Economy

Helping prevent proposed cuts to D.C.'s safety net will help low-income women. Join us.

Posted on by Gwen Rubinstein

The stock market may be going up – but, unfortunately, other economic indicators, such as unemployment and homelessness are, too.

This means continued down times for many D.C. families, particularly low-income, women-headed families.

To make matters worse, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty is proposing cuts to key social welfare programs that more and more residents are turning to in their time of increasing need.  Specifically:

  • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. Proposed cut: $6.2 million. According to Stepping Stones Grantee Partner, DC Women’s Agenda (DCWA), about 50,000 low-income parents and children in DC receive TANF, and 90% of the adults in these families are women. The current TANF benefit for a family of three is the same as it was in 1991 – and provides families with only 29% of the poverty line;
  • Workforce Development. Proposed cut: $5.4 million. According to U.S. Department of Labor (based on data reported by the city), more than half of the adults in the publicly funded workforce development system in the city are women;
  • Adult Literacy. Proposed cut: $2 million. According to the DC government, a majority (55.1%) of those served in publicly funded adult literacy programs in the city in 2007 were women; and,
  • Local Rent Supplement Program. Proposed cut: $2 million. Originally an addition to the budget by the City Council, this funding would have extended housing assistance to an additional 180 families, mostly headed by women, according to DCWA. Now it is in serious jeopardy, as are the additional families that could have benefited.

Local groups (including many Grantee Partners of The Women’s Foundation), under the umbrella of the Coalition for Community Investment, have organized the Save our Safety Net Coalition to help prevent these cuts from being realized.

I urge you to join them in the fight against these damaging cuts.

Gwen Rubinstein is a Program Officer at The Women’s Foundation.

Minimum wage increased: Happy raise, ladies!

Posted on by Gwen Rubinstein

My thoughts today are with all of the working women (and it is mostly women) who got a raise today when the federal minimum wage increased to $7.25.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women make up more than two-thirds (67.8%) of hourly workers paid the minimum wage, even though nearly the same number of women and men work in jobs paid hourly rates.

This increase is undoubtedly a welcome help to many low-income, women-headed families in our region.  While it only adds up to $112 per month (pre-tax), for someone working full time, it is more than a 10% increase over the previous minimum wage of $6.55.

Still, much remains to be done to improve the economic security of low-income, women-headed families, including further attention to the minimum wage.  Even with this increase, today’s workers are still behind, compared to 20 years ago, when the minimum wage was $2.90 – which is $8.62 in 2009 dollars.

Gwen Rubinstein is a Program Officer at The Women’s Foundation.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending July 20, 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.   

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.  

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.    

Here’s this week’s news: 

  • An editorial in The Wall Street Journal argues that the least-skilled groups, including “welfare moms,” will be hurt the most by an upcoming minimum wage hike.
  • A domestic violence shelter that offers safe haven for women with nowhere else to go reopened thanks to funding from a local philanthropy group and the United Way, as reported by The Chicago Tribune.
  • Women living in New Orleans participated in protests demanding that the Housing Authority of New Orleans provide them with long-anticipated housing vouchers, according to a Times-Picayune article.
  • The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette interviews Judy Bannon, a woman who has campaigned to ensure that low-income mothers are able to provide their children with a safe place to sleep.
  • The Philadelphia Inquirer profiles the mostly female volunteers who feed the hungry and homeless through a cooking contest sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger.
  • The Washington Post covers the critical situation in D.C. hospitals, which are seeing increasing numbers of patients, including several low-income women profiled by the article, going to emergency rooms to receive primary care.

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 July 10, 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.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Monday.

Here’s this week’s news:

• A scholarship program designed to help single mothers out of poverty plans to shift their fund-raising efforts into overdrive after learning that the Massachusetts state budget eliminates their public funding, as reported by The Boston Globe.

• Traditionally male-dominated industries are experiencing a much bigger hit in the recession than female-dominated industries, causing women to suffer much lower unemployment rates nationally, according to a Wall Street Journal article.

• A New York Times report on the surge of families who are becoming homeless as the school year ends includes interviews with several mothers struggling to find housing for themselves and their children.

• The Boston Globe reports that the number of female service members who have become homeless after leaving the military has jumped dramatically in recent years, according to new government estimates.

• A Los Angeles Times article on a new summer program for children in inner-city Los Angeles includes an interview with a mother who credits a similar program with her children’s safety and success.

• The New York Times covers a story about two elderly women who promote recycling at General Grant Houses, a sprawling Harlem public housing development.

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.

Stepping Stones Research Update – June 2009

Posted on by Liza Getsinger

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 complied for The Women’s Foundation by Liza Getsinger of The Urban Institute, NeighborhoodInfo DC.  

Financial Education and Wealth Creation News

The Urban Institute provides statistics on the work effort, earnings, health care access and other characteristics of low-income families. (Abstract) (Full Text)

 Jobs and Business Ownership News

The Brookings Institution investigates the accessibility of middle-wage jobs — good paying jobs for the less-educated workers — for those without bachelor’s degrees in 204 metropolitan areas. (Abstract) (Full Text)

Child Care and Early Education

The National Institute for Early Education Research examines the journeys of six states — Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Illinois, New York, and West Virginia — in achieving a plan for preschool for all. (Intro) (Full Text)

Health and Safety News

The Urban Institute explores the unique experiences of women exiting prison, focusing on a representative sample of 142 women who were released from Texas prisons and state jails in 2005 and returned to Houston communities. (Intro) (Full Text)

Other News and Research

The Urban Institute provides comprehensive data indicators and analysis on the state of older youth (age 12-24) in the District and examines  the role of area nonprofits that work with young people, their families, and neighborhoods. (Abstract) (Full Text)

$1.1 million in grants: We couldn't do it without you!

