Girls

Grantmaking through a giving circle: inspiring, intense, and lively!

Posted on by Debbi Lindenberg

Last Monday, I met with 12 other women for three hours and discussed our shared goal: improving the lives of young women in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

This might sound like wishful thinking, but it was much more than that.  We are members of The Women’s Foundation’s Rainmakers Giving Circle and have pooled our charitable contributions in order to make a bigger impact than we would by writing individual checks.

Our task on Monday was to review and sort through 34 proposals from nonprofit organizations seeking funding from our circle and narrow the field to those we want to consider further and visit.  It was daunting, but we were up for the challenge.

I left the meeting feeling overwhelmed by the vast needs of so many at-risk populations in this area but, at the same time, exhilarated by the circle’s collective energy and humbled and inspired by the good work of the 34 organizations we reviewed.

This is my fourth year as a Rainmaker, and the proposal review meeting is my favorite part of the grantmaking process.  I love the free flowing sharing of ideas, as well as the dynamic and organic nature of the discussion. The conversations take unexpected twists and turns, are always lively and sometimes intense, but never contentious.

Many questions are raised, discussed, partially resolved, discussed again and sometimes even left unanswered.

Do we want to find the “diamond in the rough” where our money will help a program get off the ground?  Or should we support an established organization with a strong track record and add our name to a reputable list of funders?  Should we decline a prior grantee organization that seems to be having managerial problems?  Or stick with it so as not to abandon the organization at a fragile time?  Does a particular issue push our buttons, tug at our heartstrings and compel us to say, "Yes!…Let’s keep that organization on our list"?  Or, should we ignore our emotions and just look at the statistics?

These questions and many others make the review process exciting, frustrating and, ultimately, rewarding.

The Rainmakers have a few requirements for the proposals, such as the age of the target population and a specific geographic focus, but we have a lot of discretion in reaching our decisions—and that discretion generates rich debate.  I have learned that grantmaking is an art,  not a science, and the life experiences of each member as well as the “pulse” of the circle as a whole make a tremendous impact on the decisions that we reach.

By the close of our meeting, we had narrowed our 34 organizations to eight that will remain on the docket and receive site visits in the next phase of our grantmaking process.

We didn’t raise our hands to vote or record our preferences on pieces of paper that were tallied.  Instead, we reached our decisions by consensus, ultimately selecting a slate of organizations that likely does not match any one individual member’s dream list of organizations, but represents the collective thinking of our giving circle.

Since we have joined together to leverage our charitable giving, I can’t think of a more fitting or satisfying result.

Debbi Lindenberg is co-chair of the Rainmakers Giving Circle.  In her professional life, she is an attorney working as a grantmaking consultant to foundations.

Rainmakers giving circle inspired me to do more on behalf of LGBT youth.

Posted on by Heather Kaye

I recently hosted a reception at my home to introduce my friends to the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL), an organization I learned about through my participation in The Women’s Foundation’s Rainmakers giving circle.

I loved doing the event.  SMYAL is such a worthy organization, and I had never heard of it before I was assigned to do a site visit last year for Rainmakers. I was totally taken with the fact that I knew so little about how at risk lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT ) youth are in this community. 

I really wanted to do the "friend" raiser to educate people about this.  It was very successful, with 25 or so attendees that are now better educated about LGBT issues, have new friends and had great conversations about how to get some political types involved in Arlington.  Many said they would volunteer and stay involved!

At the reception, four staff members spoke for SMYAL, discussing the intricacies of how SMYAL helps gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth in our area become healthy, happy and productive members of our community.  SMYAL has been serving LGBT youth for over 24 years, providing a variety of services and opportunities including counseling, mentoring, social activities, HIV education and prevention support and serving as a vocal advocate for LGBT youth throughout our region.

These services are more important than ever as kids are coming out and dealing with their sexual orientation at a much earlier age. Yet, they are still subject to rejection by family and friends and face violence and emotional abuse, resulting in far too much homelessness and suicide.

These issues struck me deeply and I wanted to provide a way for my friends to learn about this as well, and to provide an opportunity for them to get more involved if they’d like.

If you’re interested in getting involved, please let me know!

Heather Kaye is a member of the Rainmakers giving circle.  The Rainmakers made a grant of $10,000 to SMYAL in 2007.  In her professional life, Heather is the owner of Invision, LLC.

Does a celeb's charitable gift count more than mine?

