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February 21, 2020 - The Women's Giving Circle of Howard County has received $10,000 from the Horizon Foundation to help leverage our new initiative to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion for women in Howard County. This grant is building upon funding the WGC received last year from the National Giving Circle Infrastructure Initiative to support efforts to undertake foundational internal work to operationalize our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This work is part of the WGC’s new IMPACT 2024 Campaign. “We are building on our core values to enhance our mission by implementing a diversity, equity and inclusion lens to and through our work - values that have always been important to us and that we are now prioritizing” said WGC Chair Barb Van Winkle. The WGC, through the Community Foundation of Howard County, is among the grantees that received a community opportunity grant to support local nonprofits in carrying out their missions. “We are proud to work in partnership with the Women’s Giving Circle to help make Howard County a place where everyone has an opportunity to thrive” said Nikki Highsmith Vernick, president and CEO of the Horizon Foundation. The Horizon Foundation awarded $1.87 million in grants to 79 organizations and members of the community in 2019 as part of its mission to improve health and wellness for people who live or work in Howard County, MD. “Having an investment of support and financial resources from the Horizon Foundation will be an invaluable catalyst for our efforts to undertake foundational internal work that operationalizes our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion” said WGC DEI Committee Co-Chairs Hina Naseem and Judy Smith. "We are looking forward to strengthening the Women's Giving Circle for the future through this important work." Contact WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz with any questions: wgcexecutivedirector@wgchowardcounty.org 
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 February 20, 2020
Many thanks to everyone who took action today and donated to help a woman in need right here in our community. We asked, and our network of women philanthropists responded - and in less than an hour we collectively raised $1,000 - thank you! You can find details of the request below. The WGC Emergency Response Network was created to provide an opportunity for WGC donors to help women in need. When our nonprofit partners are working with a woman with an immediate need, they submit a request to the WGC. Emergency Response Network Requests:
Thank you for your support of women and girls in our community through the WGC's Emergency Response Network (ERN). We are making a bigger difference together than we might otherwise be able to alone - the reason for the success of our giving circle! If you have any questions about the WGC or our Emergency Response Network, please email wgcexecutivedirector@wgchowardcounty.org FEBRUARY 20, EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK REQUEST - THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Our partners at HopeWorks requested $1,000 to help a woman in need: Zoey* (name changed for confidentiality purposes) is a mother in her 30's with a 3-year old daughter. Zoey and her daughter came to HopeWorks in late 2019 after calling the hotline seeking safety from her emotionally and financially-abusive intimate partner. Zoey’s abuser had also physically harmed their daughter. Zoey was an undocumented immigrant upon entering HopeWorks’ Safe House and her abuser utilized various tactics to prevent her from obtaining the documentation needed to become a legal immigrant. Zoey proactively met with her Case Manager at Safe House and immediately gathered and utilized the resources available to her. She worked tirelessly to get benefits for her daughter, ensure both of them had healthcare, and acquire necessary legal assistance. Zoey acquired pro-bono lawyers for her protective order, divorce/custody, and immigration cases, and they have remained supportive as her abuser proves elusive and refuses to comply with terms agreed upon in court. Zoey was also connected with HopeWorks’ counseling department and continues to regularly access those services. Zoey stayed her full 3-months at Safe House before moving to HopeWorks’ 1-year transitional program. Zoey does not have her own transportation but continues to make it to the Baltimore area to meet with her lawyers and complete the necessary paperwork and processes as quickly as possible. She is finally able to submit her I-485 application as a VAWA self-petitioner (Violence Against Women Act), but needs help in covering the legal fees associated with the application for protection. Zoey is also hoping to enroll her daughter in HeadStart and looks forward to employment as soon as she secures her work permit. Funds from the Women’s Giving Circle will be used to help Zoey obtain legal immigration protection as a result of being a victim of domestic violence and to get her work permit. On behalf of our partners at HopeWorks we are hoping to raise $1,000 to help this woman.  The WGC's Young Women's Giving Circle (YWGC) is continuing to collect feminine products to provide to women and girls in need in Howard County.
The Feminine Product Drive started a few weeks ago and collection boxes around the county are already stuffed. And, the YWGC has already raised over $500 to purchase products as well. The Feminine Product Drive and monetary donation collection runs through March 2020. The YWGC has chosen to focus on this because it is a need that is easily and often overlooked. Did you know ...
