April 12, 2008 — Suze Orman spontaneously pledged $50,000 yesterday to Crittenton Women’s Union, a Boston nonprofit dedicated to helping low-income women attain economic independence, as she accepted the organization’s twenty-fourth Amelia Earhart Award, bringing the total raised at the event to more than $400,000.

Moved by the organization’s mission and by the speeches given by two Crittenton Women’s Union (CWU) program participants who recounted their successful journeys to economic self-sufficiency, Orman wowed the crowd by announcing her unplanned pledge during her acceptance speech. She will donate $10,000 a year to the organization for the next five years.

“It is our job today to lift ourselves up,” Orman said. “As I sat in my chair, I have to tell you I’m so very, very sad these days because, while we heard there needs to be a road out of poverty, the truth of the matter is, as I see it, what’s happening today with the economy is there’s actually a highway into poverty. There will be many. women in particular, that find themselves thankful for organizations like this,”

More than 850 guests filled the Grand Ballroom of the Boston Marriott Copley Place. Now in its twenty-fourth year, the Amelia Earhart Award recognizes a woman who embodies Earhart’s pioneering spirit and who has significantly contributed to the expansion of opportunities for women. CWU paid tribute to Orman and her message of financial empowerment for women.

Orman is a two-time Emmy Award winning television host, six-time New York Times bestselling author, magazine and online columnist, writer/producer, and the number one female motivational speaker in the United States.

Crittenton Women’s Union combines direct service programs, independent research and public policy advocacy in its mission to transform the course of low-income women’s lives so that they can attain economic independence and create better futures for themselves and their families. Each year CWU helps more than 2,000 people through its safe housing, education and training programs, and family support services.