Author: Lisa Kays

Giving thanks by giving, or, some Thanksgiving reading recs.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

On this final day before the Thanksgiving holiday, it seems appropriate to look at ways to give thanks by, well, giving. Buddha says, "Wise [wo]men appreciate and are grateful. Wise [wo]men try to express their appreciation and gratitude by some return of kindness, not only to their benefactor, but to everyone else."

Sort of a pay it forward approach to gratitude. 

So, for your Thanksgiving pleasure, a few resources related to reflection on giving.

Julie Jensen, a great supporter of The Women’s Foundation, recommends Rambam’s Ladder: A Meditation on Generosity and Why it is Necessary to Give.  "Salamon provides a thoughtful exploration of each one of Rambam’s steps, from the lowest kind of charity-giving (begrudgingly), to the highest form–the gift of self-reliance, so that the recipient, through a loan or a job, will not have to ask for help again," Julie says.

Speaking of paying it forward, Pay it Forward, the book and the movie, provides a unique perspective on the power of giving as an expression of gratitude.

Caitlin Duignan, our stellar office temp, said that one of her favorite giving inspirations comes from Little Women.  Caitlin writes, "I have always loved Little Women, not only for its progressive messages on women and society…but [also] I have always enjoyed how daily life in the March family revolves around giving back to the community, but also to one another and supporting one another through their dreams. The bond between the sisters and their parents, and even between the parents is such a driving force of the film, which can only imply that the success of this frugal and socially conscious family flows from their love for one another.  Besides this social justice as motivated by love theme, I just think it’s a really heartwarming concept that shows whether you’re a writer, a mother, a teacher, or an artist – both your perspective on the world and your abilities within it help formulate your sense of responsibility to the world, which for the March family is to help make it a better one." 

The Nonprofit Literature Blog has a post this week on selected resources related to giving circles and giving.

I, for one, have always been partial to Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, with its touching approach to the complex nature–the costs and sacrifices, and joys and benefits–of giving.

Earlier this year, Tactical Philanthropy invited bloggers throughout the phlanthrosphere to recommend books on phuilanthropy and giving.  The results are here.  Among The Women’s Foundation staff’s recommendations were The Giving Family, The Prophet and Inspired Philanthropy: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Giving Plan.

The Giving Book: Open the Door to a Lifetime of Giving looks like a fun resource for young people to tap into their own power to change the world, and how they can best apply their strengths, interests and talents to contributing to meaningful social change.

There you go, now you’re all set for reading recommendations for that long flight, drive or boat ride (as applicable) home. 

And, if you’re stuck on your blackberry waiting on a flight delay, be sure to leave us a comment with your favorite giving book recommendation.

After all, the holiday season is upon us, and there is still a lot of airport, driving and snowside reading to do!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Impact of funding for women goes far beyond fairness.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Abby Disney, president and co-founder of the Daphne Foundation, spoke today on NPR’s Tell Me More about the power of women to move communities by moving millions in the direction of women.

Disney’s message was clear.  Because of the way women are positioned in communities, the most powerful way to change the world, to make it better for children–for good–is to change and improve the circumstances of women.

Empowering women, investing in women, supporting women, Disney noted, is no longer just about fairness or equity.  It’s about strategy.  People are getting the relationship between the status of women and poverty, she explained, and that’s why you’re seeing such power behind the women’s funding movement.

Which is currently set to raise $150 million in $1million donations through the Women Moving Millions campaign, which will bring the women’s funding movement beyond the $1 billion mark.

But whether you have $10 to give, or $10 million, Disney noted that this is really about empowering women at all levels.  To give, to grow, to speak out and say that the power of their achievement, their resources, their success, their talent, will be directed in support of other women and the programs and strategies that improve their lives.

Programs for women have always received less funding than other programs, Disney reminded us. 

And that’s not just unfair.  It’s ineffective.  

To read more, check out Julie Jensen’s story of how giving a million to women and girls changed her and how you can get involved in the women’s funding movement whether you have $10 million to give, or $10. 

From Texas to Tchad to Takoma, investing in women works.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Becky Sykes, Executive Director of the Dallas Women’s Foundation, wrote in the Dallas Morning News last week that when you help a woman, there’s a ripple effect.

Spoken like a true international development specialist, often quoted as saying, "To educate a woman is to educate a family," or other statements that tie the welfare of women to the welfare of families, and, by default, entire communities.

But Sykes accurately ties this accepted aspect of work developing communities abroad to the work of women’s foundations operating in communities throughout the U.S. 

Because the same principles that apply internationally to developing communities and the status of women also apply here at home, even if they are harder for us to see. 

Sykes writes, "International development studies and projects have shown time and again that an investment in women – more than any other – is the fastest and surest way to affect an entire community.  Here in North Texas, we often mistakenly assume that the needs of women and girls are not as critical as in other, less fortunate communities. What a dangerously incorrect assumption."

