Frequently Asked Questions

DFW is a national giving circle dedicated to:

• Empowering women living in the developing world to become economically self-sufficient, and
• Promoting gender equality by funding programs that empower women and girls

A 2001 study by the World Bank argues that gender equality is vital to combat world poverty and yields a double dividend, elevating women and as a result, their families and communities.

Through the DFW educational program our members become agents of change, working to alter the face of world poverty. The power of collective giving allows each of us to make a more substantial difference in the world than we could do individually.

Our mission is to empower women and girls living in extreme poverty by funding programs that foster good health, education, and economic self‐sufficiency and to cultivate educational giving circles that inspire individuals to make a positive difference through the power of collective giving.

Our vision is to create a new paradigm for giving – collective giving on a large scale while maintaining the intimacy of small groups with a focus on education and involved giving. Involved giving means we encourage members’ participation in the educational process during the meetings, through learning about the selected programs and the issues facing women around the world. We envision small groups of women forming dinner chapters throughout the world, combining their energies to improve the quality of life for women and girls living in the developing world.

The DFW philanthropic model is anchored in the philosophy that by informing and educating citizens in wealthy nations, like the United States, we create the means whereby individuals become inspired to empower women living in the direst most impoverished circumstances. The members in each chapter meet monthly, share potluck dinners, and learn about a pre-selected charity, which has been carefully researched to ensure it meets specific funding criteria (to read more about DFW criteria, see FAQ "How are programs selected?"). The members donate the money that they would normally spend for a meal at a restaurant. After learning about the selected organization and women living in a specific country, members combine their donations with all other chapter donations, thus making more of an impact than they would have through individual gifts. The DFW model works at a grassroots level on both sides of the giving-receiving equation.

In the fall of 2002, Marsha Wallace read an article about a group of friends who got together for potluck dinners and made donations to needy families by using the money that they would have otherwise spent in restaurants. Marsha was struck by the thought of using dining out dollars to support women and girls in developing countries. Our first donations supported Women for Women International, an organization profiled on Oprah.

DFW attained nonprofit status in June 2004. For us, tremendous growth occurred after being included in a 2005 New Ventures In Philanthropy study on giving circles. Since then DFW has received unsolicited national media attention, having been featured in the New York Times, Woman’s Day Magazine, Real Simple, MORE, Quick & Simple, Guide Post, the Delta Sky magazine and on Good Morning America and the Today Show.

Having started out as one group, meeting in Greenville, South Carolina, we have grown to well over one hundred fifty diverse chapters throughout the United States.

Since 75% of the world’s 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty are women and children who live in developing nations, it makes sense that if we are to change the level of poverty worldwide we do it through the empowerment of these women.

Additionally, 85% of money Americans donate to charity stays in the United States. Of the 15% that is donated internationally, private foundations rather than individuals give the majority of funds donated. Here are some startling statistics:

• 70% of the world’s 1.3 billion poor are women living on less than $1 a day.
• Women do 60% of the world’s work and earn 10% of the world’s income.
• Women spend 50-70% of time men do on paid work and still do 200% of unpaid work in comparison to men.
• Women produce 70-75% of the world’s food crops.
• One year of schooling for the mother reduces child mortality by about 10%.
• Women cultivate, plow, and harvest more than half of all the food in the world.

 As Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and co-author of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide states,

"The oppression of women worldwide is the human rights cause of our time. And their liberation could help solve many of the world's problems, from poverty to child mortality to terrorism." 


Sources: United Nations, CIA Fact Sheet, World Bank, Inter Press Service, and The Feminization of Poverty by Richard Robbins.

Please read all about this in the Apply for a Grant page

DFW selects non-governmental organizations with programs fostering economic independence and self-sufficiency. Selected programs focus on various issues, including vocational training, educational opportunities, health and nutrition, and human rights awareness.

Through the Program Research Committee and careful investigation, organizations are vetted and selected. The organizations or projects within an organization we choose, must meet the following criteria:

• Support women and/or girls on a grass roots level
• Work in countries of extreme poverty for women
• Promote self-sufficiency, economic independence and good health
• Be independent of religious and/or political agendas
• Direct at least 75% of their budget to programs
• Must have a program evaluation plan
• Must have evidence of long-term sustainability
• Must have achieved 501.C3 status or operate under a U.S. non-profit base
• Must maintain close communication with DFW so that our members have feedback on the impact of our donations as well as to hear stories of the lives of women we touch

A DFW Chapter is group of women that

• Meets monthly in a variety of formats (the format may vary from that of other DFW groups), i.e., lunch meetings, dinner meetings, getting together for coffee, at work, student chapters, etc.
• Donates to the designated organization each month so that our collaborative gifts make more of an impact than our individual gifts
• Connects like-minded women
• Learns about important issues affecting women and girls worldwide
• Donates 90% of their contributions directly to our selected international programs, with 10% allocated to DFW.
  

