Girls Gotta Run Foundation, Inc.

Hi!

My name is Stephanie and this March, I’ll be running the Tokyo Marathon — not just for myself, but for the Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF), an organization that empowers girls in Ethiopia through running and education.

https://www.girlsgottarun.org/

Running has given me so much — strength, purpose, and a sense of freedom. It’s where I’ve found resilience and confidence, mile after mile. Supporting GGRF feels deeply meaningful because it gives girls the same opportunity — to run toward their dreams, stay in school, and create their own path forward.

Every donation helps a girl gain access to education, life skills, and the power of sport to change her future.

Join me in supporting Girls Gotta Run — so every girl can have the chance to run toward possibility.

Together, help me use my miles to carry a new generation towards their own finish lines.

This March I will be running my third marathon with my dad - this time in Toyko! I am very excited to be partnering wtih Girls Gotta Run Foundation, supporting their work empowering girls in Ethiopia through running and educaiton. When looking for an organizaiton to connect with for this race, Girls Gotta Run stood out to me because their mission reminds me that through running I am connected to girls and women across the globe who are all striving to make the most of their lives.

Here are a couple of ways your donations will support their mission:

Join me in this essential journey to uplift and empower girls through the transformative power of running and education. Every donation, no matter the size, brings us closer to our goal. Thank you for your support!

My name is Christine and I believe in movement. Girls who run become stronger mentally and physically. It empowers them to see they can conquer anything one step at a time with support. No dollar amount donated is too small. It all counts and goes towards supporting girls who benefit from resources otherwise not available to them.

I’ll be participating in the 2025 Berlin marathon on Sunday, September 21. I’ve completed two marathons and did all the training for a third but was injured just before so I feel that counts too. Running for a charity is bigger than myself. Last year I ran for my first charity and it was empowering. People from all walks of life come together for the purpose of making the world a better place. My own kids see that and want to join too. I want them to see there is good in the world and good in people, even in times like today. I consider myself fortunate enough to be able to give back. It’s a privilege to move and I walk for those who can’t.

Who is your donation helping? What is Girls Gotta Run?

Girls Gotta Run Foundation envisions a world in which every girl is able to design a future of her choosing.

OUR MISSION

Girls Gotta Run is the first and only organization investing in girls who use running and education to empower themselves and their communities in Ethiopia.

Our History

The story of Girls Gotta Run Foundation is much the same as the community it serves – a story of tenacious women and men coming together to overcome barriers and empower a new generation of female leaders and runners.

In 2006, Girls Gotta Run Inc., was established as the first and only 501(c)3 non-profit organization with the mission of providing support for impoverished Ethiopian girls who are training to be professional runners. After reading an article in the Washington Post about girls using running to change their lives in Ethiopia, retired women’s studies Professor, Dr. Patricia Ortman founded the all-volunteer organization with the humble mission of providing funds for shoes and athletic gear for these tenacious girls.

In 2012, Kayla Nolan joined the organization as Executive Director, building Girls Gotta Run’s signature Athletic Scholarship Program model alongside community members in Ethiopia and expanding the organization’s impact. Girls Gotta Run adapted its mission to invest in girls who are using running and education to empower themselves and their communities in Ethiopia. Girls Gotta Run has continued to develop its program model to best fit the needs of the community, including integrating the Mother’s Savings Group and the Alumni Project to ensure the program’s sustainability.

In 2020, Girls Gotta Run welcomed a new Executive Director, Danielle Taylor.

Since it’s inception, Girls Gotta Run has seen 96% of its program participants in its two program locations avoid early marriage, complete the Girls Gotta Run program in full, and enter higher levels of education.

Thanks ☺️

I'm so excited to run the 2025 Berlin Marathon on behalf of the Girls Gotta Run Foundation. Knowing the powerful impact running has had on my own life, I am honored to represent Girls Gotta Run Foundation's mission of empowering girls and women in Ethiopia through the sport of running.

Girls Gotta Run is the only non-profit organization in Ethiopia dedicated to using the national sport of running as an innovative approach to creating safe spaces, ending child marriage and expanding access to secondary school for vulnerable girls. Girls Gotta Run programs focus on four key investment strategies for girls and their mothers: education, running, life skills, and savings and entrepreneurship. Learn more at here!

Hi everyone. I'm Kate Monteiro and, if you know me, you know that I really do not love running. You also know that I moved to Texas a few years ago after living my whole life in New England. Because of this, you *also* know that I'll probably mention how hot it is down here pretty regularly. Because it is.

Which is why you know that I must be serious about supporting a cause when I say I am embarking on "100 in the 100s". That's right: I'm running 100 miles when Austin regularly exceeds 100F during the day.

