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WORDS INTO DEEDS INC
ITHACA, NY · EIN 872067970 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE B20 · Education · Micro (<$100K) · wordsintodeeds.org
revenue
$56K
expenses
$64K
net assets
$20K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

EDUCATION

profile · synthesized from sources

Words Into Deeds Inc is a New York-based nonprofit that empowers youth and educators to become informed, active citizens through workshops on human rights, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and civic engagement. The organization conducts professional development for teachers and leadership programs for students, primarily in underserved regions including Georgia, Uganda, and South Sudan. It supports community-driven projects focused on gender equity, WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene), and youth-led outreach, often in partnership with local organizations and international forums.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Bridging the Digital Divide
Initiative providing access to computer labs and digital literacy training for underserved youth to reduce educational inequities.
Gender Equity – WASH Community Programs
Training for young mothers in Gulu, Uganda as tailors, including counseling and business skills, to produce and distribute reusable feminine hygiene kits that support girls’ school attendance.
Leadership Workshops for Students
Two-day workshops that teach students about human rights and communication skills, guiding them to design and implement community projects based on the SDGs.
Professional Development Workshops for Educators
Two-day interactive workshops for teachers focusing on human rights, the Sustainable Development Goals, and strategies for engaging students in community outreach projects.
Youth Empowerment Programs in the USA
Year-long in-school programs where students study human rights and the SDGs, design service projects, and present outcomes at forums including the United Nations.
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Human Rights & Peace Education Curriculum 2 activities
    • Conducts professional development workshops for educators
      Provides capacity-building workshops for teachers and school administrators in the U.S. and internationally, including in Tbilisi, Georgia, and Uganda. Topics include human rights education, refugee issues, and integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into curricula.
    • Develops and delivers educational programs integrating human rights and service learning
      Designs and implements interdisciplinary educational programs for K–12 and university students that incorporate human rights principles, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and student-led community outreach projects. Programs include classroom discussions, workshops, and project design, with outcomes presented at international forums such as the United Nations.
  • Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
    • Awards grants and scholarships to support youth education and projects
      Funds scholarships for high school and vocational training students based on academic performance and community service. Also provides mini-grants during crises (e.g., pandemic) to support school-based initiatives such as gardening, soap production, and recycling projects.
  • Menstrual Health and Hygiene Equity 1 activity
    • Distributes reusable feminine hygiene kits to support girls' education
      Produces and distributes reusable feminine hygiene kits to schoolgirls in Uganda to reduce absenteeism during menstruation. The kits are manufactured by graduates of vocational training programs, enabling over 1,000 girls to attend school regularly each year.
  • Educational Technology Access and Support 1 activity
    • Operates a Digital Learning Center at UNIFAT Primary School in Uganda
      Established and maintains a solar-powered computer education facility at UNIFAT Primary School, including renovated classrooms, 30 laptops, audiovisual equipment, and internet access. The center operates six days a week, providing digital literacy training for students and teachers, supported by a full-time IT instructor.
  • Charity Event Organization 1 activity
    • Organizes fundraising events to support gender equity and water access
      Hosts annual Walk for Water events that raise funds to reduce the burden of water collection on girls and support well installation in South Sudan. Raised over $10,000 in one year and over $12,000 in another for related initiatives.
  • Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
    • Provides arts-based educational workshops on social and cultural themes
      Offers interpretive movement, music, storytelling, and drumming workshops that explore historical and social issues such as the Holocaust, Civil Rights Movement, Indigenous history, and Ghanaian cultural heritage. Programs are delivered in schools and involve collaboration with artists like Jackie Tice and Theo Martey.
  • Vocational Sewing and Tailoring Training 1 activity
    • Provides vocational and digital skills training for young mothers in Uganda
      Offers 6-month vocational training programs in sewing, tailoring, business practices, and computer literacy for young mothers in Gulu, Uganda. Includes meals, transportation support, and project-based learning; graduates produce reusable hygiene kits and participate in income-generating activities.
  • Youth Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
    • Supports youth-led community service and outreach projects
      Empowers youth to design and implement service projects addressing local and global issues such as domestic abuse, substance use, and sustainability. Includes organizing events like fashion shows with reused materials and supporting project presentations at international conferences.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$56K
Contributions & grants$56K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$64K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out$56K
balance sheet
Total assets$29K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$20K
1 years on record · 2024–2024
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 1
  • GERTRUDE NODEN — FOUNDER AND BOARD CHAIR
relationships · 34

