Author: Lisa Kays

Lightening up: What Avenue Q can teach us about giving in tough times.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Admittedly, these are not the best of times.  But that doesn’t mean that we can’t add a bit of levity and see our circumstances through an artistic or humorous perspective every once in a while.

I recently had that opportunity when I went to see Avenue Q at the Warner Theater. 

Not familiar with the musical?  Think Sesame Street, only the Muppets have grown up and become angsty 20 and 30-somethings and are teaching each other the lessons of growing up in the real world, instead of about looking both ways before crossing the street and when to make the Letter E silent.

But there are some lessons that transcend from Sesame Street to Avenue Q.  The art of friendship, for instance, and the need for resilience amid challenging circumstances, and the importance of giving and helping others in need.

I was struck by a particular song that I’ve been listening to for years on my iPod, which sounded a bit different when I saw it acted out on stage because it struck a chord, I thought, with what we’re all facing now: the seeming shrinking pool of resources amid an increasing need for help mixed with a climate of uncertainty, and our natural tendency as a result to hold on to what we have more and more tightly.

In the musical, two characters act out this dilemma perfectly, one a recently unemployed, homeless character, Nicky, begs for a quarter and some assistance from the better off Princeton.  Yes, Princeton.

Anyway, the "ask," as we say in development and fundraising, requires a lot of negotiation and persuasion, but eventually, when Princeton does come around, he learns that giving makes him feel far better than he had anticipated. 

And then finds he likes it so much that he’s inspired to turn the tables and fundraise for another cause…from Nicky.

Here’s a snippet of the song:

Nicky:
Give me a quarter! Here in my hat! Come on, Princeton! It’s as easy as that!…

Princeton:
I don’t have any change.

Nicky:
Hmmm….okay. Give me a dollar.

Princeton:
That’s not what I meant.

Nicky:
Give me a five.

Princeton:
Are you kidding?…

Nicky:
The more you give. The more you get. That’s being alive!…

Princeton:
All right, all right, here you go.

Nicky:
Ahh, thanks!

Princeton:
Take care. Whoa!…I feel generous! I feel compassionate!…I feel like a new person – a good person!  Helping other people out makes you feel fantastic!…All this time I’ve been running around thinking about me, me, me – and where has it gotten me! I’m gonna do something for someone else!…Give me your money!

Nicky:
What?…I need it to eat!

Princeton:
Come on, Nicky!…It’ll make you feel great!

Nicky:
So would a burger!…I’d like to, but I can’t…I’d like to, but I need it! I’d like to, but I’m homeless! I can’t! I need it! I’m homeless! Okay, here you go.

Princeton:
Thank you!

Nicky:
Suddenly, I am feeling closer to God. It’s time to stop begging. It’s time to start giving! What can I give to Rod?

Both:
When you help others, you can’t help helping yourself! When you help others, you can’t help helping yourself!…

All:
So give us your money!  Give us your money!  Give us your money! When you help others, you can’t help helping yourself!  When you help others, you can’t help helping yourself! Every time you do good deeds, you’re also serving your own needs. When you help others, you can’t help helping yourself! When you give to a worthy cause, you’ll feel as jolly as Santa Clause. When you help others, you can’t help helping yourself!

So much of this resonated with things I’ve heard at The Women’s Foundation or observed during this tough time: the potential for giving or of being the beneficiary of a gift to inspire greater giving back to the community; the fact that supporting our community is actually a means of improving our own lives; and, the idea that no matter who we are, we all have something to give.

A slightly more light-hearted look at where we are and what we do.  Because sometimes there is wisdom in finding humor in tough topics.

And who better to lend some perspective than a 20-something Muppet or two?

Lisa Kays is the director of communications at The Women’s Foundation. 

Why women's funds are too (blank) to fail.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Yesterday in Philantopic, Foundation Center President Bradford Smith made the case for which nonprofits are "too big, too important or too (blank) to fail."   In other words, these are the nonprofits that he’d give a bailout to, if he had the choice.

Women’s funds make the list of only 14 nonprofits he named,  including Greenpeace, Oxfam, World Wildlife Fund and Doctors Without Borders.

Not bad company.

Bradford writes of women’s funds, "It started with Mama Cash in the Netherlands, spread to San Francisco with the Global Fund for Women, branched out to Mexico with Semillas, and keeps on growing."

Indeed. 

There are 134 women’s funds throughout the world today.  And Bradford putting them on the list begs the question–are they too important or too (blank) to fail?  And if so, why?

I’ve got a few theories, and I’ll even leave out all the (very true) stuff about how investing in women is the best way to improve a community and the world and will come up with some new stuff.

