLW had a positive impact on them
personally and on their vision, 59 percent reported that the program, especially the
coaching, made a “very significant impact” on their current success. They repeatedly stated
that what they learned from WLW enabled them to reach key milestones and accomplish
breakthrough results they that they previously did not think were possible.
The WLW alumni and GWLN network has been a powerful tool for most graduates.
Several themes arose during the research process: a “springboard effect,” social impact,
teamwork and organization, economic impact, and the value of the GWLN network.
Women learned through their experiences to shift their focus away from the problem to the
solution and possibility, and to feel able to take more risks—what they called the springboard
effect. Graduates were able to see the greater social impact of their visions and actions,
positively affecting hundreds to thousands of people in their communities. As a result of
participating in WLW programs, women leaders recognized they had increased collaboration
in two areas: 1) within their organizations among team members, and 2) between their
organization and other organizations, such as NGOs, government agencies, and nonprofits.
The women created economic opportunities for women and families locally through business
ventures and micro-lending that they were able to implement after their experience with
WLW.
The value and impact of the GWLN network was expressed in many ways, from women in
different cohorts connecting to support each other's projects and visions, to women sharing
the simple statement "I know other women are around the world, working to make a
difference. I am not alone." More than half (54 percent) of the graduates contacted others in
their WLW class on a monthly basis and often more frequently.
FUTURE PLANS
GWLN’s FUTURE plans are ambitious. In quantitative terms, they are –
1. 1,000,000 people are touched by the greater GWLN Network by International
Woman’s Day, 8th
March 2013
By touched, GWLN means people who have been positively impacted and their lives
benefitted. The greater GWLN Network includes our program graduates, faculty,
staff, partners, donors, sponsors, and the people in the communities/organizations
who these people are working with. Our primary focus for these 1 million people will
be those in the Global South.

17. 8
2. 500 Leaders in the Inner GWLN Network by International Woman's Day, 8th March
2013
The inner GWLN Network includes graduates of all of our current and future
leadership training and exchange programs. Thus, it includes the 100 graduates of
Women Leaders for the World, the 75 students who have participated in the Global
Fellows program, and the 20 (men and women) who are attending the Global
Leaders for Justice program this summer. Our core staff and faculty are also
members of this network. Reaching this level in the next 3 years requires an
expanded schedule of WLW programs, defining and scaling a Train the Trainer
program in 2 to 3 developing countries, and utilizing technology to enable constant
communication, including the sharing of best practices worldwide.
3. GWLN is a sustainable organization by 1st June 2011
Sustainable means having the funds and permanent staff required to offer regular
programs and to nurture the network without disruption. Further, it means embracing
technology as a means of delivering workshops for graduates, companies, and the
general public. The 2010 grants of Webex and LINQTO will provide the initial tools
to pilot and perfect various offerings.
Strategic alliances are vital to our work and plans for growth, providing assistance with
recruiting and funding of WLW courses, hosting and presenting events, and building a
worldwide ICT infrastructure to employ new media and social networking. Collaborators
include Ashoka, the global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs; the
Center for Science, Technology and Society at Santa Clara University, CEDPA (Center for
Development and Population Activities); Icon Academy in Uganda, Women’s Funding
Network, the Turkish Women’s Initiative, and KAGIDER, the Women Entrepreneurs
Association of Turkey. Further partnerships to provide economic security will be micro-
finance institutions (international as well as those in various countries), banks, the Leavey
School of Business, Women’s Initiative, CEO Woman, etc.
Global Women’s Leadership Network plans to expand and deepen its already existing and
successful initiatives to include people of both sexes in a continuous process of learning and
engagement. We expect to increase the number of women involved, particularly emerging
professionals, broaden the geographic reach to other cities and cover marginalized and
underprivileged women. Through its programs, GWLN will tackle unemployment, political
and economical participation, and other current critical women issues. GWLN leadership and
staff feel that there is a current need to:
1. Expand the program to cover additional in-country sites and to broaden their working
network to include other Global South countries.
2. Facilitate networking, mentoring and exchange of information between WLW
participants via partnership with LINQto and WebEx to provide ICT training and
technical assistance.
3. Upgrade training materials, books and video resources for GWLN while creating an
online version of some sections of WLW under a Creative Commons license.
