The IWC Charities Committee is run by members from many different countries who want to work together to reach out to the marginalized communities in this country and make a REAL difference. The purpose is to ensure that the IWC Charities Committee is able to help those who need it most. As the IWC Charities Committee is run by volunteers, there are no administrative costs, so all donations and proceeds from charity events go directly to those in need.
As an organization originally established by women, we have decided to focus our primary attention on children. We have based this decision on the fact that children represent a society's future, thus providing an opportunity to invest for the longer term and that, in many cases, this intervention can be life-changing---for the child, for the family and beyond.
The IWC Charities Fund is an integral and vital part of the International Women's Club of Moscow's purpose and aim.
Our aim is to help those most in need!!
Our charity work began in Russia in 1988, so we have already been serving the people of our host community for over 35 years!! We are fully supported by the donations via various IWC Charity events organized throughout the year. Thanks to the generosity of our members, friends of IWC and Spouses of the diplomatic missions in Moscow, we can support several long term projects. Depending on the current financial statement, we also provide one-off purchases of appliances, crafting equipment or refurbishment payments. Our Project Leaders meet and monitor the individuals we are caring for. Seeing them on a regular basis guarantees that the money of our donors is spent wisely. We care about the transparency of our expenses--every single Ruble is spent only after the agreement of the Charity Board's assessment and oversight. Additionally, our Charities Fund is audited yearly by an independent, third-party accounting firm to attest to the credibility and authenticity of our records.
Financial Sources
In the past years, two big charity events were organized--IWC Winter Bazaar and the IWC Embassies Dinner & Ball. The Winter Bazaar was the IWC's largest charity fundraiser, and an important social and cultural event. The success of the IWC Winter Bazaar can only be attributed to the immense support and generosity of the Embassies and Business Communities of Moscow. We hope that both of these prestigious and immensely successful fundraising events will resume soon. In the meantime, various other fundraising opportunities have been developed-- Charity Lunches, Masterclasses, Art Lessons, Iftar Breakfasts and numerous others. Congruently, sale of Raffle tickets and Silent Auction bids/sales, at our Meet & Greets, sees all proceeds from sales going to the Charities Fund.
Who do we support?
In our charity work, we focus on the following marginalized groups of individuals:
- Children from poor and unstable families, living in orphanages and/or in need of medical assistance;
- Elderly and destitute (pensioners, homeless)
Additionally, the donation of clothes, shoes, blankets and all non-perishable food items are welcomed and immediately passed on to those Projects and individuals needing assistance. The list of supported Projects for 2023-2024 can be found below.
How can you help?
There are many different ways in which to help. Please find your unique option from the following options:
- buy Raffle tickets for your chance to win fun and unique items at any IWC event;
- participate in any Charity Event such as a Masterclass, Lunch, Iftar, etc;
- donate any sum, privately--every little bit counts;
- invite your friends and business associates to Charity Events or to support our initiatives through donations of funds or unique gifts and/or experiences;
- help organize a Charity event at your Embassy, gallery, or business property;
- donate your pieces of art, talents or skills for unique experiences, or non-logo products from your home country;
- volunteer your time and personal skills with pensioners or children;
- donate gently used clothing, shoes, or non-perishable food items at IWC events or institution of your choice;
- YOUR OWN IDEAS
If you want to get involved in a charity, help support our work, or volunteer your time to our efforts, please contact us-- iwccharitycc@gmail.com
Our IWC Charity Committee would be pleased to answer your questions, take your suggestions and coordinate with you for future fundraising event ideas.
List of projects we are financing in 2023-2024
In season 2020-2021 we supported our charity projects with donations of 4,790,800 rubles. Thanks to all donors!
Tourmaline was founded in 2003 in Moscow. Its main goal is the improvement of people’s lives through rehabilitation, work and social integration.
Among other creative activities, volunteers and benefactors have lunch together. They set the table, clean up, teach social skills and norms of behavior at the table. IWC has been financing food and drink supplies for these lunches since 2013.
Charity Fund "Metis" has existed for over 20 years helping children from mixed families whose fathers left to their motherland and do not support their families.