Each DFW chapter operates semi-autonomously, yet has the built-in advantages of already-established nonprofit status, program research, and administrative support. You just meet, learn about the program selected for the month, collect donations, and enjoy each other’s company.

Three easy steps:

1. Simply fill out and submit the online Chapter Application (see Get Involved/Start a Chapter) or contact us at 864-335-8401 or info@diningforwomen.org.
2. Print and sign the Statement of Mutual Commitment
   
3. Mail the signed Statement and $25 registration fee to: Dining for Women, PO Box 25633, Greenville, SC 29616
   

Ready to plan your first meeting? Download the documents in the DFW Chapter Resources page, (see Get Involved/Chapter Resources) which gives you the tools to organize your chapter and its meetings.  
 

The following resources are available on our Web Site:

• The Chapter Resources page which gives you access to documents and templates such as Easy Steps to Hosting a Meeting, Sample Invitation, Meeting Attendance Sheet, Tips for Collecting Donations. See the web page under Get Involved/Chapter Resources for detailed information.
• Every month a Program Fact Sheet is available to leaders and members as a guide to the featured recipient organization. This report summarizes the activities of the selected recipient organization and assists leaders in organizing their dinner presentations.
• To further engage our members with the issues facing women living in program countries, DFW produces Food for Thought, an in-depth educational tool. Food for Thought provides a glimpse into the lives of the women we serve. Included are personal success stories, information about women’s international art forms, book and movie recommendations, shopping suggestions that emphasize social responsibility, recipes featuring home cooking traditions and indigenous ingredients, and “Voices,” women’s quotations often read during chapter meetings.
• Additional material will be available about each month’s featured program, for example, brochures, videos, and stories of women involved in their efforts.

A Chapter Leader newsletter will be emailed to leaders each month. Members will also receive a general monthly newsletter.
 
If you have any questions, please contact your mentor or sponsor. Or send questions to info@diningforwomen.org.

Most of our chapters meet monthly. We now require our chapters to meet at least four times a year. Of course, we would love to have chapters meet every month, but we do understand how busy our lives are, and we want chapter members to be comfortable with how they arrange their schedules.

Chapters are located throughout the United States. The home office is in Greenville, South Carolina. For a map showing all chapter locations, go to Get Involved/Find a Chapter.

Contributions are voluntary and no designated amount is expected of the members. Checks are made out to Dining for Women and mailed to the home office, which in turn remits 90% of the combined donations from across all chapters nationwide to the selected charity. All of your donations are tax deductible.

Our unique fundraising model is based on educated collective giving, whereby chapters hold monthly potluck dinners and combine dining out dollars to give to a predetermined charity. All chapter donations are pooled every month, allowing our individual gifts to have the greatest possible impact upon the programs we fund.

The DFW Annual Appeal occurs every fall, asking members and friends for gifts to support DFW's operating expenses, which is critical to ensure the continued growth and success of Dining for Women. A July, 2010 policy change now directs 10% of program revenue toward DFW's operating expenses, necessary to ensure the sustainability of DFW, and to help larger numbers of women throughout the world.

DFW also relies on Fund-raising events, grants and Pro-bono services and in-kind contributions to fund operating expenses (Support our Operating Expenses page has more details)

We utilize electronic methods of communication whenever possible, reducing postage and printing expenses. This includes emailing donation receipts for your tax purposes.

As part of the program acceptance process, the programs commit to providing Dining for Women with a follow-up report, detailing where the donations were spent and how this affected the program’s population. Follow-up reports are posted on the Programs/Follow-up Reports webpage and in the monthly newsletters.

The Dining for Women organization does not affiliate or align itself with any religious or political organization, and no programs that are funded by Dining for Women are sponsored by or are a part of a religious or political organization.However, Dining for Women welcomes anyone, from all religious and political beliefs, to join together in our mission of improving the lives of women through the power of collective giving.

Yes, DFW has two part time administrative employees, who help with our monthly education publications, newsletters and donation processing. Members are very generous with their time and talent. If you are interested in volunteering, contact us at info@diningforwomen.org, or see the Get Involved/Volunteer page on the DFW website.

• Marsha Wallace, Founder and President, Dining for Women
• Pamela Hawley, Director
• Elizabeth Howard, Director
• Luc Moyen, Director
• Robbin Phillips, Director
• Jill M. Vales, Treasurer
• Virginia Grose, Director

Visit the Leadership page

Yes, DFW is a 501(c) 3 organization and all donations are tax deductible.

Go to the Contact Us page for more information