#20 - Celebrating 20 Years of Impact!
Celebrate
What?
When we embarked upon the idea of 20 Years, 20 Stories, our goal was to highlight and to celebrate significant events that occurred throughout the first two decades of the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County.
We started with the Founders of the Circle, and spoke of those who attended that first meeting twenty years ago. One of the Founders went on to become our first Executive Director. And one of the women who attended that first meeting went on to become the Chair of the WGC Advisory Board, finishing her service at the close of our 20th Anniversary Year.
Barb Van Winkle has been a part of the WGC’s journey from the beginning, becoming a member during our earliest days, joining the Advisory Board, serving on Committees, and finally becoming Chair in 2017. Even more than that, Barb has been an enthusiastic cheerleader since the Circle’s inception, and her commitment to the WGC, our mission, our members, our partners, and our initiatives has only grown.
What has Barb’s leadership meant to our community?
So What?
Leaders leave their mark in ways as unique as the individuals selected to serve. The WGC has been fortunate in its leadership throughout the years: the gifts and skills of the women who stepped up to serve are what brought us here to our 20th Anniversary. As we wondered how Barb’s leadership in particular helped to transform the WGC, we asked someone who has been there from the start: Founder Barbara Lawson, for her insights.
The effect an exceptional leader can have on our community is profound. Decisions regarding strategy, direction, areas of focus may begin as conversations and discussions and brainstorms with a variety of stakeholders, but ultimately are very much impacted by the vision of those doing the leading. We reached out to Founder and former Advisory Board Chair Dorothy Harris for her perspective.
And finally, a great leader knows the value of asking for help, of reaching out to others for assistance, of engaging them in the process, of making the case that together we can achieve more. When asked to contemplate how Barb’s leadership invited her financial investment in the WGC, member Cyndi Gula offered the following:
Now What?
What a legacy to leave: unfailing optimism, an open heart, untiring, unstoppable, contagious enthusiasm, invigorating passion. The kind of leader who makes it very easy to step up and say “yes”. Barb Van Winkle embodies all of this and more, which is why the WGC created the Barb Van Winkle Leadership Fund.
As Barb rolls off of a very influential term as WGC’s Advisory Board Chair, this fund is a testament to her and to her vision of leadership. It’s also a testament to all of the leaders who helped the WGC to where we are today, 20 years later.
Our goal is to raise at least $20,000 in honor of Barb's 20 years of leadership and support for the WGC - and in honor of all WGC leaders throughout the last 20 years - who have helped the WGC grow to over 1,600 donors, a $1.3M endowment, and over $1M in grants!
All funds raised will go toward WGC grantmaking and core support as we look to the next 20 years, with a focus on WGC's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts - Barb's legacy.
We hope you, too, are inspired by Barb to say yes to assisting the WGC’s mission.
As we reflect on how far we’ve come, let us celebrate the strong and empowered women who brought us to where we are today. And let us consider those among us even now - or those yet to join - who will carry us forward throughout the next two decades of fulfilling our mission of building a community of philanthropists and creating a permanent legacy to address the needs of women and girls in Howard County.
For 20 years, the WGC has dedicated itself to leveraging our collective dollars, to amplifying the power of collective giving, to building a community of philanthropists and creating a permanent legacy to address the needs of women and girls in Howard County. Will you join us and help to support the Circle for the next 20 years?
And while this may be the final of our 20 Years, 20 Stories series, even now we’re looking forward to writing the next chapter. We hope that you’ll join us and choose to be a part of our story.
Will you join us?
Be a part of our story.
#WGC20Years
#WGC20Years20Stories
Celebrate
What?
When we embarked upon the idea of 20 Years, 20 Stories, our goal was to highlight and to celebrate significant events that occurred throughout the first two decades of the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County.
- These 20 stories are among many that have made the WGC what it is today, and are representative of the efforts of hundreds of women choosing to pool our dollars to have a greater impact together than we might otherwise have alone. We have collectively supported numerous nonprofit partners who are focused on women and girls and have engaged many along the way to try and make a difference. - Barb Van Winkle, WGC Chair, Jennifer Bodensiek & Candace Dodson-Reed, WGC 20th Anniversary Co-Chairs, Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, WGC Executive Director
We started with the Founders of the Circle, and spoke of those who attended that first meeting twenty years ago. One of the Founders went on to become our first Executive Director. And one of the women who attended that first meeting went on to become the Chair of the WGC Advisory Board, finishing her service at the close of our 20th Anniversary Year.
