She's the First

She's the First (STF) is a United States-based nonprofit organization focused on helping girls and young women become educated, respected, and heard. Its stated mission is to work with grassroots organizations so that girls everywhere can access education and shape their own futures. The organization describes its broader vision as a world in which every girl chooses her own future. The organization began on November 1, 2009, when co-founders Tammy Tibbetts and Christen Brandt launched a YouTube video featuring singer JoJo. The video presented girls' education as a practical response to global poverty and helped establish the public identity of She's the First. The initiative was formally registered as a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit in July 2011. It was initially volunteer-run; Tibbetts became the organization's first employee and chief executive in May 2012. STF's approach is partnership-oriented rather than centered on direct service delivery alone. It works with local and grassroots organizations that understand the cultural, economic, and social conditions affecting girls in their communities. This model places emphasis on locally informed solutions, leadership development, education access, and the ability of girls to participate in decisions about their own lives. The organization has explained that it prefers terms such as nonprofit, for-purpose organization, or nongovernmental organization over charity because the challenges faced by girls often involve unequal power relationships rather than a simple lack of donations. A major shift in the organization's fundraising philosophy occurred in 2017, when it ended the child-sponsorship model it had used since its founding. STF argued that sponsorship could reinforce unequal relationships between donors and recipients and chose to align its fundraising more closely with human dignity and systems change. Its work has also included public advocacy. In 2019, it coordinated the development of a Global Girls' Bill of Rights with grassroots organizations and girls from different parts of the world. The document was presented to Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at the United Nations on October 11, 2019, the International Day of the Girl Child. The organization has built a campus and youth leadership network around the STF Summit, an annual leadership conference held since 2012. The summit has brought together student chapter members and featured speakers from journalism, activism, entertainment, poetry, and public life. STF has also developed relationships with prominent advocates and institutions, including poet Amanda Gorman, actress Erika Henningsen, actress and producer Elizabeth Banks, the U.S. Soccer Federation's SheBelieves initiative, and the Obama Foundation's Girls Opportunity Alliance. Other supporters have included Glamour's The Girl Project, the NoVo Foundation, the American Express Foundation, and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. She's the First has received recurring community-based support through the Foundation to Decrease World Suck, whose Project for Awesome charitable contest selected the organization for grants in each year from 2014 through 2022. In 2019, STF marked its tenth anniversary with an event featuring performances by Sarah Kay, Desi Oakley, and Grace Kelly, together with remarks from global ambassador Imaan Hammam. The organization remains an active nonprofit brand associated with girls' education, youth leadership, grassroots partnership, and gender equity.

She's the First was established in New York by Tammy Tibbetts and Christen Brandt as an initiative addressing the relationship between girls' education and global poverty. Rather than beginning as a conventional institution with a large staff or extensive infrastructure, it first appeared publicly through a digital campaign. On November 1, 2009, the founders released a YouTube video featuring singer JoJo. The video promoted the idea that educating girls could create broader social and economic change and introduced the name and purpose that would become She's the First. The initiative developed during an initial period of volunteer management. In July 2011, it was registered as a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The following year marked a transition toward professional operations: in May 2012, co-founder Tammy Tibbetts became the organization's first employee and served as chief executive. Around the same period, STF began hosting the STF Summit, an annual leadership conference for participants in its campus chapter network. The summit became a mechanism for training, networking, advocacy, and movement-building among students and young leaders. Its speakers have included figures such as Awkwafina, Jessica Bennett, Blair Imani, Ann Shoket, Amani al-Khatahtbeh, Jamia Wilson, and Jamira Burley. Fundraising and public engagement were important parts of the organization's early model. In 2017, however, STF discontinued the child-sponsorship approach it had used since its founding. Co-founder Christen Brandt explained the decision in terms of power and dignity: the organization concluded that sponsorship could reproduce the unequal donor-recipient relationships that it sought to challenge. The change reflected a broader move toward systems-oriented, locally informed partnerships instead of framing individual girls as objects of charitable rescue. STF's advocacy work expanded in 2019 through the Global Girls' Bill of Rights. The organization worked with grassroots partners and girls in multiple locations to develop the document, which was presented to Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at the United Nations on October 11, 2019, the International Day of the Girl Child. The initiative gave public form to the organization's emphasis on girls' agency, voice, safety, education, and participation in determining their futures. That year also marked She's the First's tenth anniversary. The celebration included performances by poet Sarah Kay, Desi Oakley, and musician Grace Kelly, as well as remarks by global ambassador Imaan Hammam. Over time, the organization formed or publicized collaborations with Amanda Gorman, Erika Henningsen, Elizabeth Banks, the United States Soccer Federation's SheBelieves initiative, and the Obama Foundation's Girls Opportunity Alliance. Institutional and philanthropic supporters have included Glamour's The Girl Project, the NoVo Foundation, the American Express Foundation, and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. The organization's work has also benefited from recurring grassroots fundraising. From 2014 through 2022, members of the Nerdfighteria community selected She's the First to receive a grant through the Foundation to Decrease World Suck and its Project for Awesome charitable contest. These grants complemented STF's broader partnership and awareness activities. She's the First operates remotely, with headquarters identified in New York and an additional presence in Nairobi, Kenya. Its continuing identity is that of an international nonprofit working through grassroots organizations and youth networks. The organization presents girls' education not only as school access but also as a route to leadership, respect, economic agency, and the right to be heard.

