CIRCLE OF GIVING 39 “It was a lonely place being in the shelter with my small daughter with no friends and families when IAWF reached out to us and helped us find a better life in America. Now I have a respectable job, a safe home, and dignity. Thank you for believing in us and showing us the path.” – Anonymous “I found COG effective in different ways; not only pooling the donations would increase the effect several times but the fact that donors could vote and take part in deciding how much and where the funds get donated was very empowering!” – Masi Hashemian Between 2013 and 2015, IAWF distributed $85,089 to ben- efit local families and a variety of international organizations. These donations were made possible by our Giving Circle do- nors, whose financial contributions are further impacting our community, both locally and globally. Giving Circle donation was designated to financially assist Ira- nian American students and struggling Iranian American fami- lies, or to provide grants to qualifying non-profit organizations. The emails and phone calls of gratitude our office receives from those recipients are tremendous. Together we made a huge difference in the lives of many. In addition to local families, following is a list of those organiza- tions which benefited from Giving Circle contributions: Funds allocated for Project Walk Funds allocated for Niku Charity Funds allocated for Mother’s Miracle Funds allocated for Rita D. Sahim Foundation Funds allocated for Keep Children in School Funds allocated for PASHA Funds allocated for C.H.I.L.D Scholarship to Iranian American Scholarship Funds Scholarship to IAAPDC