ANNUAL REPORT 2013CHANGE BEGINS WITH HER

ANNUAL REPORT 2013TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 Mission & Values

4 Program & Vision

5 Letter from Founder, Erin Guttenplan Subedi

6 Why Girls

7 2013 Highlights

8 Our Impact

10 Why Girls

11 Stories from the Field

13 Leadership & Finances

14 Our Supporters

16 Letter from Director, Sarah Andrews

Cover Photo Credit: Adam SittlerPhoto Credit: Rachael Weaver

When girls are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous.- First Lady Michel le Obama“

Photo Credit: Rachael Weaver

OUR MISSIONEdge of Seven generates capacity-building services, volunteer support, and awareness for projects that create access to education, health, and economic opportunities for girls and women in the developing world.

Expanded Opportunity

We envision a world where every person is empowered to create the life they want to live. Our work is aimed directly at leveling the playing field of opportunity for girls and women, who most often face barriers to educational and economic advancement.

Creative Expression

We believe that stories and innovation have the power to change the world. We embrace creative expression as we seek solutions for the challenges facing girls and women across the globe.

Love for Community

We know that we do not have all the answers, and that we have much to learn from the communities where we work. We value collaboration in everything we do, which is why all of the projects that we support are initiated at a local level.

Commitment to Growth

We believe that important changes in the world often start with one individual. Sparking growth in knowledge, spirit, and opportunity for the girls and women we serve, the volunteers who travel abroad with us,and the partner communities we work with is our ultimate goal..

Passion for the Edge

We believe that discovery happens when we step outside our comfort zones. We believe that empathy strikes when we walk in someone else’s shoes. Our programs are designed for those seeking adventure, impact and exposure to new experiences, cultures, and ideas. We believe that it’s through this exposure that individuals will become empowered to change the world for the better.

OUR VALUESWH

O WE A

RE

3

OUR VISIONAt Edge of Seven, we believe that educating and empowering girls and women in the developing world is not only the right thing to do, it’s also

the best way to alleviate global poverty and improve the health and well-being of each and every person on the planet. Our Community

Development projects aim to do just this by giving more girls and women access to education, health, and economic opportunities.

We also believe that each of us can play an important role in contributing to the empowerment of girls and women worldwide. By fusing

international travel with service, we create unique volunteer opportunities that lead to development on both a personal and global level. The

adventures we offer are life-changing, and our volunteers push their personal limits in order to improve the lives of girls in the developing

world.

Community Development Program

Provides funding and expertise to various infrastructure projects, such as schools, community centers, dormitories, and community water supplies,

which create access to empowerment for girls and women.

International Volunteer Program

Places service-oriented volunteers at our project sites overseas with the goal of promoting cross-cultural understanding and providing additional

support to our community development initiatives.

OUR PROGRAMS

66Photo Credit: Rachael WeaverPhoto Credit: Adam Sittler

Dear Team Edge of Seven,

Thank you for your continued support over the last year. You are empowering girls around the world. You are giving your time, money, and support because you believe that every person should be empowered to create the life they want to live and reach their full potential. You continue to humble and inspire us, so thank you for being YOU.

In the fall of 2009, I swapped the comforts of life in the U.S. for a backpack and five months in Asia to volunteer, discover, and learn. The experience changed my life. I was introduced to families who fought daily to provide basic necessities to their children – food, shelter, and water. I saw schools collapsing around students as they struggled to learn. Throughout this experience of living in rural Nepal, I began to connect what I knew about the lack of opportunities for girls and women with what I was seeing firsthand. And despite the overwhelming adversity that broke my heart at times, I was transformed by the thread woven throughout every story – HOPE.

Hope like that held by Ramita, a young girl who almost dropped out of school at the age of 10 because the closest primary school was over an hour’s walk from her village. She helped her family in the fields every day, before and after school, and persevered to make time for her studies. In 2011, she was accepted into the first class at our Solukhumbu Girls Hostel and completed grade 12 two years later. At Edge of Seven, we believe that educating and empowering girls and women across the world is not only the right thing to do, it’s also the best way to alleviate global poverty and improve the health and well-being of each and every person on the planet. Our Community Development projects, like our Higher Secondary School in Basa and our College Hostel in Salleri, do just this by giving more girls and women access to education, health, and economic opportunities.

On a personal note, last year my husband and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl into our lives, our precious June. June is half American and half Nepali. It’s not lost on me every day how entirely different her life would be if she was a girl born in a developing country. It’s actually what fuels me.

We recognize that our work is just a drop in the bucket of what needs to be done globally to eradicate poverty. But, if you are one of the 726 girls, like Ramita, that we have affected to date you see a path that wasn’t present before. And these 726 girls who are now able to attain an education will go on to help others – communities -- transform their lives. To me, that’s the very definition of HOPE.

