Mrs. Fereshteh Tavakoli is the co-founder of International Society for Children with Cancer (ISCC). ISCC was established in 2004, and began operating with Mrs. Tavakoli and a few of her friends. Since then, it has grown in size and scope, attracting a large member base, raising millions of dollars through fund-raising events, personal donations and charity sales. ISCC has donated 90% of these funds to MAHAK in Iran and the remaining 10% to Childhood Cancer health organizations in over a dozen countries, including 4 organizations in United States.
Mrs. Tavakoli was born in Tehran, Iran, and has lived in the United States, on and off, since the 1960s. She is a graduate of University of Idaho in interior design. Mrs. Tavakoli journey in Philanthropy initially started over 21 years ago with MAHAK, as social worker at public children’s hospitals, fund-raising coordinator and public relations director. In 2001 she became MAHAK representative in Unites States and finally established ISCC in 2004. ISCC is a broader continuation of MAHAK’s mission and dream of not letting any cancer-stricken child die due to lack of funds.
Mrs. Tavakoli, has created a very solid reputation of trust and clarity for ISCC through a decade of persistence, initially for five years from her home office to eventually a well know charity with multiple activities and programs.
In December 2008, ISCC became the first and only non-government organization to get approval from US Treasury to send money to Iran. Mrs. Tavakoli is credited for invigorating a grassroots movement among the Iranian-American community in Los Angeles to take up her cause. She has been tireless in this effort: driving all around the state giving presentations and lectures at universities, social clubs and community gatherings; to encourage social activism in the community; and establishing a youth chapter, drawing second-generation Iranian-Americans to connect to their home-land.