Mona Foundation supports grassroots educational initiatives that provide education to all children, increase opportunities for women and girls, and emphasize service to the community.  Our goal is to alleviate global poverty and support community-led transformation such that no child ever goes to bed hungry, or is lost to preventable diseases, or is deprived of gift of education for lack of resources.  We believe that the keys to alleviating poverty are universal education, gender equality, and community building.   Since 1999, Mona has awarded more than $12 million to 38 educational initiatives in 18 countries, providing access to quality education and training for more than 258,000 students, teachers and parents annually.

Mona was founded in 1999 by a small group of people who drew their inspiration from the Baha’i principles of justice and equality, universal education and indiscriminate service to all.  We seek to work with like-minded people or organizations, locally, nationally and internationally, to demonstrate in action that people of all backgrounds can come together in the service of our common good. 

The foundation is named after a 16-year old girl who was executed in 1983 for her beliefs as a Baha’i and for teaching children’s classes. She is our Malala except that Malala lived after the attempt of her life and Mona did not.   Mona loved children and had volunteered in an orphanage since the age of thirteen. IBefore she was executed, she said a prayer for unity of mankind.   Her courage to stand for what she believed, her youth, and her dedication to justice and service inspired us to name the foundation after her.   

 

 

We believe that the key to alleviating poverty and achieving positive community transformation lies in universal education and gender equality. Mona Gift Shop integrates the following values in all aspects of its operation:

• Oneness and unity
  • In our humanity we are one, each endowed with the potential to contribute to building a better world.
• Service to all
  • Regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, nationality or economic status
  • Supporting social and economic development projects focused on education and improving the status of women and girls
• Fostering unity in diversity
  • Preserving the diverse cultural heritage of the people we serve
  • Building collaborative relationships & supporting others to develop themselves
• Integrity, accountability and transparency 
  • Embodying trustworthiness and committed to operational excellence and meeting our commitments
  • Operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed and results achieved
• Consultation as a medium of decision-making
  • Seeking and respecting the diversity of views 
  • Searching for truth and arriving at, and rallying around the group decision
• Continuous learning
  • Engaging in continuous cycle of consultation, action and reflection to lean from experience and improve year-on-year

 

 

Since 1999, Mona has granted $12 million to 38 projects in 18 countries, supporting the education of 258,326 students, teachers and parents annually. In  2017 we supported partner organizations in US, Haiti, Panama, Brazil, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, and India.

 

 

Universal education, gender equality and community transformation remain the focus of all Mona Gift Shop activities.   

Universal education:  Learning is intrinsic to human reality, and everyone deserves the opportunity to receive a quality education. Mona Gift Shop finds locally operated programs that educate people of all backgrounds and raise the status of girls and women. We believe that sustainable development is a process in which individuals, communities and institutions build capacity and own and lead their own development plans. Educated communities are healthier, more sustainable, and less vulnerable to economic volatility.  

Gender equality:  Providing equal educational opportunities to girls and women yield a higher rate of return than any other investment that can be made in our communities.  Equality not only guarantees basic rights, it is also vital to promoting the robust, shared growth needed to end extreme poverty. World Bank data demonstrates that gender equality and economic development are inextricably linked and increasing education specifically for girls and women has a direct effect on a nation’s economic development.  

Community building:  All people have the right and the responsibility to lead their own lives and to contribute to the betterment of their own communities.  The individuals most affected are the ones most ready to affect change. Supporting communities in their own self-advocacy promotes empowerment, rather than dependency. Many students we support work with their communities to establish literacy programs, women health centers, parental trainings, cleanliness drives, tree plantations, and many other programs that stimulate harmony and community building in their communities. 

 

 

We partner with community-led organizations that educate and serve everyone, empower women and girls, improve economic opportunity for all, and catalyze individual and community transformation.

 

 

Our approach and framework to development act as a guide and influences the way we think of social action and change.   At the heart of this framework lie our beliefs about the nature of human beings.  These beliefs are Baha’i inspired and universal in their nature and include:

Oneness of the world of humanity – that each person, regardless of economic status, has the right, the capacity and the responsibility to be the protagonist of the process of their own development, and contribute to the betterment of their communities.  This view of human beings does not permit us to regard people as helpless victims nor as passive recipients of aid.  Rather, development work based on this view tries to tap into the vast pool of capabilities of local people and to empower them to become the protagonists of their own development. 

Coherence of material and spiritual dimensions of human reality– that development should not only be defined by materials goals, e.g. the building of the infrastructure or academic achievement, rather, and perhaps more importantly, by the degree to which the participants in the process are commmitted to spiritual values such as justice and equality, and have the moral capabilities such as integrity, trustworthiness, etc. needed to serve their own interests and also contribute to the betterment of their communities.

