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The Women's FundTogether We Can Accomplish What None of Us Could Do AloneIntroductionWho Are We? What Are Our Goals?What Has Been Accomplished So Far?Taking It to the Next Level: “The Five in 5 Drive” to Raise an Additional $500,000 for the FundHow You Can HelpBenefits of Being a DonorCurrent Members of the WF Leadership CommitteeIf You’re a Nonprofit Organization Seeking a GrantIntroductionWomen have made important strides in the past few decades, achieving greater numbers of leadership positions in business, academia, government and the military than ever before. How can it still be, then, that two-thirds of American adults who live below the poverty line are women? How is it that more than one-third of all women-headed households in the U.S. fall below poverty level? What are we to think in a nation where a girl without a high school diploma has a 90% chance of being poor and raising children who will also live in poverty? We think it’s time that we, as women in South Central New York, put the collective power of our hearts, our minds and our money to work to find solutions to these and many other serious issues that are having a profound impact on women and girls, right here in our communities. Our Mission Statement: “The Women’s Fund exists to improve and empower the lives of women and girls in the region through collective and engaged philanthropy among women.” Who Are We? What Are Our Goals?We’re women (and numerous men, as well) from Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego and Tioga counties who have made a personal commitment to reinforce our convictions with our actions, believing – as human service organizations throughout the world have found – that when you invest in women, you raise the economic and social health of the entire family, and ultimately, of society. Right here in our own area we have low-income women trapped in vicious cycles of poverty, under-education and economic dependency. We have single parent, female-headed households struggling to keep jobs, pay the bills and raise children without spousal or, often, family support. Teen pregnancy rates are at alarming levels. Women are suffering as victims in domestic violence situations. A disproportionate percentage of our poor seniors are women. Good people and organizations are working hard to address some of these issues in the region, but their efforts are often under-funded. There’s still so much more to be done, and that’s where The Women’s Fund comes in. Our goals are to:
Listen to some of our voices: “The Women’s Fund is an important resource for the improvement of the lives of others. I appreciate that The Women’s Fund can make a difference in women’s and girls’ lives. I have benefited from the wisdom, generosity and kindness of others. So, it’s now my turn to give.” Suzanne McLeod “I think it is important to encourage women to do more charitable giving; I also think it is good to focus our attention on the issues that affect other women in our communities.” Lauryn P. Gouldin “I donate to The Women’s Fund because the Fund helps women and girls in a fundamental way. I can see where my money goes.” Pamela Summers “I believe in helping women of all ages be all that they can be!” Cherry Foster “I am interested in The Women’s Fund
because I work with adolescent females; I also feel it is time I start
‘giving back’ more to my community.” Patricia Gazda-Grace Who “runs” The Women’s Fund? The Women’s Fund Leadership Committee oversees the activities of the Fund and serves as an advisory committee to the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation for South Central New York, which has the actual legal responsibility for the operation of the Fund. Staff of the Community Foundation assist. The Leadership Committee’s members (as well as those of other Women’s Fund committees) are drawn entirely from the donor base of the Fund. Any donor who is interested in serving on a Women’s Fund committee may express her or his interest in doing so to either a Leadership Committee member or to Foundation staff. Other committees made up of donors to the Fund include the Grant Review Committee, the Development Committee and the Special Events Committee. What Has Been Accomplished So Far?The Women’s Fund – still a young and growing fund – has already made $33,400 in grants to nearly twenty projects and programs at nonprofit agencies throughout the six-county region we serve. Issues addressed include sexual violence and domestic abuse, financial literacy for women, character and leadership development for girls, women’s health, good parenting skills, Internet safety and more. More than 450 women and girls have received direct assistance, training or services in past grant cycles. The 2009 grants will increase this total. Hundreds more have been positively affected through “train-the-trainer” projects. Women’s Fund donors have participated in philanthropic grantmaking. And hundreds more area women and men have learned about the power of women’s philanthropy. Click here to view the list of all Women’s Fund grants awarded to date. Click here