4. Design joint programs with other in-country women’s NGOs that do programming for
young women and men in general and develop and expand international networks
dealing with the status of women
5. Bring in subject area specialists for areas of human rights, health, entrepreneurship,
economic security and the environment.
6. Exchange best practices to enable the ongoing sustainability and scalability of
successful social ventures.

18. 9
GWLN will encourage the formation of an alumni network of graduates and selected
members to form a WLW Advisory Council. This council will include outstanding graduates
of GWLN programs who will be responsible to support the GWLN management with
information on women needs and expectations of their respective leadership projects. They
can also aid in outreach for potential trainees, and potential supporters and advocates, as
well as follow up with training graduates to perform alumni network activities. They will
come from both locally based organizations in the Global South as well as internationally
dispersed organizations such as Room to Read, Women’s Funding Network, and Global
Fund for Women.
Our policy is to work for women, in partnership with men, and to create an environment
conducive to broad participation. We build bridges of trust, respect and friendship and offer
advice and constant follow-up to our trainees and graduates. We constantly strive to ensure
quality, Uniqueness, Inclusion, Diversity, innovation and long-term focus. We focus on
embodied, authentic and ethical leadership practices. We continually monitor qualitative and
quantitative metrics in planning and managing outcomes. Funding for this project would
allow GWLN to put in place the infrastructure, including a small cadre of permanent staff to
broaden the impact of the programs.
GWLN WEB PORTAL DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT
In order to provide a persistent home and site of interaction for WLW graduates, alumnae
and GWLN members, GWLN plans to design, develop and deploy a Web 3.0 portal that will
serve as a learning community and platform for communication, collaboration and training
during the multi-year grant period. At this portal, WLW alumnae and GWLN members will be
able to track, monitor and disseminate information about their social innovations and
projects, as well as partake of learning activities, track learning outcomes and explore
additional social venture-related content, tools and resources tied to the annual WLW theme
and ongoing GWLN initiatives.
GWLN Web Portal will need to be integrated with the existing donor and member data stores
and will need to be programmed to function seamlessly with the SQL-backend database
system allowing for single-login functionality for current web properties stove-piped under
sites for Yahoo, GWLN.org, and SCU, along with deployment of a new database-driven
GWLN Training & Learning site for leadership and social entrepreneurship. The scope of
work envisioned herein will cover:
1. Design, develop & maintain a GWLN website to house curriculum, including online
course work (Or find a partner who will provide us with it.)
2. Design, develop, and implement a Web 3.0 platform using online groupware and
multimedia tools. (Migrate current broad network and others to this platform)
3. Implement social networking tools, widgets, and website interfaces to Facebook, etc.
to allow for streamlined content sharing and dialogue. This should include a video
database to house user-generated videos & other exhibits about leadership from
members of the GWLN ecosystem.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
Four key in-country growth strategies comprise the core work of the WLW Training of
Trainers (TOT) field-based leadership development programming. GWLN will act as the
source of inspiration and as the convening force to motivate and engage participants and
WLW trainers in authentic, meaningful leadership training and practice.

19. 10
GWLN will:
1. Enter into strategic partnerships with community-based organizations (CBOs),
initially and primarily with organizations serving high numbers of women and
children. These partnerships will allow GWLN to co-develop and deliver "customized"
learning experiences for train-the-trainer workshop participants and other partner
educators, and will work to devise a strategy for implementing the an inspiring project
into the partner organizations’ own curricula.
2. Develop coherent, seamless, and extended learning experiences that link formal
and informal education channels and convey the excitement of self-transformation
and actualization.
3. Provide high-quality, leadership development training to partner organizations
and other area partner-prospects.
4. Help scale projects and programs proven to help women succeed. In our own
work, we seek to find ways to take significant leaps forward to foster transformational
change, not only at the level of the individual women, but also at the social plane.
We look to stimulate large increases in the number of people served by our partners
and ourselves. We believe that garnering massive social impact will require finding,
funding, and supporting initiatives that are ready to scale--initiatives, like the ones
inspiring the WLW participants in their quest for social justice.
BRIEF PROJECT TIMELINE
 Year 1: Infrastructure & Network
o Hire and staff GWLN to design, delivery and document program expansion
and institutionalization of the training methodology.
o Build-out IT and ICT infrastructure and network to enable streamlined
communications and collaboration among partners, coaches and trainers
including online instruction that supplements the current programs.
o Market and communicate the past success of WLW participants as means for
securing interest, funding and buy-in from partners, media and other NGOs
working with women.