Who they work with

  • Abukloi High School Partner — Produces liquid soap included in reusable feminine hygiene kits distributed to schoolgirls in South Sudan.
  • Akwaaba Ensemble Partner — Partner ensemble delivering West African drumming and dance performances and workshops in schools.
  • All We Are Partner — Uganda-based engineering team engaged to install solar power system at UNIFAT, funded by Words Into Deeds and partners.
  • Backyard Brands Funder — Provided donations to support the Gender Equity – WASH Program in Uganda.
  • Catholic Charities Partner — Partners with Catholic Charities to connect students with service group representatives working on humanitarian issues.
  • City of Ithaca Government — Collaborates with the City of Ithaca, including its mayor, to host youth forums on substance abuse and empowerment.
  • Concerned Parents Association Partner — Provides reproductive health education, counseling, and business skills training for young mothers in Gulu, Uganda.
  • Cornell International Studies Summer Institute Partner — Co-organized a workshop for New York teachers on teaching about refugees in a global context.
  • Cornell University Partner — Partners with the Einaudi Center at Cornell University to facilitate international guest participation in educational programs.
  • Friends of UNIFAT Partner — Collaborated with Words Into Deeds to raise funds for the Digital Learning Center and solar power installation at UNIFAT.
  • Global Education Motivators Partner — Collaborates with Global Education Motivators to engage service group representatives in classroom discussions on global issues.
  • Ithaca ReUse Center Partner — Collaborated with students on a fashion show using reused materials to promote sustainability.
  • Ithaca Rotary Club Funder — Approved a grant to support the Gender Equity – WASH Program in Uganda.
  • Ithaca Rotary Club Partner — Partnered with Words Into Deeds to fund the Digital Learning Center and solar power installation at UNIFAT.
  • Jackie Tice Partner — Partner artist who conducts music and storytelling programs in schools to share Native American history and culture.
  • John Dau Lost Boys Foundation Partner — Collaborates with the John Dau Lost Boys Foundation to bring former Lost Boys of Sudan into classroom discussions.
  • Local 4-H Partner — Partnered with Words Into Deeds on a community fashion show focused on sustainability and responsible consumption.
  • Multinational Georgia for Strengthening Democratic Values Partner — Sponsored the 2-day workshops for teachers and students in Tbilisi.
  • NY State United Teachers Partner — Engages with NY State United Teachers through public policy participants in educational forums.
  • Nana Amin Partner — Partner artist bringing West African songs, rhythms, and dance from Ghana into classroom settings.
  • Roxey Ballet Partner — Partner organization providing interpretive movement workshops and multi-media ballet performances focused on social and historical themes.
  • Sawa Sawa Network Partner — Co-founded by board member Ayuen Ajok, this organization provides media and educational resources for youth and journalists in South Sudan and aligns with Words Into Deeds' mission of youth empowerment and global engagement.
  • Social Studies Standards Organization Network — Aligns curriculum with the College, Career, and Civic Life C3 Framework for Social Studies Standards.
  • Sustainable Development Goals Network — Uses the Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for youth education and community outreach programming.
  • Syracuse University Partner — Hosted a teacher training workshop on refugee education in collaboration with Words Into Deeds Inc.
  • Theo Martey Partner — Partner artist and leader of the Akwaaba Ensemble, providing West African drumming and dance workshops.
  • UNIFAT Primary School Partner — Partner school in Gulu, Uganda where digital literacy, WASH, and student leadership programs are implemented.
  • UNIFAT Primary School Partner — Partnered with UNIFAT Primary School in Gulu, Uganda to support curriculum development and human rights education.
  • UNIFAT Primary School Partner — Produces liquid soap included in reusable feminine hygiene kits distributed to schoolgirls.
  • United Nations Government — Collaborated with UN Program Coordinator on youth engagement and planning for the 2019 UN Civil Society Conference.
+ 4 more
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Arts-Based Cultural Storytelling for Inclusion
    methodology: arts_based_cultural_storytelling
    By using interpretive dance, music, and storytelling rooted in specific cultural traditions, we promote understanding of diverse experiences and histories because participatory arts create empathetic connections across differences, fostering inclusion in multicultural societies.
  • Evidence-Based Civic Problem Solving with Psychological and Sociological Foundations
    methodology: evidence_based_civic_problem_solving
    By teaching psychological literacy and sociological inquiry, we build students' capacity to understand human and social behavior, enabling them to conduct evidence-based investigations and take informed civic action because analytical frameworks make abstract social issues personally and contextually relevant.
  • Gender Equity through Vocational Training and Local Production
    methodology: gender_equity_vocational_production
    By training young mothers to produce and market reusable hygiene kits, we advance gender equity and school attendance because economic self-reliance through vocational skills enables sustainable community-led solutions to systemic barriers in education and health.
  • Human Rights Education through Lived Experience and Document Study
    methodology: human_rights_education_through_documents_and_stories
    By grounding human rights education in both foundational documents and personal narratives of conflict and displacement, we foster student understanding of democracy and vulnerability because combining legal frameworks with real-life stories creates intellectual and emotional resonance that motivates preventive action.
  • Youth-Led Service Learning with Civic Action Framework
    methodology: youth_led_service_learning
    By empowering youth to design and lead service projects using frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals and models of informed action, we produce deeper civic engagement and community impact because youth ownership fosters critical thinking, personal development, and sustained advocacy.