Barb Van Winkle has been a part of the WGC’s journey from the beginning, becoming a member during our earliest days, joining the Advisory Board, serving on Committees, and finally becoming Chair in 2017. Even more than that, Barb has been an enthusiastic cheerleader since the Circle’s inception, and her commitment to the WGC, our mission, our members, our partners, and our initiatives has only grown.
What has Barb’s leadership meant to our community?
- Barb's leadership of WGC means that there is always a friendly, energetic and extremely sincere presence to look up to, to guide you, and to work alongside you. Barb was the first person to reach out to me at my first community event after I started The 3rd. She recognizes women's niches and superpowers and enthusiastically invites you to bring whatever that is to the WGC. I will be forever grateful for this meeting and the connection not only to Barb but the connection to WGC. - Laura Bacon, The 3rd
So What?
Leaders leave their mark in ways as unique as the individuals selected to serve. The WGC has been fortunate in its leadership throughout the years: the gifts and skills of the women who stepped up to serve are what brought us here to our 20th Anniversary. As we wondered how Barb’s leadership in particular helped to transform the WGC, we asked someone who has been there from the start: Founder Barbara Lawson, for her insights.
- Barb VanWinkle has led the WGC with vision, passion, unfailing optimism and an open heart. She is a woman who knows, without a doubt, what a collective of women can achieve. She is the “Unstoppable, Barb VanWinkle!” - Barbara Lawson
The effect an exceptional leader can have on our community is profound. Decisions regarding strategy, direction, areas of focus may begin as conversations and discussions and brainstorms with a variety of stakeholders, but ultimately are very much impacted by the vision of those doing the leading. We reached out to Founder and former Advisory Board Chair Dorothy Harris for her perspective.
- I want to congratulate Barbara for a job well done as Chair of the WGC of Howard County’s Advisory Board over the past five years. Her accomplishments are many. The one that I want to highlight is her untiring work to make the organization more inclusive of women of color. I think it benefits the organization and our community as a whole the most. Achievements like this are not a daily occurrence but Barbara worked and gave of herself in a way that made it seem almost routine. I am truly proud of her and proud to call her my friend. - Dorothy Harris
And finally, a great leader knows the value of asking for help, of reaching out to others for assistance, of engaging them in the process, of making the case that together we can achieve more. When asked to contemplate how Barb’s leadership invited her financial investment in the WGC, member Cyndi Gula offered the following:
- I have been pleasantly “Barbed”, which is what it is called when Barb Van Winkle reaches out to you for help. Her enthusiasm is contagious and her passion is invigorating. Her leadership makes it very easy to step up and say “yes” to assist the WGC mission. - Cyndi Gula
Now What?
What a legacy to leave: unfailing optimism, an open heart, untiring, unstoppable, contagious enthusiasm, invigorating passion. The kind of leader who makes it very easy to step up and say “yes”. Barb Van Winkle embodies all of this and more, which is why the WGC created the Barb Van Winkle Leadership Fund.
As Barb rolls off of a very influential term as WGC’s Advisory Board Chair, this fund is a testament to her and to her vision of leadership. It’s also a testament to all of the leaders who helped the WGC to where we are today, 20 years later.
Our goal is to raise at least $20,000 in honor of Barb's 20 years of leadership and support for the WGC - and in honor of all WGC leaders throughout the last 20 years - who have helped the WGC grow to over 1,600 donors, a $1.3M endowment, and over $1M in grants!
All funds raised will go toward WGC grantmaking and core support as we look to the next 20 years, with a focus on WGC's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts - Barb's legacy.
- Women’s philanthropy shapes the future for women and girls through the power of collective giving. - Barb Van Winkle
We hope you, too, are inspired by Barb to say yes to assisting the WGC’s mission.
As we reflect on how far we’ve come, let us celebrate the strong and empowered women who brought us to where we are today. And let us consider those among us even now - or those yet to join - who will carry us forward throughout the next two decades of fulfilling our mission of building a community of philanthropists and creating a permanent legacy to address the needs of women and girls in Howard County.
For 20 years, the WGC has dedicated itself to leveraging our collective dollars, to amplifying the power of collective giving, to building a community of philanthropists and creating a permanent legacy to address the needs of women and girls in Howard County. Will you join us and help to support the Circle for the next 20 years?
And while this may be the final of our 20 Years, 20 Stories series, even now we’re looking forward to writing the next chapter. We hope that you’ll join us and choose to be a part of our story.
Will you join us?
Be a part of our story.
#WGC20Years
#WGC20Years20Stories