Sykes notes the realities that make this true for Dallas, and our region is no different.  Our Portrait Project has shown that in the Washington metropolitan area:

  • Women-headed households, especially those headed by single mothers, suffer disproportionately from the region’s growing poverty.  In the District of Columbia, 30% of women-headed families live in poverty – above the national average and the highest in the region.
  • Women still earn less than their male counterparts. In Fairfax County, where the discrepancy is largest, men’s annual median earnings outpace women’s by $18,700. 
  • In 2000, in the District of Columbia, women-headed families at the median income ($26,500) could afford to buy only 8% of homes in the city. Many families are faced with childcare expenses that consistently exceed earnings. For example, the estimated cost of childcare in Montgomery County for an infant and a preschooler is $15,329, more than one-third of the median income for women-headed families in that county.
  • Despite the improvement in the rates of teen pregnancy, communities in our region still lag behind in infant-mortality rates, a key indicator of healthy pregnancies. The District of Columbia and Prince George’s County have the highest infant mortality rates in the region.
  • The District of Columbia has a higher incidence (new cases) of AIDS among women than anywhere else in the country. The rate of new AIDS cases among adolescent and adult women in the District of Columbia is 10 times the national rate.

As Sykes explains, " When you see women in trouble like this, it is often an early warning signal of deeper, growing problems. Because, just as helping a woman has a ripple effect, so does letting her sink into poverty and disenfranchisement."

Luckily, there is another side to this story, one of communities coming together to invest in programs and work that supports women, lifts families out of poverty and creates stronger cities, neighborhoods and regions for all of us. 

And when they do, the level of impact and transformation they achieve can be astounding.

That’s the work of foundations and funds like The Women’s Foundation that are operating throughout the country and world. 

As Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations has noted repeatedly, "Study after study has taught us that there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. No other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity, or to reduce infant and maternal mortality. No other policy is as sure to improve nutrition and promote health—including the prevention of HIV/AIDS. No other policy is as powerful in increasing the chances of education for the next generation."

Just as these problems are not unique to countries and communities abroad, neither are the solutions.  The power of Investing in women is a principle that is just in true in Mauritania as it is in Maryland. 

Ready to invest in the single most effective strategy for improving your community?  If you’re in the Washington metropolitan area, learn more about The Power of Giving Together.

Elsewhere, visit the Women’s Funding Network to find a women’s foundation or fund near you.

Fun Friday Reading: The global (or your local) gender gap.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

For some fun Friday reading, the World Economic Forum  has just released its report on the 2007 Global Gender Gap.  Feministing is hosting a dialogue in comments about the strengths and shortcomings of the report.

For a take on a more local picture of the gender outlook, check out our Portrait Project, the only comprehensive study of many of the same topics–health, education and economics–specific to women and girls in the Washington metropolitan area.

Whatever your Friday Fun Reading, enjoy your weekend!

The mighty hearts of Washington 100 profiled in Capitol File!

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Mighty hearts indeed.  The title Capitol File chose for their November profile on the launch of Washington 100 couldn’t be more a propos.

Washington 100 is certainly a network of philanthropic leaders with the mightiest of hearts–with many giving not only of their treasure, but of their time and their talent to truly learn about, dig into and understand their philanthropic commitment to the women and girls of the Washington metropolitan region.

As a result, their impact is exponential, much like the strategy behind their giving.

100 people giving $10,000 over two years=$1 million.  The embodiment of The Power of Giving Together.

Co-chaired by Doreen Gentzler and Barbara Strom Thompson, this philanthropic network is, as Doreen notes in her letter in Capitol File, making a real difference.

"Together," Doreen writes, "we’re helping women get training for better paying jobs, helping them learn how to get out of debt and even buy their own homes, helping girls get better educations and learn how to plan for their futures."

Washington 100–truly mighty hearts making a mighty impact.

To learn more about Washington 100 and how you can get involved with the Washington region’s premier network of philanthropic leaders changing the lives of women and girls, contact Allison Mitchell at amitchell@wawf.org or call 202.347.7737 x207.

Cultural relevancy half the battle in fighting teen pregnancy.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Earlier this week, there was hopeful news about the declining national and local teen pregnancy and birth rates.

Among the areas that still merited attention and focus, however, were culturally appropriate strategies for educating young men and women about healthy reproductive health choices.

For instance, while rates are declining among many populations, including African Americans, teen pregnancy rates among Latinas continue to rise.

The reason why? 

Applying the same approaches and strategies to Latinas that are applied to black and white communities isn’t working.

Translating a message into Spanish doesn’t necessary mean that it’s going to get across if other cultural factors aren’t taken into account–a reality discussed in an article in Newsweek this week, "Learning to ‘Think Twice’: A new salvo in the fight to prevent Latino teen pregnancy."