First, women’s funds and the way they do business are shifting the power dynamics of philanthropy.  Philanthropy and community development generally operate on a  top-down model, with program officers or funders making grants to nonprofits who are hesitant to share concerns, ideas, or mistakes with that funder for fear of a future loss of funding.  As a result, the organization doesn’t improve over time and weak aspects of a program or funding strategy aren’t addressed.  Further, the funder loses the valuable input of the organizations working most closely with the people and issues they want to address. 

Women’s funds tend toward community-based philanthropy, using diverse groups of people–whether in a giving circle or on a grantmaking committee–to award grants.  Decision-making is spread throughout the community, which leads to decisions that reflect the true needs and realities of what is happening on the ground, and also makes it possible for the nonprofits receiving the funds to have open, honest dialogue with the fund’s program officers and other staff.  Staff can serve more as advisors, capacity builders and partners than as "bosses."

This model is a win-win for the nonprofits, the funder and the community they’re serving. 

Second, women’s funds are fostering community involvement, ownership and social change.  Because they don’t just give out grants, women’s funds rely on their donors and supporters to be geniunely involved in their work, which requires them to learn more about their community, the issues impacting it and how strategies to address it. 

Whether that individual then stays in that community or moves to another one, or to another charity or nonprofit, they take all that they have learned about effective, strategic giving with them–meaning that every philanthropic dollar they invest is likely to have a greater return than if they had just written a check and never learned about how to make their gift go as far as possible.

Third, women’s funds are risk-taking and innovative, and therefore tend to root out and support the best strategies and organizations.  Due to the wisdom of collective grantmaking, which leads to its ability to seek out, find and fund organizations that may be small, new and/or struggling, they are truly able to elevate the best strategies, programs and ideas to a more visible, effective playing field.  Often when other funders won’t take that risk. 

And, because they foster open dialogue with their nonprofit partners, they are able to see when an effective program is otherwise being hindered by a management or fundraising issue–and help correct it.  And so organizations and ideas that may otherwise never have made it–but prove tremendously effective years later–receive the support they need to be seen beyond the more established organizations and strategies.

So, just off the top of my head, I’d agree with Bradford that women’s funds are too (important) (innovative) (effective) (inspiring) and (gamechanging) to fail.

Would you agree?  What other aspects of women’s funds make them too (blank) to fail? 

Lisa Kays is The Women’s Foundation’s Director of Communications

The Obama Administration's priorities on women…

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Well, while probably not in direct response to our requests of the new Obama Administration on behalf of women, the Administration has developed a Web resource covering their priorities and issues, and women are on the agenda–one of the 23 priority areas.

I for one, was pleased to see women getting their own agenda item, rather than being rolled in as a footnote into policies on family or health care or education, as is so often the case.

The Administration’s page on women covers priorities and policies related to health care, reproductive choice, preventing violence against women, economic issues, national security, poverty and education–all seen through a gender lens.

The page is worth checking out.  After you do, let us know your thoughts.  Do you think it goes far enough?  Is it leaving anything out? 

Lisa Kays is The Women’s Foundation’s director of communications.

Dear Mr. President…

Posted on by Lisa Kays

On the day after President Obama was sworn in just a few blocks from our office, the staff of The Women’s Foundation thought we’d offer our congratulations, along with (of course) a few items for our wish list of action on the part of the new President. 

So, in the spirit of, "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America," we respectfully ask:

Dear Mr. President, Please be holistic in your policies to improve the economic security of low-income women with children. We know what works – although we don’t always act as if we really do. Good policies and programs include income support (or paid time off for participating in training or re-training), child care and transportation (critical work supports), access to health (including dental and biopsychosocial) assessments and services, financial education (debt reduction, credit repair, savings) and access to other needed social services. They also cannot stop when the woman walks out of the training program and into a new job."  Sincerely, Gwen Rubinstein

Dear Mr. President, I urge you to take immediate action to reverse the damage done by new rule adopted in the 11th hour of the Bush Administration, which allows individual health care providers to deny critical information to patients based on the providers’ personal biases. The patient may not even know what’s missing. This rule is particularly damaging for low-income women whose access to health care is already limited.  Please, tell congress to withdraw this damaging rule.  I also ask that you invest in a new green economy. Not only will you work to stop global warming, but you can revitalize our economy through new job growth. We know the best way to improve the lives of communities is to stabilize family income. New jobs in high-growth industries such as this one will go a long way to improving our homes and country, inside and out.  Thanks!  Allison Mitchell 

Dear President Obama, My wish for your administration is that every time you consider a policy or program, you think about the amazing and strong women in your life – your wife, daughters, sister, mother-in-law, mother and grandmother – and think about what that policy would mean for them. Would it keep them safe or put them at risk?  Would it open the door to new opportunities for them or shut them out?  Given the incredible impact on your life that all of these women have had already, their continued guidance can only ensure that your message of hope, inclusiveness and understanding becomes a reality during your administration.  Sincerely, Sharon Levin