Thank you for your support now and always,

Erin Guttenplan Subedi, Edge of Seven Founder

LETTER FROM FOUNDER,ERIN GUTTENPLAN SUBEDI

5

OUR

YEAR

OUR

YEAR

Since 2010, Edge of Seven, in collaboration with communities in Nepal, our international partners, and our volunteers, has achieved the following:

Provided direct access to education for 726 girls in rural Nepal;

Directly impacted 1,330 individuals in rural Nepal through community infrastructure improvements;

Engaged 112 Western volunteers in our work on the ground;

Completed five schools buildings in Nepal’s Gorkha and Solukhumbu Districts;

Completed two large-scale community water supplies in rural Nepal in communities where girls were being kept out of school to help their families collect water for their household;

Completed one dormitory that provides room and board for 40 girls every two years in Nepal’s Solukhumbu District, who are all the first in their families to attend grades 11 and 12;

Introduced the environmentally-friendly and earthquake-resistant earthbag building method to remote communities lacking access to traditional building materials;

Assisted in the production of two documentary films aimed at exposing the challenges girls in Nepal face when pursuing an education.

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First Class of Graduates from the Solukhumbu Girls Hostel

This year, we celebrated the incredible achievements of the 38 girls at our Solukhumbu Girls Hostel in Salleri, Nepal who

graduated from Grade 12 and fulfilled their dreams of achieving a higher education. These girls were the first to move in to our

hostel when we completed it in 2011, and it is truly remarkable to see how far they have come since then.

To fully understand the challenges these girls were facing in their lives before they came to the hostel, consider that seven

out of every 10 girls in the Everest Region of Nepal drop out of school before Grade 10. This high dropout rate is attributed to

several cultural and societal factors. Many girls cannot continue on to pursue a higher education due to household obligations

and early marriages. In rural areas, commute times to schools are lengthy, and there is often a shortage of adequate schools

nearby. Most girls cannot spare the time it takes to get to and from school. Finally, many parents don’t see the value of

educating their daughters.

By creating access to education, we can begin to change this situation for girls in Nepal. We are so proud of our graduates,

and we are also excited to announce that we welcomed 40 new girls to the hostel in September, each of whom is currently on

track to graduate in the spring of 2015. Thank you to everyone who has worked to support these girls in reaching this amazing

milestone!

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Basa Higher Secondary School is Complete

In 2013, Edge of Seven, the community of Khastav, and our local partners and volunteers put the finishing touches on the Basa

Higher Secondary School, a eight-classroom facility that serves hundreds of students in grades 11 and 12 in the Basa VDC of

the Solukhumbu Region.

Before this school was completed, the only higher secondary school in the entire Solukhumbu was located in the district

capital of Salleri, a 10 hour walk from Basa. As Salleri is too far for a daily commute from Basa and most families can’t afford

to pay for housing, most students in Basa were dropping out of school before grade 10.

By providing access to a higher secondary education in this remote region, we are helping to ensure that students in Basa

have the opportunity to take their schooling to the highest level possible. The Basa Higher Secondary School is accessed not just by students in Khastav, but by students in several

neighboring villages.

8Photo Credit: Rachael Weaver 8

WHY G

IRLS?A girl is as valuable to our world as a tree

is to a forest. When a tree grows strong, the whole environment benefits. When a girl grows strong and healthy, her family, her community and her country can feel the posit ive effects. - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon

“

Photo Credit: Adam Sittler

WHY G

IRLS? At Edge of Seven, we believe that investing in girls and women in the

developing world is the best solution to ending world poverty. That’s because:

High Drop-Out Rates1 in 5 girls in developing countries who enroll in primary school never finish. Yet when just 10 percent more girls are educated, a country’s GDP grows by three percent. (USAID)

Early Marriage1 out of every 7 girls in the developing world will marry before the age of 15. Studies show that early marriages lead to poorer health and economic outcomes for a girl and her family. Yet, girls who stay in school for seven or more years will, on average, marry four years later and have fewer children. (USAID)

Low EnrollmentIt’s estimated that there are more than 75 million girls not in school in the developing world. (PLAN)

Earning PotentialStudies show that every year of schooling increases a woman’s earning power by 10 to 20 percent, allowing her to lift her family out of poverty. (PLAN)

Maternal HealthA child’s probability of survival is increased by 20 percent when household income is controlled by the mother, rather than the father. (United Nations)

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Photo Credit: Rachael Weaver

In September 2013, we welcomed 40 new girls to our Solukhumbu Girls Hostel in Salleri, where

they are all studying in grades 11 and 12 at the local higher secondary school and are on track

to graduate in the spring of 2015. We’d like to introduce you to a few of these girls and

share their stories of hope.