Alvaro Simmons, COO of Washington, D.C.’s Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care (a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation), explains in the article that Latinos who are closer to their parents tend to delay sex, and engage in safer sex practices, due to an ingrained respect for elders that is part of Hispanic culture, as an example.

"Literature shows that this concept is unique to the Latino community," Simmons says.  "It is one [teen-pregnancy] intervention that works when tested against other communities. "

The article, and the work being done by Mary’s Center and other innovative organizations that are applying a researched, gender and cultural lens to the issue of teen pregnancy, are a great reminder of the importance of investing in social change strategies that take into account realities specific to culture, gender, geography, etc. to achieve marked impact.

Otherwise, even the best-laid efforts and intentions can be lost in translation.

Drop in teen pregnancy rates shows power of investing in women and girls.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

According to today’s Washington Post, there’s good news to celebrate for our region’s women and girls–a declining teen pregnancy rate over the past decade.

In Washington, D.C., Arlington and Prince George’s County, teen pregnancy and birth rates have markedly declined–along with those around the nation–and have inspired hope that programs aimed at young people–and especially young women–are working.

A few take-aways from the article:

  • Investing in issues that impact women and girls works.  For everyone.
  • To be effective, efforts require a unified effort across communities.
  • Investing in messages and work that protects the health and well-being of women and girls does inspire marked behavior change.
  • Efforts to truly impact diverse communities, such as Latinas, where rates are, unfortunately, still rising, requires approaches that view challenges, problems and program design through a culturally appropriate lens.
  • Providing information and access to health care to young women leads to wise decision-making.

In all, a very hopeful picture about the power of investing in women and girls.

But there still remains much work to be done, particularly in our region.  In Montgomery County, teen birth rates crept up this summer.  Alexandria’s teen birthrate increased over the past decade, and experienced only a minimal decline in its teen pregnancy rate.  Rates among Latinas are rising.

Overall, however, a hopeful picture of how investing in programs, messages and people that improve the health and well-being of women and girls does lead to positive change that impacts not only those women and girls, but their families and entire community.

A great message to carry with me as I prepare for Thursday’s Leadership Awards meeting, where a group of volunteers who have been working for the past few months to evaluate and learn more about innovative, effective nonprofits that are impacting the health and safety of our region’s women and girls, will award eight of them with a Leadership Award of up to $10,000.

The news from this article is a great note on which to finish up our efforts this year–and to remember that the decisions we make about how we invest our money, and the organizations and issues that we support, do have a defining impact on the health of our community.

It’s nice to have a voice in work that’s really making a difference.

The Leadership Awards committee is just one of many ways that you can be involved in the work of changing women’s lives through The Women’s Foundation.  Learn more.

Women's philanthropy: Steppin' up to social change, together.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

On Wednesday, the day our challenge grant closed more than $25K over our goal, I couldn’t help but notice the serendipity when I saw this headline across my reader: "Women step up in philanthropy."

Don’t they ever.

The article focuses on women’s philanthropy in Utah, but illustrates the general and growing power of women’s philanthropy everywhere.  What is true in Utah is certainly true here, where our Leadership Luncheon just broke a record breaking attendance goal of 1,500 and a fundraising goal of $1 million.

The lesson we learned?  Never doubt the power of women’s philanthropy.

And it’s not just here.

In her piece, the author explains how women’s roles in philanthropy have shifted dramatically, from stamp lickers to the social change agents making the decisions and writing the checks.

The article states: "Women’s philanthropy is a rising trend. You’re seeing women have access to financial resources as never before," said Kathy LeMay, a professional "social change fund-raiser" and president and CEO of Raising Change.  "Always, women have been combining their time, their talent and their treasure to make a difference," she said. "This is the time for women to have the greatest impact for women in history. Hands down."

The article discusses some of the fundamental differences between men in philanthropy and the way women do it.

"More so than men, women tend to become more involved in a cause than simply donating money on a regular basis, LeMay said. They also tend to better leverage their donor dollars by invoking what she calls the "three Cs" of philanthropy: connection, collaboration and community.  Philanthropy is one of the vehicles where women can affect change … it’s a place where a lot of women find their voice," she said.

I couldn’t help but wonder if LeMay had been hanging around these halls when I read that, and taking a glance in at our committee meetings, at our board’s tremendous involvement, at a Leadership Awards deliberation meeting, at our site visits–where women are participating, every day, and lending their voice to our work, to their community.

Finally, the article ends on the note that women must live their values with their money.  "Write checks where your heart lives," she added.  "The possibilities are available to every single woman in that room.  Together we’re stronger. Don’t try to go it alone."

