Giving Back

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

Green Jobs Signs_GreenForAll[dot]orgIn today’s rundown: Faith community leaders want the District to put more money towards green jobs.  | Local student are less than proficient in reading at a critical point and it could affect their futures.  | Donations to charities are on the rise in the first part of 2010.

— Leaders in the local faith community are asking the D.C. Council to put tens of millions of dollars towards green jobs.  They’ve chosen green jobs because the field is currently expanding and the federal government is willing to fund weatherization projects.  They told WAMU radio that if D.C. Council members don’t help create jobs they’ll be held accountable at the polls.

— Nearly two-thirds of students in Virginia and Maryland can’t read proficiently by the time they start the fourth grade.  83 percent of D.C. students are reading below proficient levels by the time they begin the fourth grade, a time when reading material becomes more complex.  According to a new report on nationwide reading levels there are links between early literacy and high school graduation rates and future economic success.  Click here for more.

— First lady Michelle Obama and Mexico’s first lady will tour a Silver Spring elementary school tomorrow. New Hampshire Estates Elementary School has been honored for having a focus on healthy living.  Many students at the school come from Central and South America.

— According to a new survey from the Chronicle of Philanthropy, donations to the nation’s biggest charities grew rapidly in the first quarter of 2010 compared with the same time in 2009.  It could be a sign that many nonprofits are making a recovery from the fundraising troubles they suffered last year.

Photo credit: GreenForAll.org via Creative Commons.

D.C. Government Slashes Funding for Some of the City's Most Vulnerable Women

Posted on by Kris Thompson

Days after the District made the shocking announcement that $20 million had been cut from the homeless services budget for the 2010 fiscal year, advocates and organizations that provide shelter for the homeless are still reeling. One of The Women’s Foundation grantee partners is reaching out for help – as winter approaches and the organizations that assist the homeless face a crisis.

Calvary Women’s Services was notified Monday, September 28, by The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness (TCP) that contract funding for Calvary would be cut by nearly $75,000 beginning October 1st.  These funds support safe housing and other services for 150 homeless women each year.  TCP is an independent, non-profit corporation that coordinates DC’s Continuum of Care homeless services.

Calvary is one of many social service providers notified of cuts to their existing contracts. Emergency, transitional and supported permanent housing programs were all targeted as the city attempted to close an ever-widening budget gap.  The impact of these cuts on the overall homeless services system is going to be severe, with some housing programs reducing their services and others likely closing programs. 

Although these cuts may provide some immediate relief to the city’s budget problems, the real impact of the cuts will be felt by those in need of safe housing and support services.  Women who have already lost their jobs in this economic crisis will have fewer services and housing options available to them. These cuts will make women who are already at-risk much more likely to end up living on the streets or in unsafe situations.

The women who come to programs like Calvary are survivors of violence, women struggling with mental illness, and women working to overcome addictions.  At Calvary we make sure they have access to all of the services they need to address these challenges – in addition to providing a safe place to live.

We know that programs like ours work.  Every five days a woman moves out of Calvary and into her own home.

We have always relied on the support of both public funding and private donations to make our programs possible.  In the past, supporters have helped us close gaps like this one, and I am hopeful that the community will step up once again.  But I am also concerned that this gap may be too wide for our generous donors to close.

The coming months will be challenging ones for organizations like Calvary, as we try to find ways to continue to provide women in this community with critical, life changing services.  More so, they will be challenging months for women who need services like ours, as they face closed doors and reduced services at programs across the city.

 You can make a difference.  Support Calvary – or another agency facing these cuts – today. 

 Volunteer, donate or learn more at www.calvaryservices.org.

Kris Thompson is the Executive Director of Calvary Women’s Services, recognized as a 2009 Leadership Awardee by The Women’s Foundation.  Learn more about them on their Web site or on Facebook.

WPI releases personal reflections from giving circle founders, including African American Women's Giving Circle!

Posted on by Andrea Pactor

Personal reflections from women founders of the early giving circles are included in a new booklet just released by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Among the 18 interviews in Women’s Giving Circles: Reflections from the Founders is Lynn McNair’s story of her involvement with the African American Women’s Giving Circle at Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

Check out all the stories and learn more about Lynn’s personal experiences with the giving circle here.  These stories complement existing information about giving circles and add a personal connection to this vibrant form of giving.

Andrea Pactor is Associate Director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.  She has worked with the Women’s Philanthropy Institute for four years and helps to further understanding of women’s philanthropy through research, education, and knowledge dissemination.

Studies show that women continue to be philanthropic movers and shakers.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Well, the Interwebs are certainly all abuzz this week with talk of women’s philanthropy.  And the talk is good.