Collection Sites:
Sponsored by the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, YWGC is comprised of girls in 7th - 12th grade who share the same passion: helping women and girls in need. Members of the YWGC raise money and make grants to nonprofit organizations in Howard County whose missions support women and girls. “We are so proud of these young philanthropists who are committing themselves to learn more about the community and raising money to fund programs that are meaningful to them” said Barb Van Winkle, WGC Advisory Board Chair. Please help spread the word! You can follow the Collection drive Instagram page @YWGCdrive, and spread the word to friends. We look forward to the collective impact we will make together in Howard County, and specifically in the lives of hundreds of women and girls. Please continue to donate feminine hygiene products today or give today - and, please help to spread the word - thank you! Contact YWGC Co-Chairs Lee Draminski and April Force Pardoe with any questions at: youth@wgchowardcounty.org The Women’s Giving Circle is building a community of philanthropists and creating a permanent legacy to address the needs of women and girls in Howard County. The WGC is a fund of the Community Foundation of Howard County. We bring women together to learn about issues impacting women and girls in our community, and pool our dollars to fund programs that address those issues so we can have a greater impact together than we might otherwise have alone. We fund programs that benefit women and girls because nonprofits and programs that focus on women and girls are traditionally underfunded. And, as far as our support for girls, we know that young girls benefit from programs specially designed to meet their needs. We’ve been part of the Howard County community for 19 years, have raised over $1 million to support our efforts from over 1,000 donors, and have given over $500,000 through over 100 grants to nonprofits that support women and girls in our community. In 2019 we gave over $55,000 in grants to our nonprofit partners to empower women and girls. And we’ve done all this together – as a giving circle. A giving circle is formed when individuals come together and pool their dollars, decide together where to give the money, and learn together about their community and philanthropy. There are thousands of giving circles across the country that have given millions of dollars collectively to have an impact on a wide variety of issues. We are so proud to be an early participant in this growing trend of collective giving.  We had a fantastic Happy Hour tonight where we discussed our grants focused on girls in Howard County. Thank you to all who joined us and to our partners at Leadership Howard County for hosting us! #WGCHappyHour #Philanthropy #GivingCircles 
It's #GalentinesDay on Thursday, February 13 - a fun holiday to celebrate female friendship! Research from the Women's Philanthropy Institute shows that 70% of giving circles are majority women - how about making a difference through your philanthropy by honoring someone special with a gift to the Women's Giving Circle this #GalentinesDay?
Giving a gift that supports women and girls is a way to celebrate and honor the women and girls in your life while making a lasting impact for women and girls in Howard County for the future. Learn more here and/or give below - thank you!  The Women's Giving Circle is excited to participate in the Her Mind Live event on March 5, 1:00-7:30 pm at Laurel Park! A number of WGC Advisory Board members and donors will take part in the day and we will be providing information about the WGC at the event. And, WGC will be featured in the Her Mind Magazine, in the Helping Howard section! As the Her Mind Live website states: Her Mind Live is part networking, part personal & professional growth and part fun and will offer:
A donation will be made to Blossoms of Hope whose mission is to enhance the quality of life through beautification projects and support for cancer and other causes.  WGC is excited to participate again this year in the Visionary Women: Paving the Way Exhibit in partnership with the Columbia Art Center. Visionary Women is an art exhibit hosted by the Columbia Art Center - by women, for women in recognition of National Women’s History Month from March 8 - 29, 2020. WGC has two opportunities for our donors to enjoy this fantastic exhibit:
There is no cost to attend. Please RSVP here.   The WGC is proud to fund Journey again this year! Journey Camp for Girls, or “Journey” is a week-long camp for rising 7th, 8th, and 9th grade girls in Howard County, MD that is run by Maryland Leadership Workshops and conceived of and funded by the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County. The idea behind Journey is to bring girls, in their formative years together to learn about leadership, empowerment, and community. At Journey each student identifies her own leadership skills, strengths, and challenges in a supportive and fun environment that fosters self-esteem and confidence. Journey 2020 will be held July 12-July 18 at Washington College:
A week at Journey includes:
Support for Journey provided by the Women’s Giving Circle, a fund of the Community Foundation of Howard County. Contact information for Maryland Leadership Workshops: 301-444-8623; office@mlw.org; mlw.org #Journey2020  The WGC is proud to fund this amazing program again this year: JHU Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) hosts Girl Power, a STEM expo for middle and high school girls, with support from the Maryland Space Business Roundtable and the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County.
The event features hands-on activities, cool demonstrations, and take-home material for the girls to encourage an interest in STEM careers. Girls have the opportunity to talk to professional women in STEM careers such as aerospace, computer science, electrical engineering, geology, information technology, and space mission engineering. There is no registration required. Girl Power 2020 is scheduled for March 15, 2020, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Mark your calendars and help spread the word! More information will be available soon. Last year this event attracted over 700 elementary and middle school students for a crowd of 1,100+. We are honored to be a long-time sponsor of this wonderful #STEM event for girls! #womenshistorymonth #girlpower  Members of the WGC Advisory Board are are reading "Waking Up White" as we continue our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work.
