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About Sisters Rising Worldwide

Through an innovative technology platform, Sisters Rising Worldwide is a nonprofit making it possible for Sisters to overcome the challenges of geography, language, and separate congregations to effectively share ideas and strategies that solve the root causes of injustices throughout the world.

With more than 650,000 Sisters doing life-changing work in 190 countries, this platform brings their projects to life, allowing them to communicate their needs, share their understandings, and allow others to join their mission by focusing donations and support directly to nuns who are on the ground in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

With more than 650,000 Sisters doing life-changing work in 190 countries, this platform brings their projects to life

We believe that by building a social platform that better connects Sisters and their supporters, we will be able to provide funding and resources to those most in need–truly changing the world.

We invite you to join us on our mission to support powerful women doing powerful work.

“Sisters know the root cause of social injustices because they themselves live in the communities where the most vulnerable live. Understanding the root cause allows for true, systemic change to occur.”
Our Vision

SRW is a global movement of Sisters addressing the root causes of social injustices to create systemic change in the world.

Our Mission

SRW provides an innovative technology platform to connect hundreds of thousands of Sisters to each other and to resources, allowing them to better address critical key issues of injustice throughout the world so that all may flourish.

Technology Platform

There are two sites associated with our technology platform—a secure, private site for Sisters called Peace Room and a public website for supporters and donors called SRW.org.

Peace Room includes a database of members and gives them the opportunity to not only share resources and information, but to articulate and concretize collaboration among networks as they work to address root causes of systemic problems throughout the world. Sisters seeking resources for their ministry can submit a resource request form which, once accepted by SRW, allows us to share their needs with others via our public site.

The public site is a crowdsourcing platform that invites others to be a part of the valuable work the Sisters are doing by donating to specific programs, categorized by type (i.e. human trafficking, education) as well as geography. The objective of this site is to reach as many people as possible and move the Sisters’ work forward through their donations.

Bringing Awareness to Sisters' Work

Sisters live in communities where the most vulnerable live; therefore, they know the root cause of social injustices and are able to lead systemic and sustainable change. Although most consider Sisters to be some of the most trusted people in the world, few know about the work they are doing to address some of today’s most horrific injustices.

By bringing awareness to the impact Sisters are having around the world—and how a little bit of money can go a long way towards moving their projects forward—we are able to bridge an emotional connection between Sisters and donors, not only fulfilling their monetary needs, but creating a movement that helps powerful women do powerful work throughout the world.

Sisters are not who the public thinks they are...

There are 650,000 Sisters around the world, living their lives side by side with the people they serve. They often work without any parish backing or financial support from the Catholic Church, dedicating their lives advocating for the most marginalized among us.

They’re fierce advocates and they do it with so much love, respect, and humility. But, Sisters see success through those they advocate for – and not always through themselves. They often have a difficult time articulating exactly what they do, because they’re too in the weeds to see it. They don’t celebrate their own successes or measure their daily impact – there’s just too much else to do. As a result, funding that might profoundly amplify their work has remained elusive.

“Sisters are trusted eye witnesses, skilled change agents, they work to eradicate human rights violations, they are teachers, organizers, philanthropists, care givers, knowledge workers, spiritual resources and Sisters are the most prolific movement of, for, and by women in history of the world.”
Our Founder and President

Sister Irene O'Neill

2016 – Present:  Sisters Rising Worldwide
People across each generation alive today long for a reasoned voice and help for our entire world as those poor get poorer, the environment freefalls, and the complexity of poverty seems insurmountable.  However, there are 650,000 Sisters around the world who can name the underlying root causes of the poverty around them!  We need to hear their voice and help them solve the root causes as well as treat the symptoms in order to turn things around.  But, as luck would have it, there did not exist a technology to connect these Sisters to each other or to resources.  I gathered a core of other visionary Sisters to help figure out how to get a platform built for Sisters as well as a system to connect them to resources.  Together we built a world-class board of directors and a growing core of volunteers.  Since we have developed a secure technology platform and will roll it out this month. Sisters Rising Worldwide has been on national TV, had articles published nationally and internationally.  SRW has been invited to partner with Alight—where we have worked together helping Sisters during Covid-19 in 32 countries.  We have raised funds for Sisters programs internationally, and only now are we beginning to fundraise for sustainability. In addition, A nearby University is interested in partnering with SRW in all aspects.