First, a Fidelity study shows that women are shaping the future of philanthropy.

Okay, we knew that.

But still, the report shows a number of positive, exciting new trends, such as that women are growing more comfortable giving with their name attached now, are being increasingly innovative in their philanthropic choices and are increasingly making decisions for how their households will give.

Additionally, Tactical Philanthropy featured a post, "Six Principles of Women’s High Engagement Philanthropy," which outlines the six principles (well worth a read) and offers the following introductory insight from Alice Eagly of Northwestern University, who says, "Women are transformational leaders while men are more likely to be transactional leaders."

Just like we’ve known at The Women’s Foundation for years: women are all about giving "beyond the check." 

Give and Take summarizes these discussions well here.

These pieces are exciting because they confirm what those of us practicing women’s philanthropy have long known to be true, as well as demonstrating that the movement is growing rapidly and with energy, despite the economic downturn and the many challenges it brings with it.

Indeed, as the song says that is so often heard at graduation ceremonies of our Grantee Partners’ job training and other programs, "Ain’t no stoppin’ us now."

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

Rainmakers give hope, in addition to grants.

Posted on by Phyllis Caldwell

When I saw Becky’s inspiring post earlier this week about the first Rainmaker’s Giving Circle meeting, I couldn’t help but throw in my two cents as well.

Like Becky, I was also struck by that meeting because it was such an indication of hope to see so many women gathered around the table that we had to scramble for chairs and space to squeeze everyone in.

Given the recession, I had been concerned that we’d have the opposite problem.

Instead, not only was the room packed with women who had, as Becky said, given serious thought to their commitments and decided to reaffirm their investments in The Women’s Foundation, the Rainmakers and our region’s women and girls, but the group was seriously committed to thinking through how to best invest their funds so that they would be of the greatest impact.

As I sat and listened to the dialogue about how to best help nonprofits serving women and girls in this economic climate when increasing needs would make decision-making and prioritizing even tougher than in the past, I was struck not by the bad news that was at the core of the conversation, but by a sense of overwhelming hope.

For the conversation was not only an indication that women in our region are ready to continue to prioritize their investments in our region’s women and girls, but also that the wisdom, intelligence, thought and strategy that they put into how they invest will help ensure that funds invested in women and girls through women’s philanthropy, will, without a doubt, have a tremendous impact on our community.

Phyllis Caldwell is President of The Women’s Foundation.

It's not all doom and gloom, despite the recession.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

I love this.  And I love my Google Reader for making sure I saw it.  Voila, a piece in USA Today not about the doom and gloom of the recession, or about job losses or the stock market.

Indeed, these things are important and concerning.  But for goodness sake, sometimes we need a break from it all.

So here comes USA Today with a great story about how the recession is also inspiring tremendous random acts of kindness out there, among businesses and individuals. 

In California, for instance, when a group started a prom dress drive for girls who couldn’t afford gowns, local businesses chipped in free hair styling and dry cleaning.  Meanwhile, the Elks Lodge started collecting shoes.

In Fulton, Missouri (Shout out to my home state!), a local florist is just randomly delivering bouquets of flowers to people nominated within the community just to help brighten up people’s days. 

In Alabama, the owner of a health care store gave out $16,000 split amongst its employees, asking them to give 15 percent to charity and spend the rest at local businesses.

Not only generous, but smart.

How can you not love this?  Proof that the recession, while awful, is also presenting opportunities for people and communities to come together to do the right thing.

That’s one of the ramifications of this tough period that we have to hope sticks around when it’s over.

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. 

Giving circles now recruiting those who want to answer the call to service, together.

Posted on by WAWF

On Monday, I listened to the President’s first press conference.  I could see that the weight of his responsibilities rest heavy upon him. The enormity of the responsibility that he bears for moving the country through these challenges times is certainly not enviable.

His words that “inaction can turn this crisis into a catastrophe” hung heavy in the air.

But despite the weightiness of the message, I was heartened by his continual reinforcement that we are all in this together.  That the power of our collective efforts knows no bounds.

While very few of us can say that we have been untouched by the challenging economy, the reality is that we are not all affected in the same way. 

Women and girls continue to be the hardest hit in times of economic crisis, so while for some, the realities of this economy are a rude awakening – for others it is catastrophic.

Maintaining our perspective and continuing to believe in our power to make a difference is paramount.

More than ever, The Women’s Foundation’s belief in The Power of Giving Together holds true as an opportunity and a call to action.

