Today is #GivingTuesday, a great opportunity to encourage support for our mission of working for democracy and making democracy work. Especially in these times, our mission has never been more critical. Your gift TODAY (Tuesday, November 28) will be MATCHED DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This match is only guaranteed for donations made via Facebook today.

Click here to donate!

Know that your contribution will help more people build more stable, equitable and democratic societies. And if you donate before the end of today, your gift will have double the impact. Thank you for all your leadership and support in making a difference for so many people.

To see more about how our work is having impact, please read some of my favorite stories from 2017 below:

1. Kosovo’s Week of Women 2017: Women are the Rule, Not the Exception
   
   The Week of Women in Kosovo gathered a diverse group of women from 33 municipalities throughout the country, representing all of Kosovo’s ethnic communities and from a multitude of professional backgrounds. The group included persons with disabilities and members of various political parties. This year, in addition to 100 women participants, there were 20 male participants for the first time, underscoring NDI’s commitment to building understanding among both men and women of the challenges women face in politics.

2. “We Are Not Too Young To Run”: Youth In Nigeria March To Support Bill
   
   Despite comprising almost half of the Nigerian population, youth have been historically marginalized from entering politics at a state and federal level. A nation-wide campaign led by NDI’s local partners is aiming to change that through a constitutional amendment that would lower the age requirements for running for political office.

3. Young Innovators in MENA, U.S. Pitch ‘Civic Tech’ Ideas To Improve Their Communities
   
   Sixteen young leaders were selected from intensive mentorship and learning exchange program that included 200 young people from the Middle East and North Africa and the United States to join an Innovators’ Exchange Study Mission. The young leaders had the opportunity to meet with technologists, social entrepreneurs and policymakers in Silicon Valley, CA, and Washington, D.C.

4. Liberian Women Are Getting Ready To Lead In 2017
   
   Less than 10 percent of Liberia’s legislators are women, and nearly 10 percent fewer women than men were registered to vote in the last election. But Liberian women were determined to close that gap during the country’s elections in October 2017. A boot camp for 138 Liberian women, held from January 30 to February 3, 2017, marked the first stage of “Getting Ready to Lead” (GRTL), a women’s leadership program to train and mentor women with the ambition to be more involved in politics.