2002  The St. Joseph Worker Program
From my work in the early 1990s with the elementary schools, I saw a great need and huge opportunity to mentor young women as leaders in the way of the Sisters of St. Joseph. In 1998 I found 2 Sisters of St. Joseph who had deep personal experience as volunteers. We visioned a volunteer program with Sisters that could eventually be replicated across the United States and perhaps the world—wherever there are Sisters. We expanded our group to include many more Sisters and lay members to think through all the details. The program was founded in 2002 and run by a lay member of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Within ten years, the program was franchised across the USA. Today, the Sisters of St. Joseph alone has over 150 St. Joseph Worker alums who claim still to be St. Joseph Workers. St. Joseph Workers are young women who spend a year with Sisters and learn leadership, community/simplicity, spirituality, and social justice. This program is still going strong.

1993 – 2013  Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Ministries Foundation
The St. Paul, Minneapolis metropolitan had become a resettlement area for immigrants from all over the world. Societal needs became more complex and extreme. Sisters of St. Joseph responded to needs as they surfaced. By 1993 the Sisters needed help to fund the works established as there was no end in sight to the needs. They invited me to help found and run a foundation to fund the programs of the Sisters. The Ministries Foundation board and staff helped raise an endowment approaching 20 million by the time I stepped down and raised an additional $2 million in grants and gifts. The foundation is still going strong.

1987-91: Curriculum Coordinator for the St. Paul MPLS Archdiocesan Schools
Computer labs were just beginning to be required in elementary schools during these years. In 1987 suburban schools had labs, but the city and inner-city schools struggled to afford them. With the ingenuity of the school librarians and computer teachers across all 105 schools, together we leveraged enough computers for all. We went from a school system with few computers to the largest purchasing agent in MN. In 1991 the school principals were introduced to email technology as well as online learning. A grant was paid to fully outfit three schools—two high schools and one elementary–with the technology for interactive classes. This enabled the educators and students to experience first-hand the potential of the technology that would affect all education in the decade to come.

The Rest of the Board of Directors
Vice President

Sister Patty Johnson, CSJ

Sister Patty is a force of energy who crisscrosses the earth assisting the global Sisterhood of St. Joseph in pursuit of their mission.

Secretary

Sister Judy Molosky, CSJ

Sister Judy is a social justice leader who puts herself on the front lines of issues that profoundly impact life and freedom for all.

Board Member

Sister Patricia Murray, IBVM

Sister Pat’s vibrant energy, courage and administration skills are steeped in wisdom forged by vast global leadership experiences.

Board Member

Sister Mary Amanda Nwagbo, IHM

Sister Amanda is passionate about finding innovative and transformational strategies to lead women religious organizations.

Board Member

Sister Mary Kay Brooks, SSND

Mary Kay Brooks, SSND, is an enthusiastic leader who knows that the best way to lead is to empower others. As a School Sister of Notre Dame, she is often recognized and called upon for her wisdom and grace.

Board Memeber

Sister Carol Wagner, RDC

Sister Carol, a Sister of the Divine Compassion, exudes the essential values of dignity, honor, respect and compassion. She brings to SRW a tremendous depth of leadership experience and a contagious zest for life.

A Non-Profit You Can Be Proud Of

Sisters Rising Worldwide supports the Sisters who live in the communities they serve and understand how to address the root causes of social injustices, allowing for more change per dollar donated.

 

990 Forms
Annual Reports
SRW Policies

Join the Movement

You believe in the mission, goals, and values of Sisters Rising Worldwide and you’re willing to share it with others. You are able to emotionally connect with your donors and investors. You add value. You’re the person who can turn one-time donors into lifelong investors. You help others see SRW’s vision.

    Ambassadors

    Represent Sisters Rising Worldwide from wherever you are in the United States (or around the world!).