Laxmi - Ask Laxmi what she hopes to learn by attending college through the Solukhumbu Girls Hostel and she’ll simply

reply, “Everything.” In her village, Laxmi has seen many people die of ordinary health problems that are easily solved in the developing world. This is why she wants to become a nurse

someday. “People here often die of very simple causes,” she said. “I want to change that. Without this education, my life would

be very miserable, and I could not achieve my dreams.”

Pipala - Pipala’s home village is located a full three-day walk from Salleri, the district capital of the Solukhumbu. Before

coming to the Solukhumbu Girls Hostel, Pipala had never been outside of her village. She admits being intimidated at first to leave home, but she pushed through her fears in hopes that attaining an education would help her achieve her dream of becoming a singer and an artist. “Life is very beautiful with

education,” she said. “And full of obstacles without it.”

Maya - As one of eight siblings, Maya knows the demands, challenges, and hardships her parents faced trying to provide for a large family. Maya says that she plans to have a smaller family so that she can focus all of her resources on giving her children

the best care and opportunities available. “I want to be a self-dependent person,” she said. “To be educated is like winning a

lottery. After you win it, you can choose your way in life.”10Photo Credit: Rachael Weaver 11

Photo Credit: Rachael Weaver

Rama, 19

Rama is one of eight girls in her family. Because her mother gave birth only to girls, she was treated very cruelly by Rama’s father and other members of her community. “Sons are viewed as prestigious in a family,” Rama said. “And daughters are like

an unwanted guest.”

Rama’s parents arranged for her eldest sister to be married at the age of 16. By 17, her sister had her first baby. When

Rama’s parents told her that she would follow the same path, she protested. She worked hard at school in order to receive

scholarship assistance to the Solukhumbu Girls Hostel, where she is now in grade 11 and hoping to become a teacher.

“In my society, it is not seen as a good thing to be born as a girl,” she said. “But I believe that if girls are educated they can be

equal to men. I want to become a teacher, because teachers are able to change lives. If there were no teachers, there would be no doctors or scientists. If it were not for the hostel, I would die

with my dream in my heart.”

Rising Tide

In 2013, Edge of Seven worked with Arcos Films and our local partners in Nepal to produce a segment of the Rising

Tide Project, a video, web, and works series that aims to help women rise so they can lift the world. The goal of Rising Tide is to promote awareness and understanding of the importance of

women to the success of developing countries. The first segment of this project is focused on educating girls in Asia, and focuses

on the communities Edge of Seven works with in Nepal. For more information on this initiative, visit www.risingtideproject.org.

12Photo Credit: Daniel Perlaky

MANA

GEME

NTRevenue

Charitable GivingEarned Income - Volunteer ProgramTotal Revenue

Expense

Program ServicesFundraisingManagement & GeneralTotal Expense

NET INCOME

2011

$116,062$90,253$206,315

$176,072$6,865$7,878$190,815

$15,500

2012

$119,168$109,287$228,455

$204,028$11,290$15,612$230,930

$(2,475)

2013

$176,944$31,460$208,405

$172,474$11,274$5,637$187,902

$20,503

PROGRAM SERVICES - 91%FUNDRAISING - 6%MANAGEMENT - 3%

Edge of Seven is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. As a social purpose venture, we take great pride in our financial transparency and accountability to our donors:

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Program    

Fundraising  

Managem

ent  

LEADERSHIP

Sarah Andrews . Executive DirectorEdge of Seven

Erin Subedi . Board ChairEF Education

Emily Stanley . Board SecretaryDenver Foundation

Travis Hughbanks . Board MemberSlaterPaull Architects

Julia Alvarez . Board MemberJVA Consulting

Ursula Miniszewski . Board MemberGlobal Greengrants

This list includes donors who contributed $200 and above in 2013 and other key supporters. We have done our best to be accurate in compiling this list of extraordinary supporters. If we missed someone or misspelled a name, we sincerely apologize and ask that you let us know about the error.

Our Loyal Supporters

Curt AlbeeJulia AlvarezAfrica School Assistance ProjectWayne & Judy AndrewsAnonymousEllie AntrimArhaus FurnitureTamara ArredondoElinor AsayAnne BanisterJames BaragliaDavid BergeronJosh BlytheBobulinski FoundationStacia BobulinskiTony BobulinskiMatt BoddyBruce BoisenBoldLeadersJohn BossangeJulie BradleyWilliam BradleyBreadloaf CorporationJoshua BurgessJillian BurghoffBurners Without BordersScott BurrowsAndrew ChardainAaron ChevalleyKimberly ClaytonAllison ClearyClif Bar FoundationJames CochranColorado School of MinesComedy WorksJennifer CryerDavid & Vicki Dansky

