SUNNYVALE, California, USA, September 17, 2018. Women in Localization (W.L.), the leading professional organization for women in the localization industry, is excited to announce certification as as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code provides tax exemption for groups organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes. By generating donations, raising awareness, and encouraging efforts that will benefit the advancement of women in the localization industry, Women in Localization will clearly be fulfilling a charitable purpose.

In honor of this important milestone and keeping with its mission to promote women and the localization industry, Women in Localization has initiated a content series to share thought leadership from a diverse group of professionals in the localization industry. This thought leadership series will culminate in a panel discussion comprised of leaders from the Women in Localization community at SDL Connect, November 7-8, 2018 in Santa Clara, California where the most innovative content and localization professionals convene to learn about the latest trends and technologies driving the field.

Co-Founder and CTO Silvia Avary said, “We believe becoming a non-profit will help us fulfill our mission even further. We will be able to create and provide more opportunities for women in the localization industry.”

Believing that women need professional and personal support at every stage of their lives for the challenges they face in the workplace, W.L. fosters a community that supports women through mentorship, education, social events and advocacy for gender equality.

”Leading the non-profit task force has been one of the most difficult jobs I ever signed up to do for Women In Localization, but it has also been the one that I am most proud of,” said Avary. “We have so many people to thank for this achievement. Everyone on the W.L. board contributed to the non-profit effort, but some names stand out: Mimi Hills, Allison McDougall, Duaine Pryor, and of course, my friends and co-founders of W.L., Anna N. Schlegel and Eva Klaudinyova.”

“Becoming a non-profit comes at the perfect time as we celebrate our 10th anniversary, and I could not be prouder,” said President and Co-Founder Anna N. Schlegel, “Our dream has exceeded our expectations: we went global, we became a non-profit, and we are in every single major event and global publication. We made it!”

“In this age of divisiveness, the success of Women in Localization stresses the importance of unity and community,” adds Eva Klaudinyova, co-founder and Secretary of W.L. “All our members, advisors and supporters believe in education, empowerment and equality. We are very proud to carry these ideals through our chapters and events around the world and want to thank all our past and present volunteers for the incredible journey we have been on together in the past decade. The new non-profit status will allow us to increase the scale of our efforts and we are looking forward to another decade together!”

About Women in Localization

Women in Localization (W.L.) was founded in 2008 by Silvia Avary-Silveira, Eva Klaudinyova and Anna N. Schlegel, and is the leading professional organization for women in the localization industry with over 4,500 members globally. Its mission is to foster a global community for the advancement of women and the localization industry. It aims to provide an open, collaborative forum where women can share expertise and experience and help each other move forward in their careers. Started in the San Francisco Bay Area, W.L. has expanded its membership to include women across the globe, encouraging members to meet in other local geographies. To learn more, visit http://www.womeninlocalization.com. You can also follow W.L. on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Liesl Leary
Women in Localization
Phone: (415) 203-7179
Email: lleary@sdl.com

SOURCE Women in Localization
Related Links http://www.womeninlocalization.com