The reading and discussion of this book is a first step in our overall DEI efforts, which is part of WGC's Impact 2024. Impact 2024 is WGC’s five-year, $500,000 fundraising effort and focus on diversity, equity and inclusion for women in Howard County. We are fundraising to build on our past and enhance our future by increasing our grantmaking to programs that benefit women and girls, as well as strengthening our infrastructure to grow the circle. And, we are enhancing our core values to better meet our mission by implementing a diversity, equity and inclusion lens to all of our work. We will be enhancing our core values to better meet our mission by implementing a diversity, equity and inclusion lens throughout every aspect of the work WGC does under the leadership of WGC DEI Committee Co-Chairs Hina Naseem and Judy Smith. This will be a meaningful and important journey for the WGC, and we look forward to many WGC donors joining us.  YWGC Members, along with Nette Stokes of JustLiving Advocacy, Inc, prepare Feminine Product Collection Boxes The YWGC is collecting and providing feminine products to county residents in need - for their inaugural year philanthropic project. Did you know ...
This is a need, that is easily and often overlooked. Please help and bring some dignity back to our women and girls in this effort. Please donate feminine hygiene products today or give today - monetary donations collected will be used to purchase items. At this time, YWGC will be collecting products at the following sites:
Howard County Businesses! Please let us know if you would be willing to serve as a collection site - thank you! YWGC participants were honored to meet this week with mentor Nette Stokes, Founder of JustLiving Advocacy, Inc., who has also spearheaded collection efforts for years and who has just donated supplies to the YWGC. "The YWGC is doing great things and I am very proud of them" said Ms. Stokes. Sponsored by the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, YWGC is comprised of girls in 7th - 12th grade who share the same passion: helping women and girls in need. Members of the YWGC raise money and make grants to nonprofit organizations in Howard County whose missions support women and girls. “We are so proud of these young philanthropists who are committing themselves to learn more about the community and raising money to fund programs that are meaningful to them” said Barb Van Winkle, WGC Advisory Board Chair. Please help spread the word! You can follow the Collection drive Instagram page @YWGCdrive, and spread the word to friends. We look forward to the collective impact we will make together in Howard County, and specifically in the lives of hundreds of women and girls. Contact YWGC Co-Chairs Lee Draminski and April Force Pardoe with any questions at: youth@wgchowardcounty.org  The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County received the request below from our partners at FIRN to help with an immediate need in the community through our Emergency Response Network (ERN). They requested $800 to help a woman in need and in a very short period of time, our donors responded and funded the request in full - thank you!
Here's the request that we helped with: This woman is a 34-year-old Howard County resident and a mother of three who has been working as a janitor for many years. In the past few months, she developed a hernia that made it impossible to lift or bend, forcing her to quit her job. The client has been told by doctors that surgical treatment is the only way to repair it. She is uninsured and cannot pay for treatment. She is late with her rent and was able to pay only $600 of the $1,400 she owes for December. Although she has another job prospect, she still needs $800 to pay the rest of this month’s rent. We pooled your contributions and will send the funds directly to our partners at FIRN. We are making a bigger difference together than we might otherwise be able to alone – the reason for our giving circle! If you have any questions about the WGC or our Emergency Response Network, please email wgcexecutivedirector@wgchowardcounty.org Thank you for your support of women and girls in our community through the WGC’s Emergency Response Network (ERN).
 New WGC Advisory Board Members, (L-R) Melissa Curtin, Judy Smith and Mary Thompson December 2019 The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to its Advisory Board: Melissa Curtin, Judy Smith and Mary Thompson. “I am thrilled to welcome these three talented women, each of whom bring diverse experience and unique backgrounds to the Women’s Giving Circle” said Women’s Giving Circle Advisory Board Chair, Barb Van Winkle. “Each of them have deep community knowledge and a passion for philanthropy, and we are fortunate to have them by our side as we work to shape the future for women and girls in Howard County through the power of collective giving.” The Women’s Giving Circle would also like to express deep appreciation to two distinguished outgoing Advisory Board members, Diana Bailey and Karen Titus, who are leaving the Advisory Board following years of voluntary service. “We are so grateful to Diana and Karen, both of whom made great contributions to the WGC in a variety of ways for many years,” said Van Winkle. “We will miss their vision and leadership, but look forward to continuing to have their support for years to come.” NEW WGC ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Melissa Curtin is the owner of Melissa Curtin Coaching + Consulting, and is a talented and accomplished professional with over 25 years of corporate and nonprofit leadership experience, including personal leadership and organizational development with nonprofit and philanthropy professionals and organizations through individual and team coaching, strategic planning, and nonprofit management consulting. Previously, Melissa served as the President & CEO the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County where she led the revitalization of the foundation, the largest institutional nonprofit funder in the county with a mission to promote, increase, and distribute philanthropy. She also served as the President & CEO of the Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence. Melissa has a Bachelor and Master Degree