Posted on by Phyllis Caldwell

On Saturday afternoon, I was invited to join three of our board members–Deb Gandy, Donna Callejon, and Rachel Kronowitz–to see the Washington Mystics women’s basketball team take on the Los Angeles Sparks.  The Mystics didn’t end up winning, but what struck me was that regardless, a local nonprofit did.

For every three pointer the Mystics score this season, a $100 financial gift will be made to Girls, Inc. of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.  The Mystics made 163 three pointers last year, so Girls, Inc. could receive about $20,000 this season.

This struck me not only because Girls, Inc. is a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation, and I was thrilled to see their work and investments in girls highlighted in such a big public forum, but also because it got me to thinking about the interaction in our society between celebrity and charity.  As the big name players took to the court before the game to announce their team’s gift, they spoke passionately about the importance of giving and why they were investing in women and girls.

Many of the players also have their own personal philanthropy.  Nikki Teasley gives her time and talent to the American Kidney Fund.  Members of the team participate in a partnership between the Mystics and Sibley Hospital to raise money and awareness for underserved and uninsured women in D.C. facing breast cancer.  Sheila Johnson, president of the Mystics, is a major philanthropist in her own right.

Whether as individuals or together, because of their place in the public spotlight, they have the ability not only to give of themselves but to get others to give, too. 

It got me to thinking about what we expect from celebrities in terms of their giving and charity.  Oprah has become nearly as famous for her philanthropy as she has for her talk show.  Bono, and recently  Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, have significantly increased public interest in Africa as a giving priority.  Last month, at the Women’s Funding Network Conference, Angela Bassett offered a keynote address as part of her role as spokeswoman for the Good Deed Foundation. 

These celebrities have given of their time, talent and treasure in their philanthropic endeavors.  Many would say that having a celebrity behind a cause or issue–even if they just lend a name, and no dollars–could be more valuable than a gift of millions. 

And for some celebs, like the Mystics, gifts of millions aren’t realistic.  The average WNBA player makes between $46,000 and $60,000, not the millions made by professional male players.

So our expectation of celebrities to give isn’t necessarily based on means, but on their status as a celebrity.  Because they have the power, through their public prestige, to encourage others to do the same.  To be models for the behavior we’d like to see in others and ourselves–not only on the big screen or on the court–but as neighbors, community members and concerned citizens.

So it would make sense that we view it as a bit of an expectation that celebrities will give.  Not only because they can, but because their doing so can motivate so much more giving from others.

But really, don’t we all have the power to be celebrities in our own right? 

We all have friends, colleagues, family and associates who rely on us, trust us and listen to us.  If we model giving, if we reach out and show by example that we give, wouldn’t at least some of those around us do the same?

Based on my observations and experiences with our giving networks and giving circles at The Women’s Foundation, many of which are comprised of friends of friends of friends, it seems that even if we’re not Angelina or Brad, that we all have the power to inspire giving.  As Barb Strom Thompson, co-chair of our Washington 100 network, often says in explaining the rapid success and growth of our leading giving network, "When you hear about something good, the first thing you want to do is tell your girlfriends!" 

So while we may not be Mystics players, I’d say we’ve all got the ability to score a few points for the causes and issues we care about. 

Phyllis Caldwell is president of Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

Call to action: Recycle your cell phone and support women and girls.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Got an old, unused cell phone around gathering dust?

Do a good deed by keeping it from a landfill and helping generate funding for work benefiting women and girls around the United States and the world.  For every cell phone you recycle, you’ll also save an estimated 66 pounds of carbon dioxide–the cause of global warming. 

Visit the Good Deed Foundation to learn more, request a postage-free envelope and get that cell phone out of the closet and put to good use.

Or, if you’re coming by The Women’s Foundation’s office or to a meeting, bring your used cell phone to the front desk or a staff member and we’ll ship it off for you.

It’s never been easier to do a good deed and help out the world’s women and girls and the environment.

To request a postage-paid envelope to use to mail in your phone, click here.

How you can fuse fashion with compassion!

Posted on by Dejha Bower

I’ve always had a passion for fashion, and a great concern for our community as well.

And so it occurred to me, why not merge my passion for fashion with my compassion?

So I have launched Fashion Fusion, a fashion event with the theme, "Inspired Giving, Inspired Style," that will serve as a fundraiser with benefits going to Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

The fashion event will celebrate and support local, independent fashion designers and boutiques, while raising money to benefit women and girls of our region. It’s truly merging local business, local style and giving back to our local community!

