Giving Back

Tough economic times don't have to turn you into Scrooge.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

This is a cool Friday afternoon find.  Allison Fine and Marnie Webb have started an online project that is quickly catching on, asking people for ideas about how to give during this holiday season without spending a dime. 

The Give List already has tons of ideas posted, from Goodsearch (which is an easy online way you can even help The Women’s Foundation without spending a cent) to fun events that give back to helping a neighbor in need shovel their walk.

Check it out to post your idea or resource, or to find a way to give–what we call around here "beyond the check"–this holiday season.

As someone said to Allison and Marnie, “Just because I’m poor doesn’t mean that I have to be stingy!”

Well said.  Now, ready, set, give!

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

The Women's Foundation and Catalogue for Philanthropy leverage collective wisdom.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

This afternoon, I had the pleasure of attending the 2008 Catalogue for Philanthropy awards ceremony, where we got a chance to hear from a number of past awardees about what recognition in the Catalogue has meant for them.

The wisdom of the Catalogue is based on the same wisdom that governs grantmaking at The Women’s Foundation.  The Catalogue brings together a diverse committee of volunteers–all experts in philanthropy at some level–to vet and evaluate potential candidates for the Catalogue, so that once in hand, philanthropists know that every nonprofit featured is doing excellent work and having an impact.

Similarly, The Women’s Foundation uses the power of collective wisdom in its grantmaking, placing the responsibility for decisions about funding in the hands of community members–whether through the Leadership Awards, grantmaking committee or a giving circle–and asking them to pool not only their resources, but their experience, perspective and wisdom to choose the most effective organizations in which to invest.

So it was no surprise to me today when I saw so many of our former Leadership Awardees and other Grantee Partners featured in this year’s Catalogue, or being honored as those who had best leveraged their appearance in the past. 

Among them, Fair Fund and A Wider Circle–2007 Leadership Awardees of The Women’s Foundation–are featured in this year’s Catalogue.

The Washington Middle School for Girls, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation and former Catalogue charity, was featured via film.

In addition, Ascensions Community Services and Friends of Guest House were honored for having taken full advantage of being featured in the 2007 Catalogue by leveraging various marketing, media and outreach strategies to increase their fundraising and build important partnerships throughout the community.

Looking through the Catalogue of the 2008 honorees and those of the past, there is a great deal more overlap between The Women’s Foundation’s Grantee Partner list and the Catalogue‘s selected nonprofits than I can list here.

All, I think, testimony to the value and power of investing in mechanisms that vet and evaluate the organizations working in our community through the common wisdom and involvement of our community.

In tough economic times like we’re facing now, when the needs are greater than ever before and resources are decreasing, there has never been a more important time not only to give to our community, but to invest wisely in it.

As Sidney Harman said during his remarks today, now is the time to give even more, not less, than we ever have before.   

Lisa Kays is Director of Communications at The Women’s Foundation and was a reviewer for the 2008 Catalogue for Philanthropy.

Lessons from The Women's Foundation: equal access philanthropy, giving as activism, and more.

Posted on by Nancy Thebaut

I came to Washington Area Women’s Foundation thinking that, somewhat naively, it focused solely on service work.

What I discovered instead was an exemplary model of praxis indicating that service, advocacy, and philanthropy cannot be considered insularly. To borrow the words of Patricia Hill Collins, these entities embody a kind of "intersectionality."

While in Washington, I have taken part in a number of efforts that I first perceived to be a more purist form of advocacy work—protesting anti-choice groups, attending a Code Pink anti-war gathering, marching for equal marriage in the D.C. Pride Parade, and taking part in a political rally.

Through my participation in these efforts and interning at the Women’s Foundation, I have experientially learned that such political and activist endeavors are made possible in large part by the behind-the-scenes activist spenders.

That being said, here are three other things I’ve learned as an intern at Washington Area Women’s Foundation:

1. Philanthropy truly is for everyone. Even the poorest of graduate students (like me).
2. Giving is a form of civic activism.
3. Women need to break the glass ceiling of philanthropy by banding together, giving together, and strategizing together about how their money is spent.

On an equally serious note, I have also learned that purple, orange, red, and gold are pretty much the most amazing colors ever.

I’ve had a wonderful month interning at the Women’s Foundation and feel so fortunate to have met and gotten to know everyone in this community!

Nancy Thebaut is a summer intern with The Women’s Foundation. This fall she will be starting a master’s degree in art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art.  Today is, sadly, the last day of her internship with The Women’s Foundation.

FLY makes fashionable television appearance!

Posted on by Lisa Kays

On Saturday night, Fashion Fusion in Washington, D.C. will bring together the hottest local fashion designers and a fun way to give back to women and girls in our community. 

Proceeds from the event will benefit The Women’s Foundation. 

