Zonta International is a worldwide service organization of executives in business and the professions working together to advance the status of women. Nearly 33,000 individuals are members of 1,254 Zonta Clubs in 67 countries. Zonta Clubs are members of Zonta International.

Founded in 1919 in Buffalo, New York, USA, Zonta takes its name from the Lakota Sioux Indian word meaning "honest and trustworthy."

Throughout Zonta International’s history, improving the status of women politically, legally, professionally, and in all other facets of life has been the motivating force. Zonta International and Zonta Club programs are making this happen, laying the groundwork for women to achieve not just their personal goals but to improve conditions for women worldwide.

Community Programs
At the Club level, Zontians volunteer their time, talents and energy to local and international service projects that are designed to advance the status of women. Zontians commit hundreds of thousands of service hours and millions of dollars to a wide range of community services that strengthen and improve the well being of women and address the mission of Zonta International projects such as:

• Supporting shelters for survivors of domestic violence.
• Establishing micro-credit programs to help women start small businesses.
• Empowering girls through educational assistance.
• Informing and encouraging women facing cultural and linguistic barriers, about the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer.
• Sponsoring Z Clubs and Golden Z Clubs for high school, college and university students. Z and Golden Z Clubs develop leadership skills, promote career exploration and encourage youth to participate in community, school and international service projects. Zonta Clubs help the youth of today tomorrow’s leaders build a better world.

Zonta International Programs Funded by the Zonta International Foundation
Established in 1985 as the charitable arm of Zonta International, the Zonta International Foundation has provided millions of dollars of funding for international programs and projects that span the globe, from Nepal and India to the Ukraine, Guatemala to Colombia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to Burkina Faso and beyond. These programs and projects focus on three areas of critical concern:

Education, Leadership and Youth Development
Preventing Violence Against Women
International Service

Foundation funding is possible through generous voluntary contributions from Zonta Clubs, Zontians and friends of Zonta. The charitable programs of Zonta International funded by the Foundation include among others:

Amelia Earhart Fellowship Program
By providing financial assistance to women pursuing graduate degrees in aerospace-related sciences and engineering since 1938, Zonta International has helped women worldwide break more than just sound barriers.

International Service Program
For more than 50 years, Zonta International has addressed critical women’s issues such as violence against women, trafficking for sexual exploitation, maternal and neonatal tetanus, female genital circumcision and more. Through projects in developing countries, Zonta International is reaching out to address the causes, and not just the symptoms, of barriers to better lives for women everywhere.

ZISVAW Program
Since 1995, violence against women has been a particular focus of the activities of Zonta International and Zonta Clubs. Zonta International works in partnership with UN agencies as well as regional and local organizations to combat gender-based violence.