In November 2006, AWDF received a lead challenge gift of U$3m from The Ford Foundation towards the endowment fund. Since the receipt of the lead gift from the Ford Foundation, AWDF has been in a `Quiet phase’ of the endowment campaign, raising awareness and mobilizing commitments towards the endowment.

In May 2007, Mrs Graca Machel, Endowment Campaign Co-Chair, convened a roundtable with corporate stakeholders in South Africa. In July 2007 the AWDF-USA Board hosted a `Friends of AWDF’ event, Chicago. As of October 2007, contributions and pledges towards AWDF’s endowment campaign stand at US3.8m.

The public phase of the ‘Women Changing Africa’ campaign will be launched on November 9th 2007, and will run for a two year period till October 2009. During this time, there will be several friend-raising and fundraising activities in various places, organized in collaboration with Friends of AWDF around the world. Confirmed activities are as follows:

• November 9th 2007: official launch of AWDF endowment campaign, Johannesburg, South Africa.

• February 2008, Endowment Campaign event, Chicago

• March 2008: Endowment Campaign event, New York.

• September 2008: Endowment Campaign event, London

• November 2009: Endowment Campaign event and close of campaign, Accra, Ghana.

In addition to these confirmed activities, there will be ongoing endowment-related activities over the next two years.

AWDF hopes to reach its endowment goal of U$15m by October 2009.