Panel of Judges to Include Suze Orman, Personal Finance Expert Hello
Tomorrow Fund Programs also Launching Worldwide
NEW YORK, March 7 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of International
Women's Day, Avon Products, Inc., a leading supporter of women's issues,
announces a unique new initiative that will empower women and change our
world: the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund. Every week for a year, commencing
April 2007, the Hello Tomorrow Fund will award $5,000 to a U.S. individual
to help realize a program, project or idea to empower women in one of three
areas: business development, community service, or awareness and outreach.
The winners will be selected by an expert panel of judges, including Suze
Orman, America's most recognized expert on personal finance.
Research has shown that an investment in women is an investment in the
community. For over 120 years Avon has provided economic opportunity for
women worldwide, often in places and at times when employment options were
limited, and today there are 5.3 million independent Avon Sales
Representatives in 100 countries. The Hello Tomorrow Fund has been created
as another tool to drive the advancement of all women. The Hello Tomorrow
Fund was announced by Andrea Jung, Chairman and CEO of Avon, at The Global
Summit for a Better Tomorrow held at the United Nations, which was
presented by Avon in partnership with the Virtue Foundation.
"The Hello Tomorrow Fund is the latest realization of Avon's profound
commitment to empowering women around the world," said Ms. Jung. "Given the
resources, women can impact their lives, families and communities in
meaningful ways. Women can change our world. It is in this spirit that we
have created the Hello Tomorrow Fund, and I am especially gratified that
the Hello Tomorrow Fund is also launching in various forms in 18 countries
around the globe. Avon understands women, and we also understand the power
of the individual to effect significant change."
Ms. Jung announced the first honorary winner of the Hello Tomorrow
Fund: Darlene Morgan Brown, Ph.D., a leader in the New Orleans charter
school movement whose school was selected to participate in the Virtue
Foundation Katrina Education Initiative, a program providing 21st century
technology enabled education to hundreds of children affected by Hurricane
Katrina. Among Dr. Brown's projects was the successful transformation of
failing schools, only to see them heavily damaged by Katrina. With her
Hello Tomorrow Fund award, Dr. Brown will start an entrepreneurship program
for 6th and 9th grade girls and their mothers in the reconstructed Capital
One University of New Orleans Charter School system, which includes many
students who still live in trailers. "Education is the means to growth and
sustainability for the individual and community," stated Dr. Brown. "Every
child has leadership potential and the right to a quality education. With
the Hello Tomorrow Fund award I will be able to help secure the financial
future of the girls and their mothers."
About the Hello Tomorrow Fund
In the U.S., the Hello Tomorrow Fund will provide one $5,000 award per
week to a deserving individual who will be selected from the pool of
applicants by an expert panel of judges. Women and men are eligible to
apply, and the winning programs must present unique and achievable
initiatives to empower women or girls and ultimately improve society in one
of three areas:
- Business Development: A for-profit business that directly empowers women
through its mission, product or service, or through the means of doing
business.
- Community Service: A non-profit project or program that helps women of
any age realize their full potential or overcome obstacles.
- Awareness & Outreach: Educate others about an issue that affects women
to inspire and empower other women and have a positive impact on the
issue.
Applications and guidelines will be available at all times as of March
8 at http://www.avon.com/hellotomorrowfund. Application submission and selection
of winners will be organized in a quarterly cycle. One winner will be
publicly announced every Tuesday through the Hello Tomorrow website
beginning April 17, and profiles of the winners will be featured on the
website to further share their inspiring ideas.
To further support women's empowerment, http://www.avon.com/hellotomorrowfund
will also offer links to resources and organizations in the areas of the
awards -- business development, community service and awareness and
outreach -- as well as general women's issues. This service will provide
information to all persons interested in these issues regardless of
participation in the Hello Tomorrow Fund.
About the Judges
Every application will be thoughtfully and carefully reviewed by an
expert panel comprised of notable public figures, philanthropic leaders and
heads of business, including:
- Jillian Dempsey: influential makeup artist, beauty industry icon and
entrepreneur
- Anne T. Dowling: President of the Institute for Cultural Enterprise
(ICE), a nonprofit agency; past President of the Texaco Foundation and
Director of Corporate Contributions for Altria
- Carol M. Kurzig: Executive Director of the Avon Foundation
- Joan LaRovere, M.D.: Associate Director of the Pediatric Cardiac
Intensive Care Unit at The Royal Brompton Hospital in London and co-
founder and Vice President of the Virtue Foundation
- Suze Orman: personal finance expert, Emmy Award-winning television host,
author, magazine and online columnist, writer/producer, and motivational
speaker. Suze's new book, Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control
Your Destiny, was just released February 27.
- Maria Peninger: Vice President of Representative Development for Avon
Products, Inc. and strong advocate for women's empowerment
- Cynthia Rowley: award-winning fashion designer, author and entrepreneur
- Joseph Salim, D.D.M.: tireless humanitarian, co-founder and Executive
Director of the Virtue Foundation
- Lynn M. Stekas: nationally-recognized leader in corporate community
involvement, philanthropy and volunteerism, and former President of the
MONY Foundation
To Apply for the Hello Tomorrow Fund
The fastest way to apply or learn more is at
http://www.avon.com/hellotomorrowfund. For those without internet access, a friend
or colleague can download a printable PDF file of the application on the
website, or a request for paper copies of application materials can be sent
to: Hello Tomorrow Fund, c/o Changing Our World, 220 East 42nd Street, 7th
Floor, New York, NY 10017.
About The Global Summit for a Better Tomorrow
The Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund was announced at The Global Summit for a
Better Tomorrow, which marked the eve of International Women's Day. The
Global Summit for a Better Tomorrow took place at the United Nations in New
York City on March 7 and was presented through a partnership of Avon with
the Virtue Foundation, along with supporting organizations UNICEF, UNIFEM
and UN-DESA. The Summit gathered some of the most influential and
accomplished leaders in the area of women's empowerment throughout the
world and addressed three major areas affecting women today: healthcare,
education, and economic empowerment.
About Avon Products, Inc.
Avon, the company for women, is a leading global beauty company, with
over $8 billion in annual revenue. As the world's largest direct seller,
Avon markets to women in well over 100 countries through over five million
independent Avon Sales Representatives. Avon's product line includes beauty
products, fashion jewelry and apparel, and features such well-recognized
brand names as Avon Color, Anew, Skin-So-Soft, Avon Solutions, Advance
Techniques, Avon Naturals, Mark, and Avon Wellness. Avon is also a leader
in corporate responsibility and philanthropy. In addition to a heritage of
women's empowerment, Avon and the Avon Foundation have robust programs
worldwide to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer, domestic violence
and emergency disaster relief. Learn more about Avon, its products and
programs at http://www.avoncompany.com.
Countries slated to launch a local version of the Avon Hello Tomorrow
Fund throughout 2007 include:
Argentina Mexico
Australia Philippines
Brazil Poland
Canada Russia
China Taiwan
Colombia Turkey
Czech Republic UK
Hungary Ukraine
Japan Venezuela
SOURCE Avon Products, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.avon.com
http://www.avoncompany.com
http://www.avon.com/hellotomorrowfund
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CONTACT:
Kimberly Bernhardt, kbernhardt@bncpr.com or
Dana Waisberg, dwaisberg@bncpr.com, both of BNC | Bragman Nyman
Cafarelli for Avon Products, Inc., +1-212-253-4646
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