Girl's Best Friend Foundation (GBF) closed November 2007. 
GBF’s records are archived with Special Collections of the University
of Illinois, Chicago.  In fall 2008, they will be made public: www.uic.edu/depts/lib/specialcoll.

How to Strengthen Your Work with Girls

As a staff member, director, or volunteer with an organization that works with girls and young women, you can learn from our experience to develop effective, fundable programs.

Learn from other youth workers
Tips on negotiating youth/adult relationships, including five ways to care for yourself when girls' painful stories resonate in you.
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Nurture gender consciousness
What can gender consciousness mean, and how do you do it in youth programs? Options include female-only, multiple gender, and a combination of both. 
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Elicit and support girls' questioning
When girls ask critical questions, analyze who benefits/who loses in current arrangements, and imagine how things could be better, they're taking crucial steps toward individual and group activism to make change happen. Read how two organizations nurture critical thinking and action.
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Provide safe space for LGBTQ youth
Because homophobia is a real problem, for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and straight youth, a set of local youth advocates developed a unique toolkit.  Advocates for Youth launched it online to help youth workers create safe space for young people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
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Read about what girls say they need
Speak for Yourself: What Girls Say about What Girls Need reports on a GBF-commissioned two-year study of more than 200 girls ages 12 to 18 in six Illinois communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Learn about what works best for girls in programs, as well as how promote girls' power and leadership skills.
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Offer information about sex and sexuality
Our Sex & Sexuality Education Guide For Youth Workers guide can help you provide girls with comprehensive, age-appropriate information about sex and sexuality that’s empowering, sex-positive, and easily applied in your program.
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Incorporate evaluation & research into your programming
Do you need tools for change? Are you passionate about proving your worth? Looking for a way to strengthen your work? Girl's Best Friend is known for bringing in experts in the field to lead, coach, and mentor grantees on evaluation issues.
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More resources

• Girls Coalition of Greater Boston
• Powerful Voices
• See The New Girls Movement (all 3 reports) and Power & Possibilities
  Don't miss the contact info for very impressive girls and youth groups across the U.S.; many have websites.