• 2022

  Ninth consecutive Project for Awesome grant year

  [1]She's the Firsten.wikipedia.org

  She's the First was selected for Foundation to Decrease World Suck support in each year from 2014 through 2022.

• 2019

  Global Girls' Bill of Rights

  [1]She's the Firsten.wikipedia.org

  STF led a collaborative rights initiative that was presented at the United Nations on October 11.

• 2019

  Tenth anniversary

  [1]She's the Firsten.wikipedia.org

  The organization marked ten years with a public event featuring performers and remarks from ambassador Imaan Hammam.

• 2017

  Child sponsorship model retired

  [1]She's the Firsten.wikipedia.org

  STF ended its founding child-sponsorship fundraising model as part of a dignity- and systems-change-oriented strategy.

• 2012

  First employee appointed

  [1]She's the Firsten.wikipedia.org

  Co-founder Tammy Tibbetts became the organization's first employee and chief executive in May; the STF Summit was also established by this period.

• 2011

  U.S. nonprofit registration

  [1]She's the Firsten.wikipedia.org

  The organization was registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in July.

• 2009

  Public launch through a YouTube campaign

  [1]She's the Firsten.wikipedia.org

  She's the First launched on November 1 with a video featuring JoJo that linked girls' education with the reduction of global poverty.

A rights-based, partnership-led nonprofit focused on girls' education, leadership, dignity, and agency rather than transactional child sponsorship.

• Leadership conference · 2012

  STF Summit

  An annual leadership and learning conference for members of She's the First's campus chapter network. The summit supports youth organizing, advocacy, peer connection, and leadership development, and has featured speakers from activism, journalism, entertainment, poetry, and public life.

• Youth engagement program · 2012

  Campus chapter network

  A network through which students organize awareness, fundraising, and advocacy activities connected to girls' education and gender equity. The network also provides the principal community base for the STF Summit.

• Advocacy initiative · 2019

  Global Girls' Bill of Rights

  A collaborative advocacy document developed with grassroots organizations and girls from around the world. It reflects STF's focus on girls' rights, voice, dignity, education, and ability to determine their own futures.

• Program and partnership model · 2009

  Grassroots partnership model

  STF works with locally rooted organizations that understand the communities in which they operate. The model emphasizes locally informed action and aims to support girls' education, leadership, respect, and agency rather than relying solely on direct donor-to-child sponsorship.

• 2019Global Girls' Bill of Rights

  Global · United Nations

  STF collaborated with grassroots organizations and girls internationally to create a rights-focused document centered on girls' education, dignity, voice, and agency.

  Outcome. The document was presented to Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at the United Nations on October 11, 2019.

  Source
• 2014Project for Awesome fundraising participation

  Online · International

  She's the First became a recurring beneficiary of the Foundation to Decrease World Suck through the Nerdfighteria community's Project for Awesome charitable contest.

  Outcome. The organization received selected grants in every year from 2014 through 2022.

  Source
• 2009Launch video featuring JoJo

  United States · Online

  A YouTube video featuring singer JoJo introduced She's the First and argued that educating girls can help address global poverty.

  Outcome. The campaign established the organization's public identity and helped initiate its nonprofit work.

  Source

• 2019

  Global Girls' Bill of Rights initiativeOther

  Background

  STF sought to make girls' participation and rights more visible in international advocacy and to incorporate perspectives from grassroots organizations and girls themselves.

  Action taken

  It coordinated the development of a Global Girls' Bill of Rights and presented the document at the United Nations.

  Aftermath

  The initiative reinforced STF's public identity as an advocate for girls' voice, rights, and self-determination.

  Source

• 2017

  Retirement of the child-sponsorship fundraising modelStrategy

  Background

  STF reassessed the sponsorship model it had used since its founding and concluded that it could reinforce unequal power relationships between donors and the girls or communities represented.

  Action taken

  The organization discontinued child sponsorship and moved toward fundraising and partnerships framed around dignity, locally informed work, and systems change.

  Aftermath

  The decision became a defining part of STF's rights-based organizational positioning.

  Source

1. 1She's the Firsten.wikipedia.org
2. 2She's the First official websiteshesthefirst.org