When I was considering which organization to donate the event proceeds to, I knew that I wanted the funds to benefit women and girls, because I personally feel that when you invest in women and girls, you exponentially improve families and communities. It alarms me that one in three families headed by single mothers in our region are living in poverty, and I wanted to do something to help.

I knew that The Women’s Foundation had the track record and the expertise to really make an impact with the event proceeds.

And not only will the event make a difference, but it’s going to be fun and, well, fashionable.

We’ll be featuring local fashion mavericks in the DC/MD/VA area with the best local boutiques and emerging designers exhibiting at markdown prices (read: really good deals!). The fashion show itself will be mega hot, featuring the hottest style trends by local independent designers. There will also be a fun silent auction with items kindly donated by local businesses that support the work of Fashion Fusion.

This is all happening on June 28 from 6-10 p.m. (VIP early access at 5) at the Embassy of France.  For more information, visit Fashion Fusion or email me.

Dejha Bower is creative director of the Fashion Fusion event, which is donating its proceeds to Washington Area Women’s Foundation. 

FOGH: Advice for today's young women.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

For some inspiration for your Friday, I can’t help but sharing a blog post I recently found on Friend of Guest House’s blog about advice that women would give to the young girls of today if they had the chance.

The women writing are speaking from some serious life experience, and a fair amount of hard knocks, which makes their words of wisdom all the more compelling and touching.  Just a few excerpts:

First, I would talk to them about putting themselves first and that they should not worry about other people. I would like to talk to them about boyfriends and explain that they do not need a boyfriend or partner in their lives to fulfill their needs. Also, going through a through a rebellious/"party" time to have fun is not necessary and does not make you COOL. None of it is worth it…I’d like to explain how important it is to look out for themself, that if anyone asks or tells you to do something they need to think of the consequences before you do it. Life is not worth using the "stinkin thinkin" mode (stupid thinking)."  –age 21

I would express to them that it’s never to late to turn your life around – no matter how many bad decisions you’ve made. Overall, try your best not to make any bad decision that result in hurting yourself or your love ones. –age 32

I would want to tell them how important it is to get a good education, that sex and relationships can wait. –age 34

I would like to talk about other addictions that are not drug related, such as money addiction. People do not realize that spending money on clothes and other material items can be just as addictive as drugs. They need to understand that needing and wanting a material item is not always the best choice. Personally, I understand the feeling of wanting something at that moment, but until you work for that item, you never really appreciate it for its full value. I would say that Money Addictions are very real and that there are many people with the same problems and they are not alone. To get Therapy and to find out how to re-train you mind into not getting the money for a expensive item, until you have worked for it. –age 36

The women at Friends of Guest House are working every day, with the support of the guest house staff and each other, to change their lives.  For more on the advice they have for young women and their individual journeys, visit their blog.

Friends of Guest House is a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.  Get connected.

FAIR Fund: This award validates chances for girls to lead safer, healthier, happier lives.

Posted on by Andrea Powell

The following is the speech Andrea Powell, FAIR Fund‘s executive director and co-founder, gave at the 2007 Leadership Awards celebration last night.  FAIR Fund was a 2007 Leadership Awardee, and winner of The Women’s Foundation’s first online vote.

First, let me begin by thanking Washington Area Women’s Foundation for their tremendous efforts to not only support the work that we here at FAIR Fund do, but also in building such a strong and stable bridge between women philanthropists and women’s and girl’s programs here in the District of Columbia. 

And, I would like to thank a few close FAIR Fund supporters: Caroline Ramsay Merriam, Katy Love and Sarah Stewart.  And, as I stand here this evening representing FAIR Fund’s seven staff and 16 board members, and the 1,500 D.C. teen girls and boys we serve, I would like to thank Amelia Korangy, our Development and Outreach Officer, who has worked hard to help us get here this evening.

What does the Washington Area Women’s Foundation Leadership Award mean to FAIR Fund?

Of course, the $15,000 certainly assists us in the immediate future and we sincerely needed and benefit from it.

But, there is so much more to this award.  For FAIR Fund, this award is in part validation for our mission in creating chances for D.C. girls to lead safer, healthier, and happier lives.

Furthermore, this award opens the door for FAIR Fund to become a stronger and more recognized member of the vibrant women and girl’s movement here in Washington, D.C.

Teachers have reported to FAIR Fund staff that they know teen girls in their classes who are being prostituted and exploited right now, and they are not sure what to do.

That they know girls who trade sex in exchange for food or shoes.