For more than six years, The Women’s Foundation’s giving circles have allowed women to pool and leverage their resources to make change.  The outcome is that the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts!  And the beauty of this model is that it enables a relatively small contribution to make a big difference.

We are now in the process of welcoming new members to both of The Women’s Foundation’s giving circles: the African American Women’s Giving Circle and the Rainmakers Giving Circle.  These circles continue to be dedicated to the power of collective giving and the empowerment of making the decision together about how to grant out their funds.

The Rainmakers Giving Circle will be hosting a reception for interested members on February 17, 2009 to learn more.  Please contact me if you’d like to join us and learn more about The Power of Giving Together and how you can make your investment in our community go further.

Now more than ever, we need people to come together to invest in our community and in the area’s women and girls.  We have our call to action from our President and from our community.

Please join us in working toward the solution.

Nicole Cozier is The Women’s Foundation’s philanthropic education officer.

Congrats Doreen, and thanks for being an inspiration to so many!

Posted on by Barbara Strom Thompson

I’m so thrilled to hear of Doreen being recognized as a 2008 Washingtonian of the Year!  This is so well-deserved.

I recall first meeting Doreen in an early round of the Rainmakers Giving Circle, and was so impressed by how thoughtful and engaged she was in the circle’s work, which was fairly demanding, time-wise.  Knowing how complicated her schedule was, her example motivated me to strengthen my commitment to The Women’s Foundation.

If she could make that meeting downtown, I had better get there!

Through the years, it has been delightful to witness her effect on others as well.

I remember how moved I was to see Grantee Partners beaming as they had picture after picture taken with her at a house event.

At a Washington 100 breakfast at her home, a Grantee Partner told our group how, after meeting Doreen at a previous event, she stopped watching her regular Spanish newscast and started watching Doreen’s. Not only did her English improve, but now her sons also watch Doreen.

And just last month at the board meeting, Covenant House’s Executive Director, Judith Dobbins, broke out with a huge smile as she recognized Doreen during our otherwise routine, round-the-table introductions.  We all had to laugh.

Because of Doreen’s personal graciousness and the respect she garners throughout our region, The Women’s Foundation’s good work is amplified every time she represents us.

But Doreen also has a tremendous fun side that I’ve had the pleasure to get to know as we’ve worked together as co-chairs of Washington 100.  Given how organized and poised she is, you probably would be surprised that half the time I feel like we’re Lucy and Ethel.  We spend a lot of time laughing, just scrambling to keep up and improvise with our latest version of a "plan", which is often a work in progress.

Thank goodness Doreen is a rare combination of extremely dependable and organized, mixed with go-with-the-flow and a really wry sense of humor.

I’m so proud of her earning this prestigious award.

Doreen, you make us all proud!  Congrats on this dazzling accomplishment.

Barb Strom Thompson is co-chair of The Women’s Foundation’s Washington 100 network and a board member. In her professional life, she is a child development specialist.

Help from community inspires improvement in college essays.

Posted on by Tia Felton

Last Friday, several District of Columbia students, myself included, filed onto the 8th floor of the Watergate building.  We were all interns with The Urban Alliance Foundation, and were there to get professional help from newspaper editors, lawyers, and other successful people, including my mentor Lisa Kays, on our college essays.

It is routine and mandatory that each Friday afternoon all interns attend a workshop class.  During this time, we are informed of events, discuss events that have happened during the work week, and are educated about key things to know when working in a professional environment and also that you will need throughout life–such as professional attire, how to use technology and managing money and bank accounts.

Since interns are seniors in high school, we have also been focusing a lot on college and making plans, setting goals and working to reach those goals.  We have been discussing applications and different scholarships that are available for us to receive.  Over the last few weeks, we have been drafting our college essay.

The dreadful college essay that most of us fear.  The one thing that is going to set you aside from hundreds of thousands of other applicants applying to the same school.

There have been several editors and writers who have come in and talked to the classes as a whole about writing our essays.  But on Friday, everyone received that one-on-one attention that they needed. 

We were paired up with a professional and then sat in a quiet area where we could focus and really think.

It was very helpful to get this sort of help. Little things that you might not catch, another person will, and it is those little things that can make a writing piece excellent. 

It was a very successful event.  No one was rude or judgmental towards anyone’s writing.  They were only helpful in as many ways possible.

In the end, every last intern walked away with a sense of confidence that they can write an excellent essay, and that it is going to get them into the college of their choosing.

Tia Felton is a senior at McKinley Tech High School and an intern at The Women’s Foundation through Urban Alliance–a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.  When she graduates from high school this year, she hopes to go to college and eventually to become a lawyer.

To learn more about the Urban Alliance internship program, click here.