The Shona Project 500x500 - The Shona Project

Why Our 500×500 Community Is Needed

At The Shona Project, we believe in the power of women coming together to support and uplift young girls. That’s why we’re launching the 500×500 Campaign, a bold movement to mobilise our generation of women to stand for the next.

In 2025, when we launched The Perfect Storm Report and listened to over 1,000 teenage girls, the message was loud and painful:

For girls living with disadvantage, poverty or belonging to minority communities, these numbers rise even higher. Add the growing wave of harmful online rhetoric about women, and you can see why so many girls feel overwhelmed and unheard.

This is their reality. It does not have to be their future.

That is why we are launching the 500 x 500 Campaign. We want our generation of women to stand for the next.

Our goal is bold but simple.
Reach all 250,000 teenage girls in Ireland over the next five years with support that is safe, honest and life changing.

How Can You Help?

We are asking 500 people to stand with us and pledge a minimum of 500 euro. You can give personally, through your business, or by hosting a fundraiser in your own network.

We also ask you to spread the word. Help us reach more women who care deeply about the next generation and want to be part of something powerful.

When 500 people pledge 500 euro, we will raise 250,000 euro. This will allow us to reach every girl who needs support, connection and a steady voice in her corner.

How does your donation create impact?

Your gift, joined with hundreds of others, will help us deliver work that is already proven to make a real difference:

School Workshops
We create safer and braver spaces where girls can explore who they are, what matters to them, and how to face hard moments with confidence. These workshops are practical and honest. Girls leave feeling seen and more sure of themselves.

Mentorship and Leadership Programmes
We help girls build a supportive network early in life. They meet role models who listen and guide without judgement. They learn to trust their own voice and their own path.

Career Pathways
We show girls the leaders and opportunities that already exist for them. This work removes barriers and builds real belief in their future.

Campaigns and Events
We host spaces where girls feel energised, represented and inspired. When they see other young women showing up fully as themselves, something shifts.

A Nationwide Community
We connect girls across the country so none of them feel alone. Belonging changes everything.

What does it mean to be a 500’er

Over the next year, we will grow the 500 x 500 community into something special. Something connected. Something you will be proud to be part of.

As a 500er, you will:

Be invited to Shona events, including Shine Festival and webinars. You will also receive early bird and reduced tickets for our community events.
Receive a welcome pack with some of our materials and a bespoke 500 x 500 pin so you can spot other 500ers out in the wild.
Get quarterly newsletters that share our work, our stories, our wins and the bumps along the way.
Gain opportunities to take part in community hosted gatherings, conversations and networking events as the movement grows.

This is more than a donation. It is a way to stand with girls who deserve better and to do it alongside women who feel the same.

Make Your Pledge!

Girls in Ireland are facing things we never had to face. We cannot remove every challenge they meet, but we can make sure they never meet them alone.

By joining the 500 x 500 community, you help shape a future where every girl grows up strong, curious and confident in herself.

Please share this campaign within your network. The world will look very different for the next generation of Irish women, and we all have a part to play in shaping it.

We are very grateful to the Kyne Foundation for supporting our 500×500 campaign. Read more about what we do here.

P.S. Did you know about the Charitable Tax Donation Scheme?

If a person donates €250 or more during the year, we would be able to claim a tax refund on the donation. The Charitable Donation Scheme allows The Shona Project to reclaim up to 44.9% in tax from the donation.

This means that an original donation amount of €499 can ultimately be worth €723 with a tax refund €224 (44.9%).

If you wish, you can authorise The Shona Project to claim tax back on your donations for the current tax year and the next 4 years or alternatively you can choose one of the previous four years. This helps us financially and reduces administrative time, allowing us to focus on supporting the next generation of girls in Ireland. Please note that this does not in any way commit you to future donations, but ensures we can claim back on them if you choose to donate again.

The Shona Project 500×500