We, in turn, make grants to great organizations like Facilitating Leadership in Youth (FLY), featured in this ABC9 news piece on the fashion show.  FLY fosters the academic and personal success of young women in Anacostia.  One of their former students, Tawanda, is now a sophomore in college, and is featured in the video. 

You can also read more about the event at Classy Fabulous, a fashion blog co-written by a member of FLY’s staff that covers local fashion and fashion events, and particularly those that benefit women’s causes.  The tagline is Creating Sisterhood through Fashion.

Sounds like the perfect tagline for Fashion Fusion as well, which at its heart hopes to use fashion to bring women together and provide an opportunity for them to give back through their participation to local women and girls.

Which is why their actual tagline is Inspired Giving, Inspired Style.

Fashion, giving, fun.  Certainly an inspiring combination!

See where we're investing more than half a million dollars!

Posted on by Lisa Kays

The Women’s Foundation is proud to announce that the board of directors has recently approved grants totaling $645,500 to be invested in the Washington metropolitan area.  This brings our 2008 grantmaking total to more than $1.1 million.

See where and how we’re investing.

Our grants are made with gifts from people throughout our community who—through The Power of Giving Together—make their charitable investments go further by pooling their dollars to make grants that have a significant impact on local nonprofits that are changing the lives of women and girls.

At The Women’s Foundation, we give more, by giving together.

Join in The Power of Giving Together!

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.

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. 

Pressed and stressed? Give up holiday shopping and just give.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

I was recently inspired by a Courant article, "Giving, But Not Gifts," about how Ray Dalio, a hedge fund exec whose net worth totals about $4 billion, is spending $2 million on an ad campaign to persuade Americans to stop shopping for each other over the holidays, and instead to honor each other with gifts to charity.

"We’re pressed, we’re stressed, and our money is wasted," the ad reads. "Let’s redefine Christmas. By putting more Thanksgiving in it."

Dalio will have an uphill battle to change Americans $100 billion holiday shopping habit, the article says, but he feels that carving out even a few gifts a year will gradually lead to a multiplier effect.

Dalio also makes the point that it’s easier to give than to do all that shopping to find the perfect gift–a hard point to argue.

An inspiring idea.  So I thought I’d check around here at The Women’s Foundation to see if this trend has a foothold among our staff, who are surrounded daily with the notion of giving, philanthropy and its power to change lives and communities.

I randomly asked staff  to report on how they or their families incorporate giving into the holiday season, and got some very creative ideas for ways to create traditions that don’t revolve around consumerism so much as compassion-ism.

Opa reported that in her family everyone takes one of the gifts they receive (before opening it and finding out what it is) and donates it to a battered women’s shelter.

HyeSook, our child care and early education consultant, reported that she’s working hard to instill the idea of giving for her three-and-a-half year old daughter.  She worked with her daughter’s pre-school teacher to develop a gift from the class that would help the children think of less fortunate kids.  HyeSook also takes her daughter with her when she volunteers to do cleaning and projects for local shelters.  "I think modeling is one of the most powerful teaching strategies," she says.

As for me, my sister works for an international organization that supports children and families in developing nations through monthly sponsorship.  A few years ago, my sister gave a sponsorship of a child to my mother, who now, instead of asking for gifts for herself, asks for contributions to projects she’s supporting to make improvements on the child’s home and support sustainable business or employment opportunities for her parents.

And that’s the word on some of the giving that goes on by a random sampling of staff of The Women’s Foundation. 

How do you and your family incorporate giving into the holiday season?  Drop us a line and let us know.  This blog will be on hiatus until later next week while we’ll be out partaking of the festivities, so it’ll be great to send everyone off on a note of inspiring ideas and creative compassion. 

In any case, we wish you an inspiring, joyful holiday season!

Still looking for that perfect holiday gift?  Know someone who would love to lend her name to work that’s changing the lives of woman and girls in the Washington region?  We make it easy.

Giving thanks by giving, or, some Thanksgiving reading recs.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

On this final day before the Thanksgiving holiday, it seems appropriate to look at ways to give thanks by, well, giving. Buddha says, "Wise [wo]men appreciate and are grateful. Wise [wo]men try to express their appreciation and gratitude by some return of kindness, not only to their benefactor, but to everyone else."

Sort of a pay it forward approach to gratitude. 

So, for your Thanksgiving pleasure, a few resources related to reflection on giving.

Julie Jensen, a great supporter of The Women’s Foundation, recommends Rambam’s Ladder: A Meditation on Generosity and Why it is Necessary to Give.  "Salamon provides a thoughtful exploration of each one of Rambam’s steps, from the lowest kind of charity-giving (begrudgingly), to the highest form–the gift of self-reliance, so that the recipient, through a loan or a job, will not have to ask for help again," Julie says.