 Year 2: International Outreach & Capacity Building
o Engage partner-candidates for in-country training of trainers (TOT) and
participant training sessions.
o Travel, talk and train: provide technical assistance to partner or anchor sites
to enable delivery of quarterly WLW and TOT sessions.
o Design, develop and deliver: localize curriculum, coaching and collateral for
outreach.
 Year 3 to 5: Share and Scale Best Practices
o Document, analyze and share emerging best practices in women’s leadership
development training and capture data on subsequent transformational
outputs and outcomes as lessons learned among the GWLN partner
ecosystem.
o Leverage ICT and other social networking technologies to accelerate
adoption, implementation and communication of WLW participant project
insights, challenges, and triumphs in the field.
o Publish and present research data at sector conferences, women’s events
and social justice forums.

20. 11
THE FUTURE OF GWLN EVALUATION
To measure efficacy in meeting our goals, GWLN will administer a series of surveys to
trainers and WLW participants, capturing both qualitative and quantitative data. In addition,
feedback from in-country program directors will be captured for field-based pilot programs
and social ventures. Our goals are four-fold: (a) to have a complete understanding of what
participants and teachers expect in the way of program deliverables, (b) to measure
participant and trainer satisfaction, (c) to measure knowledge retention and personal
transformation, and (d) to evaluate engagement and implementation post-intervention. Our
goal is that 85% of the WLW graduates will have begun implementation and replication of
their WLW projects during the 12 months after their initial training. With this measurement
information, GWLN will fine-tune key program areas to maximize learning and training
benefits. We are also considering hiring a professional evaluation company to help
construct and manage the “measurement program,” as noted above.
In addition to surveys, GWLN will encourage and collect WLW participant work products (i.e.
journals, letters and plans) that show what information has been learned and reinforced over
their personal coaching and mentoring sessions. Further, we will track the number of WLW
participants that inspire others in their home regions to enroll in WLW-related training and
other developmental training offered by in-country partners year-after-year to help monitor
and track growth and program impact.
Currently, we serve 20-25 women per year. With funding over 3-5 years, we plan to enroll
and train 30 partner organizations or training of trainers anchor sites in the US and abroad to
enable us to reach 3,000 women. Each anchor site or partner will sponsor 4 quarterly
training sessions and will train 100 women per year.
For In-Country GWLN & WLW Projects: Site visits by the WLW team and solicited
feedback from Advisors and peer organizations of the WLW participant are also used to
assess the impact and success of their particular project. Site visits often include meeting
with clients served by the program as well as an opportunity to assess WLW participant’s
project’s strengths and weaknesses. Gathering feedback from our WLW Advisory Council (a
volunteer panel of local partners, affiliates and experts based in the countries where GWLN
has identified strategic partners committed to seeing WLW program growth and project
implementation) over the next 5 year in Uganda, Turkey, and India.
With funding from this grant, GWLN will allocate 10% of total project costs to outcome
measurement and impact analysis. All phases of the evaluation process from needs
assessment to formative evaluation to remediation strategies and finally with a
comprehensive, mixed-method summative protocol capturing lessons learned, success
choke-points, growth accelerators and breakthroughs conducted by independent consultants
that assess the effectiveness and impact of WLW participation.
In the next 12 months, GWLN will further develop its evaluation framework working with
colleagues at the Women’s Donor Network to spur the adoption of their online tool, Making
the Case. This rollout will allow for more effective monitoring structures within the internal
processes of all the organizations associated with GWLN as well as GWLN itself. We will be
seeking special grant from the Draper Fisher Foundation to provide the seed money to help
streamline our outcome planning and management practices.
This grant project will examine whether transformational learning does occur and persist for
women leaders participating in GWLN training programs such that perception change is
permanent, leading not only to new behavior but a process in which a WLW participant
undergoes continual learning in her social milieu—incorporating a fundamentally new sense

21. 12
of self in an unchanged setting. In short, we seek to understand how women tap into their
authentic and creative selves to become the very change they seek in the world.
