Economy

DCWA: Empowering DC residents to cope with a rough economy.

Posted on by Carrie Shepard

Times are tough. We’ve all seen the headlines and heard the news reports, and most of us even have personal anecdotes that illustrate just how tough times have gotten.

The economic climate has people worried, but is there anything we, as advocates and stakeholders, can do about it?  That was the topic of the DC Women’s Agenda’s most recent Lunch and Learn forum for member organizations and interested parties.

Attendees met at Catholic Charities to hear from guest speakers Linda Stoman and Meg Newman from Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) on the organization’s educational outreach programs and the Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition.

The presentations empowered participants to feel that they can do something about the effects of the economy by educating and advising the public on ways to control their personal finances and become financially proactive and literate.  Some of the main points included:

  • Look at your expenses through the critical eye of “need” versus “want.”  Do you really need a texting plan on your phone or the sports package for cable or can you survive without it?
  • Guard your personal and financial information vigilantly—don’t share social security numbers or account information if you can avoid it. Identity theft is on the rise, and the victims usually know the thief.
  • More and more employers are running credit checks on potential employees to determine their character. If there is a significant life change that adversely affected your finances and credit, add a notation to your credit report explaining what happened.
  • While a lot of these tips are good sense, they need to become common sense. Organizations across the District have built curriculums and programs to encourage financial literacy amongst teens and adults. Some of the recommended resources highlighted at the event were Lady Legacy for teen girls, the Institution for Financial Literacy for adults, as well as the DC Saves Campaign, a program that provides savings matches to encourage D.C. residents to save money towards their education or home ownership. The flagship of finances itself, the FDIC, is also playing a key role in the field of financial education.

The Lunch and Learn was a tremendous success and characterized the benefits of bringing together D.C.- based organizations.  As a result, there is now a major partnership underway between the FDIC and D.C. public schools to integrate a financial literacy program into the city’s schools this summer.

Carrie Shepard is an intern at Wider Opportunities for Women, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.

The DC Women’s Agenda is a broad-based coalition that promotes women and girls’ equality, advancement, safety, and well-being through advocacy, education, and community input. DC Women’s Agenda is a project of Wider Opportunities for Women.  For more information, please contact Debbie Billet-Roumell, Coordinator, DC Women’s Agenda at DBRoumell@wowonline.org or 202-464-1596.

CAAB is also a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.

Weekly Round-Up: Women and Poverty (Week ending March 27, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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 Christian Science Monitor profiles a Boston-area theater troupe composed of marginalized women.

• In an op-ed in the Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Medical System President and CEO Jay Wolvovsky advocates for comprehensive prenatal care for low-income women.

• In a call for increased parental participation in children’s education, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist James E. Causey cites a program that offers assistance to low-income families, many led by single mothers.

• A Lowell Sun editorial argues that much of the current baby boom is attributable to teen pregnancy and single-mother homes, both of which are associated with poverty.

• In a Myrtle Beach Sun News op-ed calling on women to help empower one another, Sheryl McAlister, executive director of the South Carolina Alliance for Women, notes that women are more likely to live in poverty than men.

• The Cherry Hill Courier Post reports on a local effort to get prom clothes to girls who need financial assistance.

• The Norfolk Virginian Pilot covers a local branch of an international charity providing low-income women professional attire for job interviews.

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.

Planning for sustainability, not just survival.

Posted on by WAWF

In the current challenging economy….that seems to be the way we start and end practically every conversation these days, doesn’t it?

But this is in fact our reality today – we really can’t get away from it.  That said, the good news is that the only thing that is constant is change.  So we will emerge from this economic crisis, as we have emerged from every one that has come before.

In the meantime, the key questions for most nonprofits are:

  1. How do we weather the current storm?
  2. How do we position ourselves to be able to continue to do the important work we do once the economy turns around?

The first is a question of survival; the second, a question of sustainability.

So why make a distinction?  Let’s take a minute to contemplate the definitions.

