About the Inner Wisdom Foundation
What is Inner Wisdom?
Inner wisdom is the strength found in humility, the wisdom it generates and the act of sharing that part of you with others to help influence change. Please join us and share your inner wisdom.
Inner Wisdom Foundation's Mission
To provide financial, managerial, marketing, and networking support that strengthens small not-for-profit, non-government organisations (NGO) in developing countries whose mission and projects influence positive social, political, and economic change and provide needed services to marginalized communities (e.g. education, healthcare) where government services are not provided or neglected.
Our Vision
To create global partnerships that empower all people, regardless of age, sex, creed, ancestry, to reach their full potential in life without fear of conflict, disease, and poverty.
Our Objectives
- Create partnerships with non-profit grassroots community organisations (NGO's) working directly within their communities to influence economic and social change.
- To broaden the reach and capabilities of our partners through the creation of measurable business practices, working policies and procedures, and organisational management.
- Through its partnerships create lasting solutions for community development, education, health care and independance initiatives for marganialized communities in developing countries.
- Develop creative income generating initiatives for our partners that can be implemented locally but practiced globally to establish funding independence.
Our Beginning
The Inner Wisdom Foundation, Inc. (IWF) was established in 2008 by Coleen Krauss, original Founder after she realized that, without assistance, she could not provide the extent of service she was capable of to communities in need. Coleen and a small group of Vermonters started sharing their concerns about the lack of adequate healthcare, environmental awareness, and education in developing communities. Understanding that change needed to occur on a grassroots level they began to pull their ideas, talents, energy, and time together. In 2008 the Inner Wisdom Foundation was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation.
In 2009 Kate Westbrook was recruited as IWF's Executive Director, with a strong marketing and volunteer background she established a new identity for IWF. With her experience in Africa working with small grassroots organisations she created partnerships with these organisations, thus starting the original project-Africa. In the summer of 2010 Coleen and her board retired and IWF was given to Kate. Kate established a new board and they began working on a new direction, mission, set of objectives, and working goals.
What we do
Inner Wisdom Foundation (IWF) partners with East African grass-root community not-for-profits (NGO's) whose mission, vision, and objectives directly influence social, political, and economic change and create sustainable community programs. IWF provides it's partners with financial, marketing, administrative and project management, and volunteer support so that they can directly address the needs of the communities they work in. IWF aims to provide solutions, tools, and programs that can help our partners effectively and efficiently manage and maintain their projects. Once policies, directives, systems and funding have been established, Inner Wisdom teaches their partner to govern these assets independently, constituting independence and sustainable economic practices.
Learn more about IWF's current partners.
Our Values - Promote Healthy Change.
Community
Foster healthy relationships and safe environments
Compassion
Care for the "whole" person (spiritual, emotional, economic, and physical).
Intentionality
Initiate change with a stated purpose.
Local Leadership
Empower local leaders to effect change and establish a connection with IWF to the local culture.
Partnership
Extend kindness with mutual growth through giving and receiving (people and resources).
Respect
Move forward with respect for cultural difference and environmental stewardship.
Service
Use individual time, energy, talent, thoughts, unique to each of us to better serve communities in need.
The IWF Team
Board of Directors
- Kathleen Westbrook - Executive Director & President
- Catherine West - Vice President
- Hope Hale - Secretary
- Elizabeth Lauer - Treasurer
IWF Support
Rebecca Kerin (K5 Consulting), Administrative and accounting support
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