for information about applying for grants from The Women’s Fund. Taking It to the Next Level: “The Five in 5 Drive”As with all funds housed and managed by the Community Foundation, The Women’s Fund is governed by a spending policy that says that up to four percent of assets in the Fund (based on a rolling average of assets over twelve previous financial quarters) may be used for grantmaking; less than two percent is used to support costs of administering the Fund and for Foundation operations; and the rest is invested to help build the Fund over time and assure grantmaking for the future. Currently The Women’s Fund’s total fund balance stands at approximately $287,000. In 2008 and ’09 the Fund issued $7,000 in grants each year. But, as donors, we know that the needs of the region’s women and girls are pressing and that more needs to be done. So, two years ago we embarked on an ambitious campaign to raise an additional $500,000 for The Women’s Fund by the end of 2012. The campaign is called “The Five in 5 Drive” ($500,000 in five years). We’re approximately 23% of the way towards the goal. When we reach it, we estimate we’ll be able to award about $25,000 to $30,000 in grants each year. If we’ve been able to achieve results like those listed above with just a few thousand dollars in grants per year, imagine the impact our grantmaking will have when we reach our goal and so multiply the total annual dollar value of our grants by a factor of four! We invite you to join us in the work of The Women’s Fund! How You Can HelpSince The Women’s Fund is donor-driven, the first step is to make a contribution to the Fund. Gifts of any size are always gratefully accepted. To achieve the ambitious goal of the “Five in 5 Drive,” though, we are asking donors to consider a personally significant gift that is proportionate to the work that needs to be done for the women and girls in our area. If you can consider pledging a gift of $500, perhaps even $1,000 or higher (you can spread your gift out over up to five years if you wish), that would go a long way toward helping The Women’s Fund to reach its $500,000 goal. Your gift can be in the form of cash or
checks*; for greater convenience, you can also use VISA or MC (and we
can set up a schedule of periodic pledge payments for any of these). You
might also consider a gift of appreciated stock or mutual funds (please
contact us for more information
prior to making this type of gift). For those who aren’t in a position to make a gift right now, but would be interested in learning more about planned giving options or bequests, we would be happy to speak with you at your convenience. (Contact us) Ready to make a gift or pledge of support? Call us at (607) 772-6773 or download a convenient form to mail to our office: Community Foundation for South Central New York, 70 Front St., Binghamton, NY 13905. Benefits of Being a DonorOne of the best things about being a Women’s Fund donor is that, always, you have the freedom to decide just what you want your level of involvement in the Fund to be. Some women want to volunteer to take an active role in the Fund, taking part on committees, providing leadership, assisting with special events, helping to review proposals and award grants, working to raise awareness and additional monies. We couldn’t do it without them and are grateful for all their efforts! But other donors value the convenience of being able to make a gift and then get on with their busy schedules, knowing that they’re supporting a cause they believe in and achieving local impact that they can feel good about. As one donor puts it, “As a busy professional, I realized that I could simply write a check and know that a group of committed women will put it to good use in my community.” Whichever decision is best for you, please know that all donors receive invitations to The Women’s Fund’s Annual Breakfast, a combination annual meeting/fundraising event that is generally held in late spring and that gives donors the opportunity to hear more about the grants that are awarded by the Fund. You will also receive issues of the twice-yearly Women’s Fund newsletter. And, since The Women’s Fund is a component fund of the Community Foundation for South Central New York, you will also be invited to the Foundation’s annual Holiday Reception and receive the Foundation’s own twice-yearly newsletters and annual report. The best benefit of all, though, is knowing that your philanthropy is making a real difference – a difference you can see – for women and girls right here in our local communities. Interested? If you’d like more information about The Women’s Fund, or if you’d like someone to speak to your organization or group about the Fund, contact us or call (607) 772-6773. To view a recent Women’s Fund newsletter, click here. For the most up-to-date news about The Women’s Fund, click here. Current Members of the WF Leadership CommitteeLisanne Bobby, Chair “Never
doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed people can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing Margaret Mead Loading
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