I'm doing this to raise money for Girls Gotta Run, an incredible group that keeps girls and young women in school through distance running scholarships in Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia, nearly 1 in 5 girls are not in school. Issues facing girls include early marriage, early pregnancy, sexual assault, child labor, food insecurity, and conflict. The news cycle rarely covers the Ethiopian Civil Conflict, but its threat to Ethiopian women is extreme. The Guardian's recent article is disturbing proof.

Will you sponsor my run? Every contribution, big or small, makes a real impact. Perhaps a certain amount for every mile I suffer through down here? Did I mention how hot it is yet?

If you can’t donate right now, sharing this fundraiser is also incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. It means the world to me, and to Girls Gotta Run.

I'm aiming to record my miles on Strava (https://strava.app.link/1oDjqdMg0Ub). Follow the suffering and hilarity on Instagram: kd.monteiro

On Sep 21, 2025 I will be running the legendary Berlin Marathon on behalf of the Girls Gotta Run Foundation. My commitment is a tribute to education, strength, and freedom of will.

Berlin Marathon, one of the World Marathon Majors (Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, and Sydney) inspires with records, diversity and energy that spreads in the air.

Girls Gotta Run charity invests in girls who use running and education to empower themselves and their communities in Ethiopia.

Please support my fundraising endeavor for this noble cause!

Thank you!

Alexandra

Hi there! My name is Kayla, a running enthusiast from Colorado. I am hoping to bring the same community and sisterhood I have found in running to young women in Ethiopia with Girls Gotta Run Foundation. At a time when they are most likely to drop out of school, Girls Gotta Run supports adolescent girls with scholarships, safe community, life skills programs, and even financial literacy and saving programs for their moms. Help me bring this amazing foundation to one of the most prestigious running events, the Berlin marathon. Together we can make each of the 26.2 miles count towards investing in young girls and their families when it most matters.

Thank you for your support!

My name is Linda and I am running in my 3rd major marathon in Berlin, Germany on September 21, 2025. I am raising money for Girls Gotta Run Foundation. Please help support me in quest to support and empower themselves. Previously I raised money for Children With Cancer in the London Marathon April 2024 and Team World Vision in Chicago September 2024. Please donate and help the world be a better place.

I will be running the Copenhagen Half Marathon 2025 in support of Girls Gotta Run. This organization inspires me to push my own limits while helping others push theirs. Girls Gotta Run helps girls in Ethiopia with education, athletics, life skills and financial resiliency. Thank you for your support - much appreciated!

WOC Runners was created to bring coffee people together, encouraging new relationships outside of the normal trade show and coffee event routines. 

It is a free event, supported by a team of volunteers and often generous donations from businesses. 

Falcon coffee have now stepped up in a big way. They have purchased 50 running hats from an Australian brand called fractel that specialise in running hats. Recycled and sustainable materials are paired with the functional and design needs of every runner - sun/UV protection, and looking ´hot’ while keeping ´cool’. 

You can get yourself a hat by donating $50usd or more to this go fund me for Girls Gotta Run. Because while we all love a good running hats, socialising while jogging and drinking coffee, we also know that giving to people who could use some support will add to your runner’s high. 

More information about Girls Gotta Run Foundation, Inc.: Support 120 grade 5-7 student-athletes in Ethiopia with school funding, coaching, training and life skills.

Established 2006. IRS approved 501(c)3.

Any donation is appreciated, whether it is the price of a coffee or the 50 bucks that will get you a fancy hat. Donations go directly to Girls gotta run. They are tax deductible in the US. 

To collect your hat, you will need to pick it up during Expo from the Victoria Arduino stand. Please show your name and donation of $50 or more to collect the hat. 

Can’t wait to meet you! 

Join Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF) for a purpose-driven 5K in the heart of Washington, DC as we team up with beloved local, family-owned restaurant Dukem to celebrate Global Running Day!

This is not a race. It’s a movement! Whether you walk, jog, or run, every step you take helps amplify the voices and dreams of young girls in GGRF’s programs in Bekoji and Soddo. After the 5K, gather with fellow participants for a post-run celebration at Dukem, where you’ll enjoy authentic food, community, and conversation.

Want to wear your impact? Donate $25 or more to our GoFundMe, and you’ll receive an exclusive GGRF hat at the event.

Why participate? This event is part of our celebration of Global Running Day, a worldwide movement that honors the unifying power of running. By joining us, you're not only moving your body, you’re moving GGRF's mission forward - where girls use running as a pathway to access education, build confidence, and invest in their futures. You're helping create safer, more equitable communities where girls are empowered to lead.