Equality of men and women – that community development can only happen when men and women have and enjoy equal rights and opportunities and equally participate in this process.   

At Mona Gift Shop, development is viewed as a process, the main protagonists of which are the people themselves, irrespective of the degree of their material prosperity.  We believe that development activity emerges from within a community and belongs to the people and institutions that are implementing the effort.   While social action is directed towards visible improvements of some aspect of life, the main function of the project is to develop people’s capacity to make decisions about their development and then to implement them.

At the level of practice, this framework translates into the following essential requirements for sustained development: 

1. Organic growth - Development is a long-term process. Any development effort must originate at the grassroots level by members of the local community. Over time, through a process of consultation, action and reflection, the community builds its own capacity to implement projects of increased complexity. 
2. Capacity building - Capacity building is directly related to learning how to work towards goals in a disciplined way, how to foster openness in decision-making by engaging in community consultation, how to build relationships based on collaboration and service to others, and how to develop the skills and commitment necessary to generate and apply lessons learned to build even more capacity. 
3. Local ownership, local solutions - Every community has their own set of unique challenges and solutions. For every community and every country development needs to be responsive to local aspirations and initiatives. Development ideas and projects should not be imposed from outside the local community. National or international knowledge about proven and well-conceived development approaches can be shared as long as the local community remains owner and creator of their own solutions. 
4. Action learning - As with any new skill, engaging in learning through a systematic and ongoing process of consultation, action and reflection designed to bring about consistent patterns of change, is essential to developing the capacity and skills we need to build a better world together. 
5. Service - Development is sustained and sustainable when service to others is the core value that drives our everyday actions as individuals and as community members. Service to others helps us be the best we can be and exponentially increases our impact in whatever step we take for the betterment of ourselves, our communities and our nations. 

 

 

Our relationship with the development projects we support is naturally governed by the core values that inspire us, and the principles that guide our work.   As such, we believe that the responsibility for managing all aspects of implementing the project being funded rests with the project.   We see our role as the representative and voice of the project, and act as its advocate before our donors.   We do so while honoring and meeting our full fiduciary responsibilities to our donors and provide full transparency and accountability for all our actions and decisions.   

Our project selection criteria ensures that Mona Gift Shop only supports local educational institutions who have a proven capacity to utilize funds effectively, and the ability to interact well with outside donors.

•  The program is founded and operated by residents.
• The program addresses a vital and significant deficit in the basic needs of children, needs which prevent the full development of their capacity as productive members of their society. These needs must include education, but also may include housing, food and basic health care.
• The program serves children of all backgrounds, regardless of age, gender, race or ethnicity, religion, and economic status.
• The program has a particular focus on education of girls and women.
• The program seeks to develop human resources for the community.
• The program has a historic rate of success, having been established and functioning for a significant period of time and not less than three years.
• The program enjoys the support of the local community.
• The program administrators of the school have shown a long-term commitment to the development of the program
• The program administrators have the capacity to effectively manage receiving funds from external agencies.
• The program administrators are active participants in developing and implementing plans, and require and enjoy the participation of the community.

We consult with the Office of Social and Economic Development (OSED) when we select projects founded by the Baha'is*.   OSED has been our trusted advisor for many years.  They are in touch with local grass-roots NGOs implementing the development projects and monitoring their activities and progress and know when these NGOs have the experience and the institutional capacity to receive and manage funds from external sources.  Thus, we have the advantage of working together with local partners who have a positive track record, have demonstrated trustworthiness and reliability and have the capacity to collaborate with external funding agencies. 

*Baha'i activity in the field of social and economic development seeks to promote the well-being of people of all walks of life, whatever their beliefs or background.   It represents the efforts of the Baha'i community to effect constructive social change. Its purpose is not to teach the Faith nor convert, rather, as an expression of a deeply held set of beliefs, to engage in indiscriminate service to the world of humanity for the betterment of our collective world.   

Social action is pursued with the conviction that every population has the right and responsibility to mark out the path of its own progress. Indeed, every people and nation has a vital contribution to make in constructing a new society characterized by principles such as harmony, justice, and prosperity.

 

 

In the past two years, we have worked with with each of our partners in the field and an advisory committee to identify field-generated measures of sustained positive community change. Our Evaluation and Impact Framework, therefore, tracks, assesses and reports the voice of the field on three outcomes

1. Program Outcome:  Improving Access to Education as indicated by the number of schools enrolled
2. Student Outcome:  Improving Teaching and learning as indicated by the number of students who transition to next level of graduation or into work, and
3. Social & Economic Outcome:  Positive community change as indicated in improvement in students character development and life skills and service back to the community.

