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WGC OF HOWARD COUNTY
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        • Thank You 2023 Sponsors!
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    • WGC's 20 Years, 20 Stories >
      • #16 - Our Giving, Our Stories
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      • #18 - Local Funding Partnerships
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      • #20 - Celebrating 20 Years of Impact!
    • WGC's 20 Years in Photos - A Snapshot
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$1M in Grantmaking

​
impact

What?

Over 20 years, the WGC has given over $1M in grants to our nonprofit partners with programs that benefit women and girls in Howard County, MD. 
When you stop for just a moment to consider that milestone, it’s simply remarkable. 

When you break down the $1M through the Maryland Women’s Commission Gender Lens, the numbers are impressive: 

  • 35%     Leadership & Political Participation: $363K
  • 21%     Safety & Justice: $217K
  • 19%     Education & Educators: $196K
  • 7%       Health & Wellbeing: $77K
  • 7%       Work & the Economy: $77K
  • 5%       Demographics & Diversity: $58K
  • 5%       Grants TBD to Nonprofit Partners: $55K

Consider the 250 grants given throughout the years ranging from small to large, from one-time to multi-year, focusing on key areas of identified needs. How are those needs identified? In 2019, the WGC created a DEI Committee led by Judy Smith and Hina Naseem. Among the many outcomes of their work was the creation of a framework to view the WGC’s grantmaking through an equity lens. 

And most recently the WGC invested in a living report on the State of Women and Girls in Howard County. This baseline data is designed as a central resource that positions our community to effectively advocate on behalf of women and girls and positively impact legislation, policy, and countywide programming.  

It also positions the WGC to learn from our past grantmaking and enhance our future grantmaking to better support women and girls in our community.

So What?

The good news? It’s already happening. 

In November of last year, the WGC announced a new Social Justice funding partnership with The 3rd and The Highland Project for the creation and implementation of a Leadership Development program for Women of Color in Howard County, Maryland. 

  • “The WGC is proud to partner nationally with The Highland Project and to invest locally in The 3rd. We are excited to provide support to a local organization that is focusing on gender and race equality, and now specifically on leadership opportunities for Women of Color.” - Candace Dodson-Reed and Alison Canning, WGC Grants Committee Co-Chairs

Additionally, the multi-year grant will also invest broadly in the development and growth of The 3rd, a local nonprofit organization building a space that fosters dreams, creates community, and provides mentorship, which enables Women of Color to turn their ideas into economic power and freedom. And what will this funding do? According to Laura Bacon, Founder of The 3rd:

  • “This is what this new funding partnership brings to The 3rd and to Women of Color throughout our community: our growth will be exponential with the local support from the Women’s Giving Circle and the national support from The Highland Project, and we are thrilled that both organizations understand and support the unique challenges we face, and the unique gifts we bring to the table.” - Laura Bacon

Now What?

What might grantmaking look like over the next 20 years of the WGC?

  • “The State of Women and Girls in Howard County gives us a guidebook, a playbook. For 20 years the WGC has done a phenomenal job of really focusing on women and girls in our community. We’re going to be well-informed on what our needs are, where the opportunities are, where the challenges are, and how we can play a role in filling the gaps in those areas. I’m excited about where we’re headed.” - Candace Dodson-Reed

We’re excited, too, and we hope you are, as well! 

While we’re proud of the work we’ve done, there is still much to do. It is going to take all of us working together to address the real, persistent, and pressing issues facing women and girls in our community. 

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? www.womensgivingcircle.org

Be a part of our story.

#WGC20Years
#WGC20Years20Stories

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"Women’s philanthropy shapes the future for women and girls through the power of collective giving​." - Barb Van Winkle, Immediate Past Chair
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WGC is proud to be a fund of the
​Community Foundation of Howard County - cfhoco.org

EIN Number: 52-0937644
Find us on Guidestar Here
​​​WGC is a proud member of several local, regional and national philanthropic organizations 
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www.womensgivingcircle.org

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  • Home
  • About
    • WGC Mission, Vision, Values, Goals
    • WGC Advisory Board
    • WGC Committees
    • WGC 2023-2026 Strategic Plan
    • WGC Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
    • WGC is a Fund of the Community Foundation of Howard County
    • WGC - 20 Years at a Glance
    • WGC Herstory
  • Give
    • WGC's 4 Distinct Ways to Give >
      • WGC Community Member >
        • WGC's 20th Anniversary
        • WGC In Her Honor >
          • In Honor and Memory of WGC Supporter Jackie Melonas
        • WGC Core Support
        • WGC Impact 2024
      • WGC Sponsor Member >
        • Thank You 2023 Sponsors!
        • Thank You 2022 Sponsors!
      • WGC Legacy Member
      • WGC Big Give Member >
        • WGC Big Give $1,200 Individual Donation
        • WGC Big Give $1,200 Team Donation
        • WGC Big Give Process and Grantmaking Guidelines
    • WGC Emergency Response Network
    • WGC Barb Van Winkle Leadership Fund
  • Grants
  • Events
  • News
    • WGC's 20 Years, 20 Stories >
      • #16 - Our Giving, Our Stories
      • #17 - State of Women and Girls in Howard County
      • #18 - Local Funding Partnerships
      • #19 - First Executive Director
      • #20 - Celebrating 20 Years of Impact!
    • WGC's 20 Years in Photos - A Snapshot
    • WGC's State of Women and Girls in Howard County
    • WGC's Our Giving, Our Stories Series >
      • 2023-2021 OGOS Monthly Profiles
      • OGOS Nominations
      • 2022 OGOS Black Philanthropy Month
      • 2021-2020 OGOS Black Philanthropy Month
    • WGC's (S)hero Mosaic
  • Blog
  • Contact