INTENDED OUTCOMES
Objectives for Grant Sources
Monitoring
Frequency
Progress
Check
Due dates
Objective 1—WLW Expansion & Outreach
Metric A –Increase by 4X the
number of WLW trainings held
each year, from one to four; or
1 per quarter in the USA
Event Attendance
rosters
Quarterly
June 2011
June 2012
June 2013
Metric B—Increase by 50%
number of trainers & TOT
offerings delivered
Event Attendance
rosters
Quarterly
June 2011
June 2012
June 2013
Metric C—Increase by 100%
number of coaches/mentors
engaged
Trainer
commitments & #
of coaching
sessions delivered
Quarterly
June 2011
June 2012
June 2013
Objective 2—TOT Programs & Partner Outreach
Metric D—Enroll & certify 2 in-
country transformative
leadership training partners in
India, Turkey, and Africa
respectively
Partner
commitments
Quarterly
June 2011
June 2012
June 2013
Metric E—Engage, enroll &
train 3,000 transformative
leadership participants over 3
years through the training
partners
Labs enrollments;
attendance rosters;
post-event surveys
Annually
June 2011
June 2012
June 2013
Metric F—Increase use of ICT
Network among the inner
network
Server Logs &
Google Analytics
for the website
Audience feedback
from online
broadcasts
Quarterly
June 2011
June 2012
June 2013
Objective 3—WLW Participant Engagement & Implementation
Metric G—Ensure 95% of
WLW graduates complete
coaching and implementation
phases
Post-coaching
surveys &
implementation
reports
Annually
June 2011
June 2012
June 2013
Metric H—Ensure 85% of all
WLW graduates and alumnae
recruit at least one additional
participant for WLW and refer
at least 1 potential partner for
in-country hosting to foster
scaling of effort
Recruitment
commitment &
referral
commitments
Quarterly
June 2011
June 2012
June 2013

22. 13
Objectives for Grant Sources
Monitoring
Frequency
Progress
Check
Due dates
Metric I—Document, and
analyze WLW alumnae impact
through the use of Making the
Case tool
Participant
provided content &
realia; case studies
& testimonials
Annually
June 2011
June 2012
June 2013
STRUCTURE, PARTNERS, DONORS, AND FUNDS:
GWLN has a Governance Board of nine members chaired by Carol Sands, a successful
woman venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. The Governance Board executives provide
guidance and support to the strategic direction of GWLN programs and activities.
GWLN has a volunteer operations team that is chaired by Linda Alepin, Founding Director of
GWLN. The total number of volunteer, part-time staff ranges from 10 to 15 to carry on
general administrative duties and expands to almost 100 people to handle leadership
programs.
The volunteer resource mobilization unit works to establish good links with donors regionally
and nationally. GWLN has gained the trust of several donors who supported various
programs and projects. These donors include:
• Carol Sands, Venture Capitalist
• The Morgan Family Foundation
• The Perl Nelson Family Foundation
• Indians for Collective action
• Anonymous Supporters (both institutional & individual)
Additionally, we acknowledge the sponsorship of the Leavey School of Business at Santa
Clara University in Silicon Valley as an essential element in our success. We are grateful to
many individuals and organizations for funding our initiatives. We salute the hundreds of
volunteers and the thousands of hours they have given to make all of our efforts happen.
GWLN has maintained excellent relations with the SCU administration, in the person of the
Dean of the SCU Business School drawing upon the university’s expertise in innovation,
collaboration, and entrepreneurship. GWLN is a member in several local and regional
women and human rights networks.
SUSTAINABILITY
GWLN takes into consideration that all its projects should have an element of sustainability
to its activities. This is achieved by the paid-for training programs that are offered to the
general public. This sector of GWLN generates income that can cover operational costs of
GWLN.
Earned Income Strategies: A major sustainability strategy that GWLN will explore and pilot
during the grant period is the establishment of a fee-based consulting and technical
assistance agency. This business unit will serve as a means of channeling the energies and
talents of GWLN members, WLW alumnae and in-country affiliates toward revenue-
generating activity in the service of disseminating best practices and replicating scalable
social enterprises and innovations. Discussions are currently under way with an

23. 14
international development fund to explore synergies and collaborations around venture
identification, innovation implementation and portfolio management and support.
