Donna McLarty and her husband Mack, BSBA ’68, divide their time
between Little Rock and Washington, D.C. While Mack has focused on business and political interests, Donna has made her impact with
Vital Voices Global Partnership, a non-governmental organization whose mission is to identify, invest in, and bring visibility to extraordinary
women, increasing their leadership potential to transform lives and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities.
Vital Voices was created at the request of women attending a hemispheric conference in Uruguay in 1998. As a matter of foreign
policy, women throughout the world were routinely invited to participate when U.S. Government officials met with representatives of
emerging democracies. These women asked for continued help witheducation, healthcare, business skills, and assistance in fighting abuse. Along with two colleagues, Donna responded to these requests by creating Vital Voices, and today the organization has programs in 150 countries, reaching 200,000 women each year. “When we support women, we are also lifting families, strengthening communities, and enhancing prospects for peace,” Donna said. “I have seen it myself, as the women we work with ‘pay it forward’ like the Russian woman who created a crisis center network to help victims of domestic violence; the Cambodian woman who launched a microcredit program for other women; the Palestinian and Israeli women who joined with others from Northern Ireland to share ideas on building peace; or the Kuwaiti women who, in 2005, fought for and earned the right to vote for the very first time. “Fortunately, the University of Arkansas gave me a positive environment, lasting friendships, and encouragement to grow, as well as a strong background in economics, accounting, statistics, and public relations,” Donna said. “These things have strengthened my engagement in the non-profit world.”