These words sound like a page out of our Leadership Luncheon, where Ralph F. Boyd, Jr., Executive Vice President of Community Relations, Freddie Mac and Chairman of the Freddie Mac Foundation, reminded us of the proverb, "To go fast, go alone.  To go far, go with others."

Or out of African American Women’s Giving Circle member Claudia Thorne’s thoughts in this blog, and in her Washington Post op-ed, on all she has gained from giving together, on the importance of giving with the heart.

Today, this spirit is catching, particularly among women, whether they’re giving their time, their talent or their treasure.  Whether they’re giving $10 or $10,000.   Whether they’re giving in Salt Lake City or Washington, D.C. 

Together, women are looking to give together, to give smarter, to give where they are, in their own backyard, to build better communities by supporting other women.

The Power of Giving Together.  It knows no bounds.

To step up to find out how you can join the powerful wave that is women’s philanthropy in your backyard, click here if you’re in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. 

If not, visit the Women’s Funding Network to find a women’s fund or foundation near you.

Leadership Luncheon '07: A behind the scenes take on transformation.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Putting on a luncheon for 1,500 people isn’t easy.  As the event gets closer and closer, one finds oneself so mired in the millions of important details that you can’t remember anymore what you’re really working for.

You can’t see the forest, in other words, for the trees.  Or, the purpose for the nametags.

It begins, after a while, from the inside, to feel like chaos for the sake of chaos.

And then you’re at the event, and after all the running around and the worrying and the making sure everyone is seated, the video comes on.

And you remember, instantaneously, what it’s all really about.

I remember vividly standing against the wall in the back of the ballroom watching that video for the first time and thinking, this is real, this transformation.  It’s not just a slogan or a logo or a theme.

The change is real.

Watching Laceiy’s story, and then hearing her and Sharan tell their stories to all 1,500 of us, without nary a cracking voice, you could feel it.

That the power of everyone in that room, and everyone who supports The Women’s Foundation and the work of our Grantee Partners, was working.

That it was changing lives, changing families, changing women, changing everything.

When you see a group of women sitting around a construction work site talking about changing their lives, and supporting each other and sticking through the challenges of moving into work that most never even consider as women’s work, you know.

This change is real, and it’s big, and it’s unstoppable.

And that it’s not just about Laceiy or Sharan or the many women who will follow in their footsteps, but that it’s about all of us.

That when we invest in and open new doors and pave new pathways for women and girls anywhere, it impacts women everywhere by removing barriers, changing perceptions and removing limits.

And that’s what I thought about as I stood against the wall at the luncheon, watching the video, and then listening to Laceiy and Sharan tell their stories, is about how it’s easy to get lost in the details and the statistics and the numbers when it comes to investing in social change, in building communities, in contributing to stronger families.

Sometimes, you can lose the forest for the trees, or the story for the statistics. 

Because really, sometimes, what it all comes down to is one opportunity, one chance, one choice.

One pathway to change a life, a family, and a future.

And that’s what I love about The Women’s Foundation.  Is that we do that every day, mulitiplied thousands of times over throughout our region.

We invest in stories of lives changed.

And once a year, we get together to celebrate that investment, that choice, that strategy.  To remember the stories, for the trees.

It rocked.

Ready to invest in women and girls and create more stories of tranformation?  Help us meet our challenge grant, or find another way to get involved in The Power of Giving Together.  There’s a place for everyone at The Women’s Foundation.  Find yours today.

Join us for a real power lunch.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Join us for our Leadership Luncheon on October 10th, and not only will you be contributing to Washington Area Women’s Foundation’s work throughout our community, but you will walk away with a whole new attitude about how you can make your community a better place.

Because The Women’s Foundation is in the business of change— changing lives, perceptions, and our community.

If you thought our luncheon was any different, think again.

Our Leadership Luncheon is about making new rules and creating new avenues for true impact in our region. It is about coming together and forging connections that turn generosity into true gains for women, girls and our community.

This is a real power lunch.

Join us for this energetic celebration of the serious power of women’s philanthropy to create a more vibrant community by empowering women and girls to reach their full potential.

Join us to learn how becoming part of the power of giving together will not only change someone else’s life, but your own.

Join more than 1,300 of us—and our lead sponsors—Capital One and Freddie Mac & the Freddie Mac Foundation—on October 10th at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. from noon to 2 p.m. for a conversation on the power of women’s philanthropy, and how anyone can be a part of it.

And that’s how, if you change up your lunch routine, we’ll change you, and our community.

So, forget lunches where your main concern is using the correct flatware, and get ready to think beyond yourself, beyond your expectations about what you thought you could do, beyond what you thought possible for women and girls in our region.

Join us at the 2007 Leadership Luncheon to get connected, get inspired, get empowered and get hooked on the power of giving together.

Join our sponsors or purchase a ticket.

We can’t wait to see you there!