GWLN believes that its pool of talent and accumulated expertise in social innovation &
enterprise incubation merits business plan development and a feasibility study to determine
the market potential of entry into the sustainable development consultancy sector.
Additionally, GWLN envisions partnering with regional development agencies and other
government entities to provide technical assistance and consulting services for international
actors seeking to implement gender-responsive development and leadership training
projects. The business model is premised on the organic growth of strategic relations and
development of a WLW partner ecosystem that could be tapped to help provision services
and products to clients in the Global South, as well, as serve as a vital resource to agencies
in the Global North working to meet Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and beyond.
Given the realization by the global community that MDGs will not be met, GWLN believes it
can fill a need to help close the gap in meeting four of the eight goals related to improving
the condition and status of women.
WLW Volunteer Corps: Part of the scaling of GWLN operations will rely on training of
trainers (TOT) activities that ensures a pool of young trainers is created and utilized for
GWLN programs, particularly in Global South countries. In addition, volunteerism is highly
encouraged in GWLN and different workshops are provided to women to increase their
sense of responsibility (Global Citizenship) and ownership of their WLW project (Enrollment),
targeting their fellow youth and elders. According to the Foundation Center, each hour of
labor volunteered is valued at $20.61/hr.17
GWLN volunteers donate over 5,500 hours each
year, valued at over $110,000 in in-kind services. Moreover, each year we are fortunate to
call upon the pro-bono services of an elite corps of professional coaches whose services,
valued at over $200/hour would normally be out of reach for most WLW participants, but
who make themselves available to WLW participants as coaches and mentors throughout a
three-month long process.
CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS
What are the lessons learned from six years of program and network implementation?
For the major program, WLW graduates come to understand leadership as the capacity of a
system or a community to co-sense and co-create its future as it emerges. At the root of
holding on to the outdated models of leadership development is the single-person-centric
concept of leadership. Yet real leadership always takes place through collective, systemic,
and distributed action. Seeing things in this light—leadership as the capacity of a community
to co‐sense and co-create its emerging future—shifts our framing of leadership development
from building individual skills to igniting fields of inspired connection and action among
women. The GWLN network is one of these fields of inspired connection.
In our work with women from across the globe, we have learned that innovative leadership
development is not about filling a gap but about igniting this field. We have found the
following seven enabling conditions to be critical:
(1) A shared desire to innovate among the participating individuals and institutions;
(2) A diverse microcosm of players that mirrors the key stakeholders of the larger whole;
(3) Dialogues with inspired remarkable persons who have changed the system;
17
Corporation for National and Community Service. “Research Brief: Volunteering in America Research Highlights.”
(2009).

24. 15
(4) Deep‐dive sensing journeys18
that take the group to the edges of a system, where
they can experience it through the eyes of its marginalized stakeholders;
(5) Stillness and deep reflection practices that allow people to connect to the sources of
inner knowing and to the profound journey of discovering who they really are and
what they are here for;
(6) Rapid-cycle prototyping projects that provide safe practice fields to link the
intelligence of the head, heart, and hand;
(7) A support infrastructure that helps to move the projects with the best results from the
prototyping stage into the next stage of institutional innovation.
From research, conducted in 2009, on WLW program impact on graduates from 2005 to
2008, GWLN has learned that the WLW program dramatically shifted the participant’s ability
and capacity to create and fulfill new possibilities and to produce concrete results beyond
they what they said was possible and predictable. In brief, WLW programming served as a
“force multiplier” and “technology of self” that helped alumna accelerate personal
transformation while stimulating communal change.
Women entered the WLW program committed to their individual vision and to the effort it
would take to fulfill it. They left collaborating with others, declaring their commitment to
further each other’s vision, and recognizing how each vision supported the other. They
entered as an individual and left as a powerful collective: whole women, whole leader, whole
world.
Now, as a whole leader, they are committed to the development of whole women and whole
men to work with them as partners. They recognize the impact of this kind of leadership as it
ripples through their teams, organizations, and communities and it continues at the state and
global levels.
Financials
Will be provided when plan is finalized.
18
Sensing Journeys are a way of experiencing the system through the lens of different stakeholders. Together with other
users of the system, participants undertake small journeys to different places in that system. Sharmer, Otto. “Sensing
Journeys,” http://www.presencing.com/tools/sensingjourney.shtml, 2009. Accessed: 20 May 2010.