Weekly Roundup

The Year in Review: Top Blog Posts for 2013

Posted on by Jessica Zetzman

Where has the year gone?! We can barely believe that 2014 is just around the corner, and though we’re already looking forward to the great things the future holds for Washington Area Women’s Foundation, we’d be remiss if we didn’t take this chance to look back at the incredible year we’ve had in 2013. We launched a new two generation grantmaking strategy for middle school girls and their mothers, saw incredible success stories from our grantee partners, blew past our annual Leadership Luncheon fundraising goal and much more! We chronicled these and more on our blog, and have rounded up some of our favorite blog posts from 2013:

1. New Grantmaking for Girls: A Two Generation Strategy: Foundation President Nicky Goren announced exciting new funding for innovative programs that work with both middle school aged girls and their mothers or female caregivers to establish economic security across generations.

2, 3, and 4. The March on Washington: In Marching Great Distances: My Family’s Past and Future, and the March on Washington, We March On: Diversity, Unity & the March on Washington, and “I Still Have a Dream:” 50 Years Later, March on Washington Remains Relevant our staff provide diverse perspectives on their experience marching with the Foundation and commemorating the 50th anniversary of The March on Washington.

5. Leaning in isn’t an option for all women: In March, Sheryl Sandberg made quite a splash with her book “Lean In,” in which she advises women to assert themselves in the workplace and beyond. On our blog, we looked at the complexity of “leaning in” for low-income women dealing with many other mitigating factors.

6. Sharon Williams Luncheon Remarks: On October 23, Sharon Williams spoke at The Women’s Foundation’s 2013 Leadership Luncheon. Her remarks inspired those in attendance and were posted on our blog shortly after the luncheon. After speaking, Sharon received a Visionary Award for her commitment to improving the lives of women and their families.

7. Why can the restaurant industry be so difficult for women? Spoiler alert: Top Chef Masters got it wrong: In this post, Jessica Zetzman responds to remarks made on Top Chef Masters to Chef Jennifer Jasinski and shares the real reason the restaurant industry is tough for women.

8. Miss Utah Equal Pay Flub Should Be a Call to Action: Following the media buzz after Miss Utah’s flubbed response at the Miss USA Pageant to a question about pay inequity and women’s rights, Foundation President Nicky Goren reflects on the incident’s indication of the lackluster state of the women’s rights movement.

9. No Joke: The Impact of the Sequester is Devastating Vulnerable Families: In June, we looked at the ways the sequester was affecting families in our region and across the US.

10. Changing GED Could Mean Greater Barriers for Area Women: Following an informative panel put together by grantee partner Academy of Hope, we looked at the upcoming changes to the GED slated to take effect this coming January and how they will impact women in our region.

Washington Area Women’s Foundation Weekly

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In this week’s roundup of our top stories: Your vote could help one of our grantees win $50,000 in a national contest.  The deadline for applications for the Catalogue for Philanthropy is nearly here. The impact of literacy on a woman’s earnings.  Plus, free financial services across the community.

Leaders from two of The Women’s Foundation’s Grantee Partners are finalists for the Diane von Furstenberg People’s Voice Award.  Andrea Powell of FAIR Girls works to prevent the exploitation of girls worldwide through empowerment and education.  Layli Miller-Muro of Tahirih Justice Center works to protect immigrant women and girls seeking justice in the U.S. from gender-based violence.  To learn more about these outstanding nominees – and to vote for them! – please click here.

Applications for the 2012-13 Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington are due by midnight on Monday! The Catalogue has helped raise more than $15 million for featured nonprofits since 2003.  Click here for application details.

“Appropriate literacy levels are crucial for both men and women seeking education and employment opportunities,” reports IWPR, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner. “But low literacy skills disproportionally hurt women’s chances of earning a sustaining wage.”  In a separate report, IWPR noted a trend of women returning to the labor force in January.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s Annual Tax & Financial Services Fair is scheduled for February 25th at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

And the DC Earned Income Tax Credit Campaign (organized by some of our Grantee Partners) continues to offer free tax preparation services to eligible residents.

The Alexandria Chapter of the NAACP is having a Financial Freedom Seminar for young adults this Saturday from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at Cora Kelly Elementary School. Topics include accessing loans, IRAs, money market accounts and college savings plans.  Click here for details.

Bank on DC is launching an online financial education platform that will help users “improve their financial acumen and … make informed financial decisions in their daily lives.” My StartingPoint will also motivate users with a Rewards Center.

Earlier this week, DC Mayor Vincent Gray gave the annual State of the District address.  Topics included the financial health of the city, education and crime.  Click here to read the speech.

Washington Area Women's Foundation Weekly

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In this week’s top stories: A new survey examines the lives of African American women.  The long-term benefits of a high-quality early education. An in-depth look at why DC residents leave high school before graduating.  Plus, one city in our area is named one of the best-paying cities for women.