For detailed information please see our "Results" page.

 

 

Why is it crucial to ensure that nearly 4 billion girls and women around the world have the same chances to receive an education as boys and men? First, education is a human right, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Second, girls’ education is a strategic development investment – evidence shows that girls’ education brings a wide range of benefits not only for the girls themselves but also for their children and their communities, as well as society at large in terms of economic growth.

There is also a multiplier effect to educating girls and women. More educated women tend to be healthier, participate more in the formal labor market, earn more income, have fewer children, and provide better health care and education to their children, all of which eventually improve the well-being of all individuals and can lift households out of poverty. These benefits also transmit across generations, as well as to communities at large.  (World Bank report on education of girls, 2016.)

 

 

The Mona Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit organization in accordance with the Internal Revenue Service codes of the United States of America. All donations made from donors within US are tax deductible. Donors from other countries should consult a certified public accountant registered within their country of residence.

 

 

Mona Foundation is officially certified every year by the State of Washington. We embrace nonprofit accountability and transparency.  We are have received Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance stamp of approval, and enjoy the Platnium status granted by GuideStar (www.guidestar.org) given only to organizations which meet their extensive accountability and transparency requirements.  In addition, we have received several awards and recognitions including:

1. Microsoft Alumni Integral Fellow
2. Leadership Council member, Brookings Institution Center for Universal Education (CUE)
3. Brokkings Institution CUE select global partner member to Girls CHARGE inititave 
4. CNN Top 10 Nonprofits Supporting the Education of Women
5. Best of Western WA Nonprofits
6. Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation

 

 

Want to get involved? Call us at (425) 743-4550 or email info@monafoundation.org. We would love to talk to you and leverage your talent in service to thousands of children we serve.

 

We Do! Your convenience is our priority so we ship worldwide.

It takes us 2-4 business days to process and ship your order. Once your goodies have shipped, you will receive a confirmation email from us. Because we ship worldwide, customs may cause a package to take longer to arrive than usual; we recommend tracking your order.

After receiving a confirmation email, the time of delivery will vary depending on the destination. We estimate that shipping times for the United States, Canada and International destinations are as follows:

1. Domestic:
2. USPS First Class: 3-5 business days
3. USPS Priority Mail: 2-3 business day
4. USPS Priority Express Mail: 1-2 business days
5. Canada:
6. USPS First Class International: varies, 8-16 business days
7. USPS Priority Mail International: 6-10 business days
8. USPS Priority Mail Express: 4-6 business days
9. International:
10. USPS First Class International: varies, 13-31 business days (*without tracking number)
11. USPS Priority Mail International: 10-15 business days
12. USPS Priority Mail Express International: 6-10 business days

All U.S. orders will be provided with a tracking number. For international orders, USPS Priority International and USPS Express International mail will provide a tracking number. Only select countries offer tracking for USPS First Class International. Please find these countries provided below:

1. Countries that offer First Class International Tracking:
2. Australia
3. Belgium
4. Brazil
5. Canada
6. Croatia
7. Denmark
8. France
9. Germany
10. Great Britain and Northern Ireland
11. Israel
12. Netherlands
13. New Zealand
14. Spain
15. Switzerland.

As soon as your order has been shipped, we will send you a confirmation email with your order number and tracking number***. To track your package, follow the link provided in your confirmation email. You can also visit the United States Postal Service at www.usps.com and enter your tracking number there!

***If you don’t see your country on the list above, don’t worry we can still ship to you but you will not be able to track your package. Instead you will be issued a Customs Identification Number for your package. We apologize, but again you will not be able to track your package if your country is not located above.

A.Most items may be shipped to a P.O. Box or Military APO/FPO addresses, but some restrictions apply.Orders being sent to P.O. Boxes or Military APO/FPO addresses must be shipped via the United States Postal Service and cannot be shipped via 2nd Day or Overnight Priority service.

As much as we want to, we aren’t able to lower the value of a package for any reason. Import fees are not part of shipping & handling and you will need to pay those fees upon receipt of the package. If you choose not to pay the import fees then your package will be returned to Mona Gift Shop.

We do not currently offer insurance for our packages. USPS may have shipping insurance available for an additional fee.

