Two leading international nonprofits unite to advance girls' education, rights and opportunities.

NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Girl Rising and She's the First, two internationally recognized nonprofits advancing girls' opportunities, announced on International Day of the Girl their plans to merge, uniting school-based life-skills education, community mentoring, and girl leadership platforms to deliver deeper impact at scale.

The merger will integrate Girl Rising's RISE program—rooted in storytelling to build adolescents' skills and awareness of gender equality—with She's the First's global network of women-led partners and girls' leadership programs. The unified organization will reach more than 500,000 adolescents with in-person programming and more than 7 million through online resources over the next three years.

"At a time of widening funding gaps and backlash against girls' rights, joining forces creates a seamless path from classrooms to communities, ensuring every girl has the resources to learn and lead," said Nidhi Shukla, President, Girl Rising.

"Our merged model reflects what the field has learned about creating deep, durable change," said Kate Kiama, co-CEO of She's the First. "Access alone isn't enough. Lasting change takes shifting mindsets, supporting local leadership, and centering girls."

Under the merger terms, She's the First will become part of Girl Rising's 501(c)(3). The Girl Rising name and brand will continue, with updates reflecting the expanded mission. She's the First's legacy and name will remain visible in programs and storytelling. Christina Lowery and Nidhi Shukla will lead the merged organization as co-CEOs. Kate Kiama will become VP, Global Programs. She's the First co-founder and current co-CEO Tammy Tibbetts will be Chief Advisor. A new Board of Directors will include members from both organizations, two Girl Board Members and two new members.

"We believe that mergers work best when they reflect strategic clarity and long-term vision," said CEO Christina Lowery. "Combining forces is a deliberate strategy to counter the current global backlash against women and girls' rights."

As a first joint initiative, Girl Rising will pilot an integrated program in Kenya, pairing RISE's government-accredited curriculum with She's the First's community mentoring and girls' leadership activities. The pilot will inform future regional integrations in Latin America and South Asia. The organizations have also jointly opened a pathway for girls around the globe to get involved: applications for the Girl Rising Fellowship and Girls Advisory Council can be submitted before November 2 on https://bit.ly/girlslead2026.

"Throughout the merger process, both organizations ensured girls' voices were at the center, with focus groups and discussions with the girls in their programs," said Allison Choong, 21-year-old member of the She's the First Board of Directors, appointed by the Girls Advisory Council. "I'm excited that girls in future programs will have support both at home and in their schools. Growing up in Malaysia, I had support at home through She's the First. But now, with the Girl Rising RISE curriculum, even more girls will get support and education in both places. That makes me really hopeful."

This announcement comes alongside an op-ed published on Candid Insights today exploring the value of nonprofit mergers to create stronger, more sustainable organizations, and why that matters for girls today and in the future. The organizations' leaders will also share insights on the value of nonprofit mergers on the We Are For Good podcast, among other engagements.

Diana Barrett for The Fledgling Fund, Echidna Giving, InMaat Foundation, SeaChange-Lodestar Fund for Nonprofit Collaboration, along with individual donors and pro bono law firms provided dedicated funding for the one-time merger costs. Their support enabled planning, stakeholder listening and structural integration without diverting resources from girls' programs.

The merger will take full effect pending regulatory approvals from New York, where She's the First is registered.

For more information:

Visit girlrising.org/merger or shesthefirst.org/merger

Contact: Virginia Terry, VP External Relations, Girl Rising, [email protected], 646.369.0442 

About Girl Rising

Girl Rising is a global nonprofit that uses the power of storytelling to change the way the world values girls and their education. The organization collaborates with partners to equip adolescents - especially girls - with skills, confidence, and supportive allies, while dismantling barriers to their education. Girl Rising's programs are based on the transformative tool of storytelling to spark curiosity, shift mindsets, and inspire action.

About She's the First

She's the First, a registered nonprofit in the United States and Kenya, teams up with grassroots leaders to make sure girls everywhere are educated, respected, and heard. The organization teaches girls how to speak up for themselves in their homes, schools, and communities while teaching the mentors in their lives practical ways to support their agency. As a result, these girls become the first women in their families to achieve amazing milestones—and they are never the last.

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SOURCE Girl Rising