Dear President Obama, I would ask you to keep in mind in your staffing and appointments the importance of women’s leadership, which does make an impact in ensuring that decision-making reflects the needs, concerns and realities of women and families.  In addition, just as you are a model of leadership for a new generation who will no longer see race as a barrier to achievement, so too is it important to have similar models for young women showing that gender need not pose a challenge or deterrant to any of their dreams and choices.  Sincerely, Lisa Kays

Dear Mr. President, I hope that all little children to have access to quality early education programs so that they may succeed in school and life.  Sincerely, HyeSook Chung 

But most of all, we congratulate you, and wish you the best as you and your Administration work to lead our nation at a time of such challenge and opportunity.

Do you have any ideas or requests of the new President and his Administration for how they can work to improve the lives of women and girls?  Leave them in comments!

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending January 16, 2009)

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with The Women’s Foundation to bring you the latest news and analysis on women and poverty.

Spotlight is the go-to site for news and ideas about fighting poverty. And every Friday, look for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty.

Here’s this week’s news:

  • As the House gets ready to pass an expansion of health care services, there is controversy about allowing immigrant pregnant women immediate coverage, according to The Washington Post.
  • As noted by the Los Angeles Times, cuts in state healthcare coverage include reductions in treatment for breast and cervical cancer for low-income women.
  • The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on a federal lawsuit against the “conscience rule,” which allows health providers to refuse contraceptive services, even in the event of rape, and which advocates fear will harm those in poverty.
  • In an article featured in the Venture County Star, it is reported that excess water in baby formula—a cost-saving measure for low-income mothers—can be harmful to infants.
  • The York Daily Record quotes Pennsylvania lawmakers who want to repeal a child-support tax that they think harms single mothers.

To learn more about Spotlight, visit www.spotlightonpoverty.org.  To sign up for our weekly updates with the latest news, opinion and research from around the country, click here.

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity Team

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Online tools help service providers help local low-income families.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

This morning, Phyllis introduced a Webinar hosted by one of our Grantee Partners, Wider Opportunities for Women, on a tool they’ve developed to help calculate the true income needed to raise a family in our region.

As Phyllis explained, "With the current economic downturn…families are increasingly focusing on cutting back. And for some families—particularly those headed by single mothers—this means slipping from barely making it to not making it.  But where is the line?  According to the federal poverty standard—which hasn’t changed since 1960—a family of three headed by a single mom isn’t poor if she earns a dollar more than $16,500.  Yet, the real costs of raising that family are far greater…The federal standard is based just on the cost of food and doesn’t include crucial costs to families like child care, health care and transportation."

That’s why WOW’s standard is important, as it shows the the real cost for a single mother to raise an infant and a pre-schooler is $55,000 a year in Prince George’s County, $58,000 in Washington, D.C. and about $70,000 to live in Arlington or Montgomery Counties. 

A bit more realistic.

The Self-Sufficiency Calculator will not only allow a family to calculate what income they’d need to be self-sufficient based on family size, geography, etc., but it also provides information on how to find jobs that would meet that level of income and are attainable even without a college or two-year degree.

The Calculator can be accessed at www.dcmassc.org. 

WOW recently hosted a session featuring two other resources that help direct service providers in our area help heads of low-income families, who are usually women. 

One is the DC Food Finder, produced by So Others Might Eat (SOME), another Grantee Partner.  The Food Finder is an excellent resource that uses Google mapping to show where a variety of food resources exist in relation to a particular neighborhood or address, from food pantries to low-cost groceries to farmer’s markets.

Finally, the District Alliance for Safe Housing developed the Housing Resource Center, which helps identify housing appropriate in various situations, ranging from women fleeing domestic violence with children to affordable homes to purchase.  The resource enables service providers or individuals to input information relevant to them and then to access information particular to their situation.

 Many thanks to WOW, SOME and the District Alliance for Safe Housing for developing, updating and maintaining these tools that provide crucial information to our region’s low-income families as they strive for self-sufficiency.

Lisa Kays is The Women’s Foundation’s Director of Communications.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending January 9, 2009)

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with The Women’s Foundation to bring you the latest news and analysis on women and poverty.

Spotlight is the go-to site for news and ideas about fighting poverty.  And every Friday, look for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty.