SURVIVAL: the act or process of continuing to exist in the present despite being from an earlier time; continuing longer than, or beyond the existence of, another person, thing, or event.
SUSTAINABILITY: the ability of a program or organization to continue and endure indefinitely.

Certainly when given the choice, all of us would prefer to be sustainable rather than to just survive.

Yet, I understand that in some circumstances, whether talking about an organization or an individual, survival is the most immediate and pressing priority.  But how often is survival a necessary position because there hasn’t been an (effective) sustainability plan in place?  Is survival a necessary first step to reaching sustainability, or does sustainability occur on a totally different track?

What do you think?

The question we have been working to address at The Women’s Foundation is: How does one plan for sustainability?

Financial security is often the most common focus of sustainability planning and activities for many organizations – particularly in a time of economic difficulty.  But it is just one of several components of organizational sustainability.  The reality is that financial sustainability is only relevant and truly sustainable if the vision, impact and leadership of the organization are all sound as well.

On March 11th, The Women’s Foundation hosted a workshop facilitated by Heather Peeler, the Managing Director with Community Wealth Ventures, who has more than 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and management consulting.

Heather’s presentation took the seven key hallmarks of sustainability we identified in the The Women’s Foundation’s most recent Open Door Capacity Fund RFP, presented each hallmark in greater depth, and stimulated a great discussion among workshop participants about how these hallmarks are relevant to their organizational sustainability.

Moreover, Heather shared sustainability planning resources and provided helpful tips on selecting and working with consultants.

The information was so well received by workshop attendees, we want to make it available to all of our community partners though this blog.  We encourage you to take a moment to do the organizational self-assessment that is included in the materials.  You might surprise yourself.

Organizational Sustainability Self Assessment
Sustainability Workshop Presentation Slides

But regardless of which resource you use, have the discussions about what strategies your organization is using to weather the storm. Is your strategy focused on survival or sustainability?

And why.

Remember, change is constant.  So , where will you be when saying “in the current economy” no longer conjures up worry and anxiety, but instead visions of opportunity and possibility.

Nicole Cozier is The Women’s Foundation’s Philanthropic Education Officer.

Resources for homeless single women-headed families don't match need.

Posted on by Heather Thompson

According to an annual survey conducted by the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness in the District, the number of homeless people in the district has increased 3 percent over last year to 6,228.

What’s most alarming is the increase in homeless families, up nearly 25 percent, most of which are headed by single women. Serving this need is a limited number of resources that cater to women and children.

There is no turnkey solution to addressing homelessness. However, in a city where nearly one in five women is living below the poverty line, we all need to advocate for measures to aid this vulnerable population

Heather Thompson is a member of Soroptimist International of Washington DC, the local chapter of an international organization for professional women, with the aim of improving the lives of women and girls.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending March 13, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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 New York Times editorializes on a small provision in the recent spending bill that will make contraception more affordable for low-income women.

• Chicago’s Columbia College includes classes that target some practical needs for low-income women, reports the Chicago Tribune.

• The New York Times writes that the age of steady annual decreases in unplanned pregnancies may be over.

• Cynthia Tucker argues in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that it’s time to adapt public policy to support children born out-of-wedlock .

• Pennsylvania’s Girard College is about to have its first black woman president, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

• The Staten Island Advance reports that delinquent or failed child support payments have become a local epidemic.

• The Wichita Eagle notes a new Kansas program that helps men navigate the child welfare system.

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.

Link to The Women's Funding Network and The Women's Foundation on CNN!

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Earlier today, I wrote about how The Women’s Foundation and The Women’s Funding Network were featured on a story on CNN about how investing in women is one the best strategies for fostering economic recovery.

As promised, here is the link to the CNN clip of Linda’s Butler sharing her amazing story of how a jobs training program at Northern Virginia Family Services, which is supported by The Women’s Foundation, changed her life.

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

Linda Butler speaks on behalf of The Women's Foundation on CNN!