— The Washington Post takes an in-depth look at a new survey on the lives of African American women. “Results of a survey paint a complex portrait of black women who feel confident but vulnerable, who have high self-esteem and see physical beauty as important, who find career success more vital to them than marriage.”

— Early education for low-income students has long-term benefits, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill.  The study found that adults who received a high-quality early education were still reaping the benefits 30 years later.

— WAMU is examining the high school drop out crisis in DC.  In the first installment in a series of reports, two women reflect on why four generations of their family members have not completed high school.

— Washington, DC is number three on a list of the top 20 best-paying cities for women.  According to Forbes.com, women’s mean earnings in DC in 2010 were $64,779.  However, that’s just 75% of what men’s earnings were.

Washington Area Women’s Foundation Weekly

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In this week’s roundup of news affecting women and girls in our community: We wonder what Dr. King might say about the high rate of poverty among women and girls in the DC area.  The top five findings of 2011 from the Institute of Women’s Policy Research.  The impact of Pre-K on the achievement gap.  Is it time for a poverty revolution?  Plus, a young, aspiring scientist is headed for a national competition as her family deals with homelessness.

— Ahead of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, Women’s Foundation President Nicky Goren visits the MLK Memorial and reflects on what Dr. King would think about more than 200,000 women and girls living in poverty in the DC region.

— The Women’s Foundation is inviting supporters to join us and volunteer at A Wider Circle on MLK Day.  Click here for details.

— The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) — a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner — has posted a list of their top five findings of 2011. Topics on the list include how women have fared during the economic recovery, the unmet child care needs of student parents and how much paid sick days would save taxpayers.

— East of the River Magazine explores the innovative work of AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School.  The article also takes a look at the impact a quality Pre-K education can have on the achievement gap.  AppleTree is a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner.

— “In the fight against poverty, it’s time for a revolution,” David Bornstein writes in a commentary on The New York Times website. Bornstein calls for re-defining poverty, restructuring how social services are handled, and focusing on collaborative, long-term solutions.

— Here’s your feel great story of the week: a 17-year-old Long Island high school student whose family had to move into a homeless shelter a year ago is a semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search competition.  Samantha Garvey says she doesn’t have the best home life, but she hopes that she made her parents proud by being one of just 300 students nationwide to participate in the semifinals of the competition.  You can watch her story here:

Washington Area Women's Foundation Weekly

Posted on by Mariah Craven

Medical symbol [credit cogdogblog]We’re starting out the new year with some changes to the blog, including this weekly roundup of news and events affecting women and girls in the Washington metro region.  Let us know what you think in the comments!  In this week’s roundup: Free health screenings on MLK Day…. Proposed changes to how home care aides are paid…. Raising standards for Head Start…. Tips for teen job seekers…. And a review of a movie about one of the most powerful women of the last century.

United Way of the National Capital Area is holding two free health screenings on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Residents will also have the opportunity to consult with a physician at the screenings.  They’ll be held from 10am to 4pm in Annandale, VA and Colmar Manor, MD.  Please click here for more details.

The US Department of Labor is proposing changes to the regulations for in-home care providers.  The changes would extend the minimum wage and overtime coverage of companionship and live-in workers.  According to Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis: “The vast majority of these workers are women, many of whom serve as the primary breadwinner for their families.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that home health care will be one of the fastest growing occupations of the 21st Century.  Comments to the proposed changes can be submitted by February 27th.  Click here for details.

IMPACT Silver Spring, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner, is accepting nominations for the 2012 Momentum Awards.  The awards “seek to recognize those individuals and organizations that are activating the power of our community’s diversity to build momentum toward positive social, economic and civic impact.  Please click here to find out how to begin the nomination process.

Raising standards for Head Start programs nationwide strengthens a program that is critically important to children and their parents, writes The New York Times editorial board. Even if the overall quality of the preschool program is improved, however, financing for it may be at risk when spending cuts kick in during the 2013 fiscal year.  “Preschool for disadvantaged children should not be another casualty of the budget wars.”

Goodwill, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner, has tips for first-time teenage job seekers. In addition to ideas for possible positions, advice includes getting your foot in the door and legal restrictions on teen employees.  The Employment Policies Institute reports that teen unemployment is three times the national rate.

“The Iron Lady,” the biopic about Margaret Thatcher, “one of the most powerful and consequential women of the 20th century,” is out and The New York Times’ review is lukewarm. A.O. Scott praises Meryl Streep’s portrayal of the former British prime minister, but says the film’s writer and director create confusion when they “celebrate their heroine as a feminist pioneer while showing her to be tragically unfulfilled according to traditional standards of feminine accomplishment.”  If you see “The Iron Lady” this weekend, let us know what you thought in the comments section below.

Photo credit: cogdogblog via Creative Commons