Children are brought up by single mothers and sometimes by grandmothers. They are low-income large families and some of them with disabled children.
Metis is involved in different programs: educational, food support (IWC), organization of parties for those children and others.
IWC has been supporting this organization providing food bags for those families since 2015.
Don Bosco is a Charitable children Center named after Ioann Bosco (was founded in 1995), supporting 12 children living in two flats on Malaya Gruzinskaya and another 40 receiving food. Later in 1999 with a sponsorship help - an old kindergarten was bought and rebuilt. The center started to operate in 2001 and received donations from IWC.
It’s not an orphanage, but a shelter run by a Catholic order, as children live there up to 3 years, many of them have parents, which at the moment cannot take care of them.
The assistance that IWC provides is threefold.
Firstly, IWC is financing the rent of a flat for homeless individuals
Secondly, IWC is assisting with the services rendered by the Community of St. Egidio. During the Covid- 19 pandemic, many organizations stopped the distribution of food, parishes closed and restaurants shut down making it difficult to find food in the city. It became increasingly difficult for the poor to find help easily. In this situation, the Community of St. Egidio in Moscow decided not to close its facilities and actually intensified its efforts and increased its availability to the city's homeless. Currently, St.Egidio volunteers distribute meals on the street, maintain a laundry center, provide basic legal services and provide haircuts to those needing it.
And thirdly, IWC is helping with the financing of "humanitarian kits" (each costs around 300 Rubles) for about 300 people per week. This "kit" includes a hot meal, fruit, canned food, wet wipes, a bottle of water, bread, disinfectant, etc.
As many residents of Moscow will attest to, inflation has caused the cost of living to skyrocket and a simple meal costs much more than before. This, coupled with a the increased number of individuals needing assistance, has made IWC support even more necessary.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Community of St.Egidio increased its services in the city of Moscow to respond to the new needs and the new poverty created by the economic crisis. Among the new projects launched, there is the "Center on Giliarovskij", a center where the elderly, the poor, and large families can come to collect a package of food and clothes once a month. The project, which requires a special place to store food and clothes has also become an eco-sustainable project. In fact, the center has become a place where anyone can bring used clothes, which are rearranged and donated. The center, which is open twice a week for visitors, currently has about 500 members enrolled. In the center, customers can choose and try clothes on, like in a real boutique. This choice is much appreciated by visitors to the center, also because it restores dignity to the people marked by need and poverty.
Charity board
IWC Charities Board meets once per month to discuss any issues that may have arisen over that month, receive and distribute funds. The IWC Charities Board also decides about the Charity Projects that will be supported and approves them by voting.
Each member of the IWC Charities Board has an assigned role. Some roles are administrative while some roles are linked directly to the charity projects (Project Lead Coordinators).
Our Project Coordinators and their assistants are in close contact with specified charities. They regularly visit the projects to distribute funds, collect receipts and report the project status. We also have volunteers who actively help at the projects and therefore are very important part of the IWC Charities Group.
If you would like to know more details about our work, please contact us via e-mail: iwccharitycc@gmail.com
Volunteer with charities
Volunteering with IWC Charities
Friends, have a reason to go out during the long, cold winter, socialize and have fun in a new country help others - kids, pensioners or homeless, cook or/and feed underprivileged children and elderly meet Russian people, learn more about local life, contribute to the society you are in, learn and practice Russian speaking discover your new skills, acquire new working experience, teach someone, develop your business skills in a friendly environment, help in organizing large charity events, get to know the Russian business environment, edit or contribute to IWC magazine/newsletter/ website/facebook, donate stuff you no longer need that others may find useful, donate cash or get donations from business, companies you may know, bring your own ideas.
Are you interested in helping?
You can contribute your time as it best suits you. We have many different roles within the IWC Charities Group. It can take less than 4 hours a month, up to 10 hours (or more) a week from your time. There is no need to speak Russian, but a little knowledge is a big advantage. Please contact the team at iwccharitycc@gmail.com
Board Vacancies 2022
No Charity board vacancies