Our mission.
The Nommontu Foundation invests in the livelihoods, creativity, and wellbeing of women and girls, refugees and other displaced populations to promote human rights, dignity and equality for all.
Our Values.
Community + Relationships
We create community to work with others toward a common goal. We value fostering close relationships with all stakeholders, including grant recipients.
Adaptability
We are flexible when seeking solutions and are open to hearing other voices. We listen to others to understand what their needs are.
Sustainability
We are looking to make long-term change that addresses root causes of the issues we’re focused on—not only short-term solutions.
Compassion
We are motivated and driven by our deep-rooted concern for the well-being of all and center this in our work.
Our Founder.
The Nommontu Foundation was founded by Marisa Mueller. Marisa has been a humanitarian worker for over 10 years, is a philanthropist by heritage, and continues to be an unconditional optimist. Born in a multi-religious, multi-cultural family, she is dedicated to making our planet a place where all sentient beings can enjoy a life of peace, parity and plenty. It is this utopian ideal that guides her forward.
Fresh out of college Marisa began producing country reports for various print media like Forbes and the International Herald Tribune throughout Africa. After receiving a Master’s Degree in International Development, she joined Doctors without Borders (MSF) and then the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), with whom she continued to work in Africa in addition to East Asia and the Middle East. What she observed, confronted and endured during these postings had a profound impact on her, and has eventually led her to pursue her philanthropic legacy.
In order to honor her grandfather’s vision and work as a philanthropist, Marisa created The Nommontu Foundation. Kikongo in origin, Nommontu means “Unity of All Living Beings”, which symbolizes her raison d’être. Since its establishment, The Nommontu Foundation has been committed to funding organizations that focus on girls’ education, conflict resolution, and access to healthcare, mainly in the Middle East and West Africa. In honor of her late father, Marisa also dedicates part of her foundation’s work to environmental conservation and animal protection – which were cause areas close to his heart.
Marisa speaks four European languages and avidly studies Arabic. She is a board member of AMREF and continues giving her spare time to MSF.
Our History.
Marisa's grandfather, Joseph Handleman, was an influential figure in her life and she is honored to continue her philanthropic legacy.
Joseph Handleman's story is about a caring, courageous and compassionate being who learned too early about the ugly faces of poverty. His is a story about tenacity and triumph in the face of scarcity. It is also a story about a noble heart and mind and soul dedicated to helping people and institutions in want and need.
Born in the first part of the 20th century in Buffalo New York, into a family of eight, Joe was the oldest child of six siblings. Confronted at the tender age of seven with the responsibility of supporting and sustaining his mother and five brothers and sister, Joe sold newspapers on the street corners of downtown Detroit. While other children his age were in school learning, Joe's teachers were in the streets of the inner city. And what he learned and experienced there created a life long desire and determination to be strong, in order to advocate for those whose voices remained unheard; the muted voices of the disenfranchised and disadvantaged. For, as one would often hear him say as an adult, "It is only in strength that one can help the less fortunate."
Imagination and intelligence enabled Joe to leave the inner city street corners and start his own business. A pioneer in merchandising and marketing, Joe Handleman was responsible for making health and beauty aids available directly to the consumer by his creative mass distribution ideas. He brought the non-food section to the supermarkets. Joe also headed the original marketing studies in mass distribution of health and beauty products for Unilever and Colgate in eight European countries.
But, "nothing is forever" Joe would be heard to say to friends and family, and as the climate changed in the health and beauty sector, Mr. Handleman looked around for a new product to creatively market. His company became the first and foremost to mass merchandise music in North America.
Despite the demands of growing a family and a company of which he was the founder, president, chairman and CEO for thirty two years, Joe Handleman never lost sight of his determined desire to advocate for those who could not help themselves. His philosophy that "those who are privileged inherit responsibility" has governed his life.