Approximately 30 girls aged 12 to 18 are identified as victims of commercial sexual exploitation, often via prostitution, in D.C. each month.  But, from what we have seen as members of the D.C. Anti Trafficking Task Force and from what we have heard from so many teen girls who participate in our program, this number is only small fraction of the number of girls out there who need our help. Their teachers and families also need our help in understanding these girls and getting them the help they need.

I want to share with you the story of one young girl assisted through FAIR Fund’s primer program for girls in D.C called Tell Your Friends.

Ellie is 15 years old and I first met her while teaching a small group of D.C. youth about protecting themselves from human trafficking.  Ellie herself was recently turned out of her house by her father, who abused her and her mother. She was in and out of school and one night joined me in learning about human trafficking at a teen workshop.

At first, I am pretty sure Ellie didn’t want to be there and certainly didn’t like me.  But, what I think captured her attention was an activity where we ask the girls and boys to draw what they think prostitution looks like here in D.C. All she drew were a pair of eyes looking down and a pair of green glittery shoes.  This 15-year-old girl told me that the eyes were looking down because a “prostitute” was not allowed to look her pimp in the eyes.  So, it is safer for “girls like here” to just look down all the time.

We were able to help Ellie get connected to a counselor and into a safe space and we continued to educate her about not only how she can protect herself but even tell her girlfriends about the truth about teen prostitution and human trafficking.

Moving forward, FAIR Fund has three main goals this year with our work to promote the safety of women and girls here in D.C.

  • First, we have met with over 600 youth, mainly girls, in the D.C. schools and we recognize that the problem of teen victimization via commercial sex is truly pervasive and there is a need for FAIR Fund to take on professional counselors to assist these teens as soon as they reach out to us.
  • Second, we aim to create safe spaces for support and education that will be accessible for D.C. teens to share their experiences and protect themselves from human trafficking.
  • And, third, we are working right now with the Superintendent’s office to incorporate our youth anti-trafficking curriculum into the D.C. schools’ continuing education series for teachers. Together with these teachers, the D.C. Public School officials, the youth we have educated in the schools, and the young women university students who volunteer with FAIR Fund here in D.C., we can assist these girls and prevent future exploitation.  We will keep the network informed about the April launch of our video to educate teens about human trafficking and teen prostitution here in D.C.

Thank you, Washington Area Women’s Foundation, for truly opening the door and giving FAIR Fund a new chance to connect to your amazing and dedicated network of women’s rights leaders across Washington, D.C.

Andrea Powell is the executive director and co-founder of FAIR Fund, a 2007 Leadership Awardee of The Women’s Foundation.

Interested in learning more about how you can get involved in supporting groups like FAIR Fund, and others, who make sure that girls and women are looking up to a bright future in the Washington metropolitan region?  There’s a place for everyone at The Women’s Foundation.  Find yours today.

Ascensions: If we can change lives with $100, imagine what we can do with $5,000. Vote today!

Posted on by Dr. Satira Streeter

Ascensions Community Services provides psychological and community interventions to low-income families in Washington, D.C.’s Wards 7 and 8.  We provide clients with the assistance they need to improve their self-concept, interpersonal relationships, and make positive contributions to their communities.

One example of our recent work stemmed from a simple gift of $100, which we used to affect a group of young women’s attitudes about themselves and the changes they experience in adolescence.

In October, myself and one of our other therapists started a group for girls ages 8-11. All of our girls live in Anacostia and go to Moten Elementary school in southeast D.C. 

The $100 gift helped pay for our “Little Ladies Tea” last Wednesday in which our guest speaker was Dr. Saunders, a pediatrician who wrote a book titled Ooops, a story about a young lady beginning her menstrual cycle.  Each of the girls was able to take home a book along with an “Ooops pack” for feminine care.

I was already excited about doing this presentation in this format, but it became all the more real to me in a recent therapy session with a 35 year-old single mother of four.  This woman had been repeatedly abused and neglected as a child.  As we were talking about her history and how her mother had not “prepared her for life,” one thing that she remarked about being most upset about is that neither her mother, nor her five older sisters, ever took the time out to explain to her her cycle and how she should take care of herself, or how she would know her period was coming.

Not only did we invite the mothers to participate in the tea last week, we also sent home information about how to start and continue this discussion–which is so important in a young ladies’ life. 

This whole "period" thing seems so small to some, but it was huge to my girls and their moms.  This past week, I’ve talked to several of the mothers that thanked me for bringing the doctor in and they all shared their stories of assuming starting your cycle meant you were a "woman now."

