girls inc. annual report 2006

from the president and ceo
In 2006, Girls Incorporated developed a
new business plan to extend the organization’s
reach and expand its quality service.
As we look to the future, I am proud of
how strong the organization has become
in recent years. We know that what Girls
Inc. does works, and the Girls Inc. mission
of inspiring all girls to be strong, smart,
and bold demands that we grow in order
to have the strongest positive impact.
By building on the successes of our
most recent plan and applying all that
we learned, Girls Inc. has positioned
itself to assert the full extent and value
of our work and history with girls. Our
effective programs, research, evaluation,
and commitment to ensuring the rights
and equality of all girls set us apart.
Our national college scholarship program,
year-round opportunities for public
speaking and leadership, and strategies
for bringing Girls Inc. to places where
girls naturally gather have earned us a
place in girls’ daily lives as the way to
achieve their goals.
For as long as Girls Inc. has been
working with girls, over 140 years and
counting, our family- and communitycentered
approach has engaged girls
whose race, ethnicity, religious background,
gender, economic status, or all
of these factors bar them from accessing
the best possible education and opportunities.
For many, deflecting society’s
low expectations is an ongoing struggle.
Girls Inc. recognizes the extent to which
this is true for the girls we meet and
joins girls in combating stereotypes as
they reach their highest potential.
As Girls Inc. embarks on our business
plan for 2007 to 2011, we are finding new
and efficient strategies for training and
supporting Girls Inc. member organizations.
Younger agencies and those that
boast 50- to 100-year histories of working
with girls are eager to expand their reach
and secure the funds that will sustain these
changes. We continue to see tremendous
success in the creation of new Girls Inc.
sites in cities across the United States and
in Canada. Their longevity, along with that
of existing Girls Inc. member organizations,
is critical to bringing Girls Inc. to future
generations of girls.
As always, Girls Inc. will keep girls at
the decision-making table and on the front
lines of our communications, advocacy,
and public policy work. Girls’ experiences
and impressions will also continue to
shape the evolution of Girls Inc. identity
programs in science, math and technology,
sports and adventure, economic literacy,
health and sexuality, media literacy, and
community action.
Girls Inc. is also pleased to announce
that our new business plan includes a
strategy to engage adults who want more
direct involvement with girls—as volunteers,
mentors, and advocates. This strategy will
harness the energy and enthusiasm of the
many donors who want to give more than
financial support.
Girls Inc. appreciates all our contributors
and invites you to stay close as we build
on the foundation of our past successes to
reach our full potential as the premiere
organization serving girls. Thank you for
recognizing the unique contribution Girls
Inc. makes to girls’ lives and for endorsing
our core commitment to empowered girls
and an equitable society.
Joyce M. Roché
President and CEO
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