Here’s this week’s news:

  • The Washington Post writes that a day care center’s relocation will create a burden for low-income mothers.
  • The Washington Times summarizes what an Obama administration might mean for feminism, abortion rights, and domestic violence legislation.
  • Struggling moms and an elderly woman are the focus of a Chicago Tribune piece on homeless families.
  • The Los Angeles Times considers popular television programs’ portrayals of teen pregnancy.
  • A Philadelphia Inquirer editorial calls for stronger marriage to cut down on the number of families run by single mothers.
  • The Miami Herald writes that teen pregnancy has increased for the first time in over a decade.
  • The recession might force a breast cancer hotline for low-income women to shut down, according to New York Newsday.
  • As noted by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the new Missouri Secretary of Health and Human Services has inspired controversy over her pro-choice views.
  • The Associated Press announced that a new health program for low-income women has been started in Missouri.

To learn more about Spotlight, visit www.spotlightonpoverty.org.  

To sign up for our weekly updates with the latest news, opinion and research from around the country, click here.

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity Team

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Oddly, women are moving millions as others scale back giving.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

I caught an inspiring post from last week on Philantopic: "Holiday Cheer: The Story of Women Moving Millions."

The article describes the increasing success of the Women Moving Millions campaign, which has thus far raised more than $110 million to support women and girls around the world, despite the global recession that has driven many individuals and foundations to cut back their giving.

Why is it that women are stepping up to the plate?  Women tend to be particularly aware of the challenges faced by those with little financial resources, says the author, among other reasons.  To learn the rest, check it out.

Lisa Kays is The Women’s Foundation’s Director of Communications.

Stepping Stones Research Update: December 2008

Posted on by Lisa Kays

As part of our ongoing commitment–in partnership with The Urban Institute–to providing information and resources related to the goals of Stepping Stones, please find below a summary of recent research on issues of economic security and financial independence for women and their families.

This research is summarized and compiled for The Women’s Foundation by Liza Getsinger of The Urban Institute, NeighborhoodInfo DC.

Financial Education and Wealth Creation News

The Urban Institute looks at how the financial crisis is affecting retirement savings.  (Fact sheet) (Related text)

DC Fiscal Policy institute looks at why so many families in the city aren’t able to make ends meet, and offers policy recommendations on how to bridge the gap between earnings and basic expenses.  (Abstract) (Full text)

Jobs and Business Ownership News

The Urban Insitute looks at how scheduling and paid time off impact workers in low-skill jobs.  (Abstract) (Full text)

Child Care and Early Education News

The Urban Insitute reviews research literature on the impact of performance-based accountability on school and teacher behavior.  (Intro) (Full text)

Health and Safety News

ChildTrends explores what kids have available to them to eat at school, and what they’re really eating.  (Key findings) (Full text)

Other News and Research

The Brookings Insitution looks at how a new poverty measure would provide a more accurate picture of economic need in the United States. (Abstract) (Full text)

College Essay Day inspires far beyond what's put on paper.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Tia’s post about College Essay Day at Urban Alliance inspired me to take a minute to jot down some of my thoughts on the experience.

I was invited as a mentor to participate, thinking that I’d be showing up with just a few others to help look at a few essays.  I was happy to do it, given how much I’ve enjoyed working with Tia over the past few weeks, and the seriousness with which I see her approaching her work, studies and college applications. 

I had no idea how big the event would be, or how many people from throughout the community would participate.  When I arrived, the room was packed with students, and the mentors filled an entire, large meeting room when we gathered for our orientation.

The essay readers included mentors like myself, but also professional staff–many journalists and editors–from the Atlantic Media Company, which is in the same building as Urban Alliance and partners with them on this program.

As I sat at the orientation and felt all of the energy around me as these professionals gathered to work with high school students, I couldn’t help but reflect on how the room seemed to embody so much of what The Women’s Foundation is about: the power of individuals to come together, give back, and have a collective impact.

When the staffer leading the orientation said that college acceptance rates had skyrocketed after this program was instituted, I wasn’t surprised. 

And the best part was that amidst the importance of the work at hand, the event demonstrated that giving back really does give back in itself.  Everyone there was having fun, getting to step outside of their day-to-day and have a one-on-one discussion with a bright, driven young person.

The student I was paired with was a remarkably bright, insightful young woman.  Her essays discussed challenges and experiences that humbled me given how motivated, independent and disciplined she was despite tremendous hardship. 

We spent time discussing her essays, and how she could reframe them to be a bit stronger and set her apart from other applicants for college admission and scholarships.  But then, with time left, we just talked about different opportunities, options, her questions about college life and my perceptions of her strengths and the assets that would help her succeed.

Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Days after working with her, I continue to be inspired by her story, her passion as she discussed her dreams and her confidence in herself in terms of how she would meet her goals.

I also continue to be inspired by the collective spirit of giving that served as the foundation of the afternoon.  It reminded me in a concrete way that despite economic downturns, rising unemployment rates, holiday shopping madness and stress, that we truly do all have something to give.

And that generally, doing so will always give back.

Lisa Kays is The Women’s Foundation’s Director of Communications.  Urban Alliance is a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.