My prayer is that our message last week got through, that the girls are just girls, who now have to take special care of themselves once a month, and not "women" who should start having sex or think about having kids.

The Women’s Foundation has changed my life, which therefore helped me change the lives of others.  Being a woman is great, but helping women and girls is greater!

We’re so grateful for the gifts that make this work possible, and hope that you’ll vote for us in the online vote to help fuel even more work on behalf of the women and girls we serve.

The online vote continues through February 15.  Vote today.

Dr. Satira S. Streeter is the founder and clinical director of Ascensions Community Services, a 2007 Leadership Awardee and African American Women’s Giving Circle grantee.

Wal-mart markets child trafficking?

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Okay, this is almost too much.

Evidently, you can go into a Wal-Mart store and purchase underwear for a pre-teen girl that says, "Who needs credit cards…," insinuating that a girls’ greatest hope for financial security and independence is between her legs.  Don’t believe me?  Go look at the picture.

Sorry to be crass, but seriously?

This is one of those things that is so offensive on so many levels that I’m going to have to narrow it down to just one: that it seems to me that this product is a direct endorsement of the concept of human trafficking.

Which I have been educated about as a local issue largely due to some of the amazing Grantee Partners we work with, including Ayuda, the Polaris Project and, more recently, FAIR Fund, a new Grantee Partner and 2007 Leadership Awardee.

As a Leadership Awards volunteer, I conducted a site visit of FAIR Fund, where I found myself shocked to learn of the pervasive way that human, and child trafficking, is affecting our local community and our nation–and particularly when it consists of trafficking for sexual purposes, the most prevalent type.  Before, I had naively thought that this was primarily an international issue.  (Not that that made it okay.)

The FAIR Fund offers these statistics:

  • 70% of all victims of trafficking are trafficked for sexual purposes;
  • 80% of all victims are women;
  • 50% of all victims are youth and children;
  • 9.5 billion dollars have been made off the bodies of young girls and women in sex trafficking;
  • 200,000 to 350,000 American girls and boys are at risk of being exploited for sexual purposes;
  • 20,000 individuals are trafficked INTO the United States each year;
  • In the United States, ANY minor child involved in commercial sexual exploitation is considered a victim of human trafficking.

So, to me, by that definition, wherein any minor child–of an age where they may get their underwear from the junior department at Wal-mart–who is coerced into or paid for sex is considered a victim of human trafficking.

Why then would Wal-mart encourage such behavior by selling a product such as this?  What sort of message does this send to our young women, or to the boys and men who are encouraged by seeing something like this to view young women–or women in general–as objects, as commodities, as beings who have only their sexuality to use as a vehicle to financial independence and security?

Why would Wal-mart sell a product that blatantly endorses a concept that is not only insulting, offensive, misleading and dangerous, but also illegal?  The Polaris Project has a great overview of the legalities.

I guess their response would have to be, "Because it sells."  How a propos.

My initial exposure to human trafficking in terms of sexual exploitation of minor women came when I lived in Africa, where, sadly, it was a fairly common practice that young girls had "sugar daddies."  Men they would provide sexual services to in order to get the money for food, clothes, to get their hair done, and, most sadly, to pay their school fees. 

Either because their parents couldn’t afford to, or because they didn’t deem their daughter worth educating.  (Education is an investment after all, and there’s less return on a girl’s education than a boy’s because girls are generally just going to become part of her husband’s family, and not a breadwinner for her own parents.) 

But, for girls who were driven and wanted an education but didn’t have the financial resources, sometimes they would subject themselves to sexual exploitation in order to get it.  So that maybe, one day, they could hold a job–and wouldn’t need to depend on the favor of a man to support them.

In a culture of poverty, particularly where young women are not valued or seen as worth educating, the commonly accepted societal message is that being a woman, and using your sexuality, is the only means to economic security and survival.

This aspect of living in Africa–hearing the stories of my female students, friends and colleagues as they recounted their experiences and feelings of constantly being told covertly and overtly that their value lied in their beauty, their sexuality, their womanhood only in so far as it pleased a man–remains one of the most disturbing aspects of my experience and memories.

So thanks Wal-Mart, for bringing these attitudes home and for marketing them–just like you’re implying we should be marketing our young women.

To make your voice heard by writing Wal-Mart and letting them know how you feel about them carrying this product: customer service or corporate.