Friends of the MMMF

Friends Chair, Nadereh Chamlou
Friends Financial Secretary, Christine Stover

  • The “Friends of the MMMF” are mainly former and current World Bank Group staff members.
  • Since their foundation, the Fund and the Friends of the MMMF have operated mainly on a volunteer basis, with logistic support provided by the World Bank Group.
  • Since its start in 1993, the Friends have contributed over $467,500 to the MMMF's resources. During the 2009-2010 Friends Campaign, Bank Group colleagues, retirees and friends contributed a total of $40,103 to the MMMF.
Become a friend now!

Friends of the MMMF was organized in the summer of 1993 by the 16 women Bank staff members who had served over the years on The MMMF's Selection Panel, the body which makes the final decisions about grant recipients.

"The idea came about after we selected grant recipients in April 1993," said Dominique Lallement, former staff member. Dominique was a member of the Selection Panel that year and had served also in 1991.

"In 1993, we could give six grants of $5,000 each. The applicants who could not receive grants were so good we hated to turn them down. We knew that the only way to give more grants was to increase the MMMF's endowment. So we decided to help the MMMF raise money by forming "The Friends of the MMMF" among Bank staff." These panel members called themselves the "Founding Members of the Friends."

Dominique and Muriel Brathwaite, who had been on the Selection Panel in 1992 and 1993, got in touch with the other former panel members at the Bank, who all supported the idea, as did the MMMF Board. Dominique and Muriel then sent a letter to about 800 women and 100 men at the Bank and invited them to become members of the "Friends." One could become a Benefactor, Patron, Sponsor, Associate, Member, or Contributor, depending on the amount of one's contribution to the MMMF.

Each year a number of Bank Group staff volunteer to serve on the MMMF Selection Panel. Email mmmf@worldbank.org if you would be interested to serve on this Panel.