Posted on by Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat

Have you ever noticed that when someone wins a Grammy or an Oscar, they always thank the myriad of people who have supported them along the way?  Sometimes they go on a bit too long and the music begins to play, but they almost always utter, “I just want to thank my mom.”

Well, that’s how I’m feeling this week.

We’ve just announced that The Women’s Foundation hit our goal of granting $1.1 million this year to organizations working to improve the lives of women and girls—a major milestone in this economy.

And we certainly didn’t do it alone!

There are countless individuals, organizations, foundations, and corporations who helped us along the way.

So here are my thank you’s (and please don’t play the music until I finish):

  • Our donors, who fuel this important work and enable us to make our dreams a reality;
  • Our volunteers, who spent hours of their time reading proposals, conducting site visits and agonizing over the final decisions;
  • Our current and former board members, who have extraordinary vision and commitment to our mission;
  • Our staff, who poured over hundreds of proposals and had the difficult task of sometimes saying no;
  • Our Grantee Partners, who are on the frontlines every day striving to improve the lives of women and girls; and,
  • Of course, my mother, who inspires me each and every day.

Thank you!  We couldn’t do it without you!

Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat is The Women’s Foundation’s Vice President, Programs.

Stepping Stones Research Update – May 2009

Posted on by Liza Getsinger

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 complied 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 the likelihood that nonelderly individuals in families with children experience substantial drops in family income and recoveries from such drops. (Intro) (Full Text)

Jobs and Business Ownership News
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research looks at wage differences between men and women across several different occupations. (Full Text)

Child Care and Early Education News
ChildTrends shows research findings on the link between program quality and children’s outcomes among state and federal government invested programs in early care and education. (Intro) (Full Text)

Health and Safety News
The Kaiser Family Foundation explores how problems obtaining oral health and dental care disproportionately affect low-income and minority children. (Intro) (Full Text)

Other News and Research
The Urban Institute documents the extent to which foreclosures in Washington D.C. have occurred in renter-occupied homes and apartments, and outlines several policy options for helping renters during this difficult period. (Abstract) (Full Text)

Financial literacy for girls is more important than ever.

Posted on by Monica Byrd

As we wind down another school year and prepare for the summer, I’m reminded of the importance of mentoring and providing guidance to girls in all areas of life, especially financial literacy.  I feel encouraged to research and find information that is vital to the resources and images our girls and teen daughters receive and how they really feel about themselves and their financial future.

The recession is hard.  It is hard on parents and it is even harder on kids.  It’s a critical time and our girls need to be pointed in the right direction.

Parents may be struggling and may feel out of control, but at least they have some knowledge of their financial situation, some understanding of why all of this is happening. The kids are often left in the dark, with no explanation, confused and wondering why their family can’t afford the things that they want, the things that they need.

We have a responsibility to our children, to help them understand what is happening, to help them be more financially astute than our generation was, to get them on a better path.

Fortunately, there is a resource to help do this.  Girls, Inc of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area., a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation, has created “Money Talks”, a financial literacy workshop that supplies girls with fun and engaging financial tools.

There will be a free "Money Talks" workshop in Washington, D.C. on June 27th from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. for girls age 10-15 and their parent/guardian.  The workshop is open to the public, with priority given to residents in Wards 1,5 and 7.  Registration is required.  To register or for more information, please contact Maryan at 202-806-1174 or maryan@girlsincdc.org by June 19th.

Please share this widely with your daughter, your sister, or any female youth in your family so that she can understand her true worth and be on her way to financial stability!

Monica Byrd has been a volunteer with Girls’, Inc. for the past two years.  In her professional life, she is a fashion and style professional.

Finally, the media realizes that the poor are impacted by the recession, too.

Posted on by Gwen Rubinstein

Finally, after all of my concern, conveyed through blogs like this one, about how the media isn’t covering the recession from the perspective of those hit the hardest—the poor—this is exactly the article I’ve been waiting to see for months to see! 

Leave it to Barbara Ehrenreich to remind us all that there are some who are "Too Poor to Make The News."

Gwen Rubinstein is a Program Officer at The Women’s Foundation.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending June 12, 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.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.

Here’s this week’s news:

• The Washington Post covers a study showing the health disparities experienced by black women and citing poverty as a major cause.

• In an op-ed in the Washington Times, guest columnist Rebecca Hagelin argues that fathers are essential to family well being and economic viability, and that mothers and children are more likely to fall into poverty without stable husbands and fathers.

• As reported in the Boston Globe, a joint health venture between a Catholic hospital chain and a healthcare company to provide insurance to low-income patients is facing criticism from Catholic leaders for providing abortion coverage.

• In a report on a summer camp program for low-income teens, the Los Angeles Times highlights a youngster who was able to overcome bulimia thanks in part to the support she found at the program.

• A farmers market profiled by the Boston Globe accepts vouchers from the Women, Infants, and Children program.

• A Fort Worth all-girls school will cater toward low-income students, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

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.