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Today was a bright and early, but exciting, morning for us at The Women’s Foundation!  We were up early to see Linda Butler, who spoke at our 2008 Leadership Luncheon, talk on CNN’s "American Morning" about how her life was changed by a jobs training program at Northern Virginia Family Services supported by The Women’s Foundation.  This morning at 7:30 a.m., she was part of a report on how women’s funds’ approach to economic growth for communities is a model during the tough economic climate in the U.S.

Linda, a beneficiary of our Stepping Stones program, shared her story of how Training Futures, a jobs training program, provided her with resources, knowledge and tools to transition from a low-paid waitressing job to a full-time professional position with benefits.

Women’s Funding Network board member Jacki Zehner was also featured in the piece and discussed it here on her blog, Purse Pundit. 

We are so glad The Women’s Funding Network chose to highlight Stepping Stones when they pitched this story, and are extremely proud of Linda Butler’s courage and poise in taking on the daunting task of going on live, national television to share her story.  At our Leadership Luncheon this year, Linda noted that despite years of abuse and feeling that she was worth very little, Training Futurs helped build her self-esteem, her financial security and helped her "find her voice."

After seeing her on CNN this morning, we’d have to say that that’s the understatement of the year!

We’re hoping to have a link of the piece to share within the next few days, so stay tuned!

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

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending March 13, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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 New York Times covers a New York City public school that is part of a trend, especially among schools serving low-income students, toward single-sex classrooms.

• As part of a profile of young Evangelicals offering services to the poor, the Christian Science Monitor focuses on several young women who have moved into struggling neighborhoods to be closer to those they serve.

• The Atlanta Journal Constitution notes that low-income workers, especially women and people with part-time jobs, have a hard time qualifying for unemployment insurance in Georgia.

• A column in the Philadelphia Daily News focuses on the struggles of low-income women aspiring to be nurses, some of whom cannot obtain the training they need.

• A new $1.3 million grant will be used to help low-income, first-time mothers and their children in Horry County, South Carolina, according to the Myrtle Beach Sun News.

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.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending March 6, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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 reported in the Boston Globe, a Massachusetts cardinal is defending a collaboration between the church and a local health provider that provides abortions along with its other services. The cardinal is stating that abortions will not be provided in church-supported facilities and the poor will benefit from the partnership.

• The Miami Herald focuses on a local migrant’s daughter who recently won a scholarship to attend college.

• A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial argues that local programs providing education and medical care to low-income pregnant women will need more funding to counteract the city’s high infant mortality rate among minorities.

• The Providence Journal profiles an obstetrical nurse who, having once been pregnant while homeless herself, is devoting time to educating at-risk girls.

• The Dallas Morning News covers a hospital with a much lower rate of premature births than the national average.  It has achieved strong results through providing comprehensive prenatal care to a mostly low-income clientele.

• In an article on parents about to lose a childcare subsidy in Arizona, the Associated Press interviews a working mother expecting to struggle without the help.

• A Philadelphia area researcher has given cameras to impoverished mothers to chronicle American hunger, as reported by the Associated Press.

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.

Seeing the stimulus package through a gender lens.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Today, the Chicago Foundation for Women released its analysis of how the economic stimulus package will impact women.

It’s findings?  Some of the big wins for women are:

  • To reduce job cuts for educators and teachers, nearly $45 billion was allocated to the Department of Education.
  • Medicaid, which supports the health of more than 20 million women, will receive $87 billion.
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families received $1.1 billion, as well as $20 billion to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps).
  • Community child care got $2 billion and child support enforcement received $1 billion, both of which help single mothers thrive.

More of their analysis can be found here.

The Chicago Foundation for Women conducted this analysis through its role as part of the Women’s Economic Security Collaborative, which Washington Area Women’s Foundation is also proud to be a part of.  The Collaborative’s goal is to find and implement effective strategies to raise awareness about policies impacting women’s financial independence.

Chicago’s analysis today is a great start to this work and we look forward to our work with the Collaborative to further encourage examinations of national policies and practices through a gender lens.

Because we know, as do all other women’s funds throughout the world, that when you see policies through the eyes of women, you envision better policies–and end results–for everyone.

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