Devon DeanRichard DeaneKim DeetjanKevin DeighanDelaware Community FoundationDenver EquestriansMarilyn and David DickeyDinse, Knapp & McAndrew PCBob DoneganDU Rotaract ClubRachel EcklundEF EducationEmbassy Suites DowntownEduardo EnriquezDavid EpsteinFrederick EschEx OfficioTerry FindeisenFlatgrass RealtyBridget FontenotDavid FosterMichael FrostMichael Gamel-McCormickErwin GeigerCarmen GeorgeGlen GonzalezAstrid GrafKurt GreshamLee GrutchfieldDavid GussackSteve GuttenplanPaul & Judy GuttenplanGlynn Gallagher & CompanyH+L ArchitectureMyra HaganMatt HaleyJillian Hall

Aaron HammerElla & Tina HappelBarbara HarmanEileen HartstockBuddy HaunMegan HibberdAndrea HildebrandShufen HoBailey HooverBrianne HoveyLiling HuangNancy & Fineas HughbanksSarah Andrews & Travis HughbanksIndigoIzzeLisa IrelanJeff and Lisa JonesRolf KeilmanKing Arthur FlourJeanne KirkGerald KnievelDiantha KorzunJoseph KropfMamoun LarakiWilliam LockwoodLohi FitnessDorothy LorenzeLush CosmeticsJohn LynchHarry LynchJay MaguireMatt McCallMichael McHughMari McKinneyJeff McKittrickHayes & Casey McManeminDale & Robert Megill

Sparky MillikinPaul MillmanMichele & Ed MinchUrsula MiniszewskiMondelez International FoundationMondo VinoThomas MullardHolley MurchisonPatricia NeedlemanRobert NeeldOogaveKatherine OrtorskyAJ OscarsonKathryn OttOval Skating ClubOxford HotelDeborah PalmerJonathan & Maggie PearsonAmanda Pena BustillosDaniel PerlakyKeith PlumPolar BottleLaula PriscillaAbby QuirozRainwater Charitable FoundationPete ReedCatherin ReiherRenegade BrewingBrian RetelleSharad RobertsonMichele Rogers-ScullyRotary Club of Grand LakeAnn SchlesingerErika SchlichterMichelle SchroderJennifer SeeligKarma & Sonam Sherpa

Claire Slattery-QuintanillaMegan SmithSpace GalleryJessica SpomerJason & Celina StabellShannon StambachEmily & Ben StanleyJen-ai StokesburyMona StolzJay StromErin & Binod SubediIvan SunKevin SunYihfen SunHeaven TesfayeThe Mountain FundThe Small WorldAli TolbertTherese TranTruex Cullins ArchitectureWilliam TruexJeff & Donna TuriMichael UhdeJoe UhdeStephen UrquhartLydia VanderburgPam WarrenRachael WeaverWes Flanders BrewingSally WierPhillip WilsonWizard GraphicsJanice WoodsGrant WozencroftLauren WrightJesse YoungDavid Zwick

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,SARAH ANDREWS

We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave - to embrace the strength withing themselves and realize their ful l potential .- Malala Yousfzai

“

Photo Credit: Rachael Weaver

Dear Friends,

Last May, we at Edge of Seven joined our local partners in congratulating the first class of girls to graduate from the Solukhumbu Girls Hostel in Salleri, Nepal, where 95 percent of the incoming class completed Grade 12. As most students in the region drop out of school before grade 10, each of these girls became the first female in her family to attain a higher education. The hope and promise that they possess within themselves is immeasurable, and we could not be more proud of all that they have achieved.

Last fall, when a new class of 40 girls moved in to the hostel, they shared their stories of past hardships and their hopes for a better future. Girls like Kamala, who narrowly escaped an arranged marriage at the age of 16. Girls like Pasang, who is one of six children her mother supports on her own while she struggles to pay off her ailing husband’s medical bills. Girls like Sabina, who until coming to the hostel refused to believe what she heard growing up – that in some other countries women were seen as equal to men. Despite all of these circumstances, these girls carry a fierce determination to change the course of their lives for the better.

At Edge of Seven, we strive to create access to education and other empowering resources so that girls like Sabina, Pasang, and Kamala will be able to fully realize the gifts they have within themselves, and so that they can move forward in their life empowered to make their own choices. The girls at the Solukhumbu Girls Hostel are determined to attain an education so they can do just that, and I find myself humbled again and again by their perseverance.

As a new mother to a young daughter myself, I have never felt more passionate about the work we are doing at Edge of Seven, and I send heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your support. Because of you, we touched the lives of 726 girls and women and 1,330 individuals in rural Nepal in 2013, and we are on track to double this impact next year.

As one of our students Juna Maya has said, “Education can take you from a life of darkness to a life full of light and hope.” Thank you for lending your energy to this cause and for bringing light and hope into the lives of so many.

All the best,

Sarah Andrews, Edge of Seven Executive Directorsarah@edgeofseven.org

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,SARAH ANDREWS

EDGE OF SEVEN

www.edgeofseven.org1031 33rd Street, Denver, CO 80205

info@edgeofseven.org