by Dr. Kim Maynard, CCF Board Member

“Through Nepali - North American partnership, CCF invests in the power of women and girls to be key participants in their society ”

That’s it. That was CCF’s new mission statement as it came to our little ad-hoc committee one early evening in February. Four of us Board members had sat around a zoom room for less than an hour when we landed on this. We knew we had nailed it.

We began the meeting by each of us holding our own image of what CCF does. We individually felt into CCF’s purpose, it’s real essence. And then we shared what arose. We felt CCF’s deep commitment to the potential that comes from empowering girls and women, how it works to directly support Nepalis’ own visions. We felt our own excitement about sharing the face of Nepal and its remarkable human and cultural beauty with others. And we so deeply want to give what we can to enable the best lives possible in Nepal. The mission statement wrote itself.

It began months before when I re-read our old mission statement and felt a slight ping. “This doesn’t capture the passion I feel for CCF’s work,” I said to myself. Two years earlier the Board had reflected deeply about what we do and how we do it. That resulted in a clear articulation of our foundational principles, what criteria we use to make funding decisions, and our methodology of operation. It was essentially making explicit how CCF’s operates. Our previous mission statement didn’t quite capture this same sense of refined purpose.

So I spent some time reviewing key characteristics of good mission statements and their function and came up with some possibilities. Other Board members chimed in. And then we met.

It was astonishing, really, that it came together that easily. But then, of course it would. Being on the Board of Directors of CCF means I have the fortune to work with others who are truly committed to seeing Nepal thrive. And Nepal thriving means that women thrive, as women are the backbone of Nepali society. Women thriving means girls get the opportunities to make choices in their lives. One of those choices is to go to school. Going to school means that they have knowledge and resources when they are menstruating. And that knowledge and those resources are part of what CCF provides.

Women’s ability to participate fully in society contributes to healthier communities. And a healthy community has resiliency during emergencies such as disease outbreaks, earthquakes, and landslides. Emergencies are what those of us in North America hear about. CCF has had the extraordinary support of so many generous people who have given under dire circumstances and are equally committed to supporting Nepal. Our partnership across continents enriches all of us whether we are contributing funds, working closely with Nepalis as they decide their priorities, or witnessing the outcome of this collaboration on CCF’s website.

A shout echoed in the zoom room as we four committee members acknowledged the mutual passion and commitment we have for CCF’s work. So cool. As we said, through Nepali-North American partnership, CCF invests in the power of women and girls to be key participants in their society. And we are proud of it. Thanks to all who join us in this.