Speaking of paying it forward, Pay it Forward, the book and the movie, provides a unique perspective on the power of giving as an expression of gratitude.

Caitlin Duignan, our stellar office temp, said that one of her favorite giving inspirations comes from Little Women.  Caitlin writes, "I have always loved Little Women, not only for its progressive messages on women and society…but [also] I have always enjoyed how daily life in the March family revolves around giving back to the community, but also to one another and supporting one another through their dreams. The bond between the sisters and their parents, and even between the parents is such a driving force of the film, which can only imply that the success of this frugal and socially conscious family flows from their love for one another.  Besides this social justice as motivated by love theme, I just think it’s a really heartwarming concept that shows whether you’re a writer, a mother, a teacher, or an artist – both your perspective on the world and your abilities within it help formulate your sense of responsibility to the world, which for the March family is to help make it a better one." 

The Nonprofit Literature Blog has a post this week on selected resources related to giving circles and giving.

I, for one, have always been partial to Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, with its touching approach to the complex nature–the costs and sacrifices, and joys and benefits–of giving.

Earlier this year, Tactical Philanthropy invited bloggers throughout the phlanthrosphere to recommend books on phuilanthropy and giving.  The results are here.  Among The Women’s Foundation staff’s recommendations were The Giving Family, The Prophet and Inspired Philanthropy: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Giving Plan.

The Giving Book: Open the Door to a Lifetime of Giving looks like a fun resource for young people to tap into their own power to change the world, and how they can best apply their strengths, interests and talents to contributing to meaningful social change.

There you go, now you’re all set for reading recommendations for that long flight, drive or boat ride (as applicable) home. 

And, if you’re stuck on your blackberry waiting on a flight delay, be sure to leave us a comment with your favorite giving book recommendation.

After all, the holiday season is upon us, and there is still a lot of airport, driving and snowside reading to do!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Leadership Luncheon '07: Changing others, changing ourselves!

Posted on by Jennifer Cortner

If you attended this year’s Leadership Luncheon, then you heard a lot about transformation. The work that The Women’s Foundation does really does transform so many lives. Not only do we help transform the lives of women and girls in the D.C. region, but we transform the lives of women who give.

I am one of those women.

My name is Jennifer Cortner, and I sit on the Board of The Women’s Foundation, and chair the communications committee. I became smitten with The Women’s Foundation about five or six years ago when I read an article in the Washington Post about the Rainmakers Giving Circle. I thought, what a cool idea to get women together to pool their resources, to make real change in our community.

I’ve become deeply engaged with The Women’s Foundation since then. My company, EFX Media, proudly supports The Women’s Foundation by offering pro bono communications support. This year, we designed and produced all the printed materials for the luncheon, and produced the video about one woman’s transformation.

Our video follows Laceiy Peay, a recent graduate of the Washington Area Women in the Trades program, which trains women to get into trade fields like construction, welding and cement masonry.  WAWIT is a unique program and is one of over 90 programs that are funded in part by Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

We taped Laceiy and her fellow students one very hot, summer day as they took a welding and carpentry class. The thing that struck me the most is the bond that these women had formed over the 12-weeks they had spent with each other. The WAWIT program is not easy — it’s physically demanding, and requires students to show up to class by 7 a.m. every day. A lot of women who sign up frankly do not make it. But those who do graduate, so so because of the support they receive from each other.

The WAWIT women really care about each other. When someone doesn’t understand something in class, her fellow classmate will help her out. When someone doesn’t show up for class, she’ll get a call from one of her colleagues. And the women who run WAWIT are there with them every step of the way.

After we finished the video, I asked if we could invite Laceiy and one of her fellow students, Sharan Mitchell, to speak at our luncheon.  After graduation, Laceiy accepted a job as a program assistant at WAWIT and Sharan is currently working construction at the Nationals Baseball Staduim (How cool is that?). I thought it would be a great idea for the women at the luncheon to meet them personally and hear their stories. They both graciously agreed.

Now there are two camps of people when it comes to public speaking: those who thrive on it, and those who rank it somewhere above the fear of death. But even the most seasoned speaker can be a little daunted by the notion of speaking in front of 1500 people.

If you were at the luncheon, then you know what happened:

Laceiy and Sharan brought the house down.

They took that stage with grace, poise and confidence. They graciously shared their story of how WAWIT and The Women’s Foundation transformed their lives.

In 4 short minutes, they helped transform 1,500 people in the room.

Including me.

If you were equally moved, I hope you become involved in The Women’s Foundation. You will become smitten just like I have. Help transform the lives of women and girls. There are lots of ways to engage. Join us!

Jennifer Cortner is the president of EFX Media and sits on the board of The Women’s Foundation.  She chairs The Women’s Foundation’s communications committee.  EFX Media donates services to foster The Women’s Foundation’s work.