At Mona Gift Shop, we understand how important security is to you. When you order online with us, we use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology. This is the most advanced consumer online security technique to date. You can be assured that your order will be placed safely and securely. We have used government approved encryption software. To find out more about SSL encryption software go to: http://www.netscape.com/security/techbriefs/ssl.html?cp=sciln. In order for encryption to take place, your browser must have the SSL protocol. The following browsers have this software:

1. Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher
2. Firefox 1.0.4 or higher
3. Safari (MAC Only)

Carriers often provide an estimated delivery date to show when a package is projected for delivery. These estimates often change depending on current weather or road conditions. Please make sure to check the tracking number often to make sure that it is moving. If you still have not received your package after a week from the estimated delivery date, please let us know by contacting hello@monafoundation.org or (425)743-4550

If your tracking number shows that the package has been delivered but you have not received it, please try the following:

1. Checking around the yard/house.
2. Checking with neighbors.
3. Checking with the carrier.
4. Often times carriers will leave packages in places where they think will be safest. (ie. Inside an open garage, besides a bush, etc.) Sometimes deliveries may be made to the wrong location. (ie. Down the street, next door, etc.) If the above does not help locate your package, please try contacting the carrier or contact us at hello@monafoundation.org or (425)743-4550. Carriers may update a tracking number in advance the day that it is projected for delivery.

Shipping costs are calculated based on the package destination and the weight of the package. When you check out using Mona Gift Shop’s website you will need to provide your address in order to view shipping options. Many options will be available so that you can get your package for a reasonable price.

Go to our email submission form, or call us toll free at (425)743-4550 and Contact Us directly.

We accept all major credit cards, international credit cards, PayPal, and wire transfers. Please note that for orders greater than $2000 we require payment by wire transfer.

eGift Certificates may only be redeemed by visiting us online at Mona Gift Shop

Visit Mona Gift Shop and shop as usual. Select the items you want to purchase and click "checkout." Follow the regular checkout procedure when you are ready. When you reach the Billing Page during checkout, look for the eGift Certificate section, then enter your Mona Gift Shop eGift Certificate Number and PIN Code along with a valid credit card.
If the total amount of your order exceeds the total value on your Mona Gift Shop eGift Certificate, your credit card will be charged the remaining balance. All of the value on your Mona Gift Shop eGift Certificate will be used first before any amount is charged to your credit card.? If the amount of your order is less than the value on your Mona Gift Shop eGift Certificate, your credit card will not be charged. Any unused balance will remain on your Mona Gift Shop eGift Certificate. Only one Mona Gift Shop eGift Certificate may be used per order at Mona Gift Shop.

To redeem Mona Gift Shop coupon with a valid coupon code, place all items you would like to purchase in your shopping basket. Redeem your coupon by entering the coupon code in the space provided and click APPLY CODE. If the coupon code is valid, the applicable discount or promotion will appear in the shopping basket

You can pay for purchases on Mona Gift Shop using a major credit card, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express or by using online credit or pay through PayPal. If you are registered with Mona Gift Shop, you can enter several credit cards, and then decide at checkout time which one to use. If you aren't registered, you'll need to enter your credit card information each time you place an order. Please, be advised that it is not possible to use credit cards issued in other countries. If you want to purchase on Mona Gift Shop, you will need a credit card issued with a billing address in The United States.

All orders sent to a Washington state address will be charged sales tax. Please keep in mind that all consumers are technically responsible for remitting any unpaid sales tax on online purchases to their state. Please check with your local government for the rules and regulations in your area.

Your auto-checkout credit card information is encrypted and protected by a password for your security. To ensure your information is never stolen, your password decryption only shows a portion of your credit card information meaning that if your password is stolen your information is still safe in our system.

This means that Mona Gift Shop does not currently have inventory for the item in question, in most cases that item in on order. If the item is on backorder, we will provide an "estimated" time of arrival (ETA), which is often dependent on availability.
Does my store credit expire? No, store credits never expire. But they do get forgotten... so while you're thinking about it check out what's new on Mona Gift Shop!

We have set up accounts on multiple social media sites so that you can reach out to us in different ways. Here's a list of where to find our accounts:

1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. Instagram
4. Youtube

In order to maintain low prices, free shipping, and free samples on all orders, we can only allow for one promotional code per order.

You can contact customer service by calling: (425) 743-4550 or emailing hello@monafoundation.org
To make your order experience easer and earn loyalty reward points on every purchase, be sure to register for an account before you place your order.

1. Promotional codes are used to apply a discount or a gift to your purchase.
2. Gift cards and rewards certificates are used to pay for your purchase.

We sincerely apologize! Please contact us immediately to remedy the problem. If the product is broken or damaged, make sure to keep the box, packaging materials and broken/damaged items for inspection by the carrier. Returns made as a result of our error will not count towards your total return limit.

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If your review hasn't been approved, you can edit your review by logging into your account and clicking the "Reviews" tab. If your review has already been approved, you'll have to contact us to make any edits.

Mona Gift Shop considers your details to be confidential, and we do not share your personal information (including email addresses) or credit card information with any other party. We do not sell this information to other companies or individuals for any reason.