in Social Work from the University of Wyoming and University of Denver. "I am excited to join the WGC Advisory Board because I believe in the transformative power of collective giving - for those who give, and for those who receive the gifts. I hope to contribute my experience in philanthropy to positively impact women and girls in Howard County." - Melissa Curtin Judy Smith is the Managing Partner of On Point Consulting, where she partners with businesses and nonprofit organizations to prepare them for the impact of digital transformation on their business strategy, operations, and development. She is a dynamic, results-driven leader who is able to create and actualize a vision using sound strategy development and execution, and strong program execution skills. She is an inspirational leader who actively practices principled leadership while at the same time focusing on the financial levers of the business. Judy holds an MBA from the University of Baltimore, MS in Computer Science from the Johns Hopkins University, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University. She completed the Wharton School of Business Executive Leadership Program. "WGC provides an opportunity for me to serve my community, support a cause that I am passionate about, network with wonderful people, and contribute to making the world a better place." - Judy Smith Mary Thompson is the founder of ReFrame Financial Planning, a fee-only Financial Planning and Advisory firm in Howard County, where she helps individuals build financial and purpose-driven transition plans for retirement. Mary specializes in guiding clients through the next chapter of their lives by balancing their financial and personal goals in a way that’s aligned with their values, passions and purpose. Mary also worked for 10 years for FAI Wealth Management in Columbia, MD where she was a Senior Advisor and Partner working with clients to develop and implement investment and financial planning strategies. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with minors in Business and Computer Science from the University at Albany, SUNY. She holds the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM certification. "I've always admired the amazing work the organization has done throughout the community to support and promote the girls and women of Howard County. I am excited to join the WGC Advisory Board to help continue the wonderful work of the organization, to have the opportunity to work with a dedicated group of women, and to take a more active role in promoting the mission of the WGC." - Mary Thompson WGC 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Executive Committee:
Advisory Board Members:
Members of the WGC Advisory Board are reading "Waking Up White" as we begin our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work. The reading and discussion of this book is a first step in our overall DEI efforts, which is part of WGC's Impact 2024. Impact 2024 is WGC’s five-year, $500,000 fundraising effort and focus on diversity, equity and inclusion for women in Howard County. We are fundraising to build on our past and enhance our future by increasing our grantmaking to programs that benefit women and girls, as well as strengthening our infrastructure to grow the circle. And, we are enhancing our core values to better meet our mission by implementing a diversity, equity and inclusion lens to all of our work. We will be enhancing our core values to better meet our mission by implementing a diversity, equity and inclusion lens throughout every aspect of the work WGC does under the leadership of WGC DEI Committee Co-Chairs Hina Naseem and Judy Smith. This will be a meaningful and important journey for the WGC, and we look forward to many WGC donors joining us! 
11/26/19 From the Women's Philanthropy Institute: Understanding the role gender plays in philanthropy empowers organizations to engage their donors most effectively and increase their giving. This is true throughout the year and particularly on #GivingTuesday, a day designated to maximize philanthropic giving. Do men and women give differently on #GivingTuesday? This new report from the Women's Philanthropy Institute finds that the answer is "yes," and includes key findings that can help fundraisers and philanthropists maximize the impact of their #GivingTuesday efforts. Learn more here.   During this week of Thanksgiving, we give thanks to all of you - our donors and friends - who believe in pooling our funds to have a greater impact together than we might otherwise have alone.
WGC's Emergency Response Network (ERN) is an example of this. We recently sent two ERN requests to our donors that raised about $1,400 in hours to help women in need in our community. And, in the past 18 months we have sent 11 ERN requests raising just about $10,000. The WGC's Emergency Response Network was created 15 years ago in response to the desire of many women to provide direct support to other women in need - and WGC donors have done just that by supporting women identified by our nonprofit partner agencies who serve women and girls in Howard County. Thank you all!  The 2019/2020 Young Women's Giving Circle (YWGC) has determined that they will collect and provide feminine products to county residents in need for their inaugural year philanthropic project.
Sponsored by the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, YWGC is comprised of girls in 7th - 12th grade who share the same passion: helping women and girls in need. Members of the YWGC raise money and make grants to nonprofit organizations in Howard County whose missions support women and girls. In a Shark-Tank style format, four groups (STEM education, Mental Health, Women’s Healthcare and Feminine Products) presented topics of interest to three judges: Barb Van Winkle, President of Nancy Adams Personnel and WGC of Howard County Advisory Board President; Nina Basu, President and CEO of Inner Arbor Trust Inc.; and Mary Jordan, Owner of Bra-La-La. In addition to judges voting, YWGC members voted as well. A nearly-unanimous decision was reached by the judges and girls alike to support important access to basic feminine products. “All of the pitches were extremely well-done and well-presented” said Lee Draminski and April Pardoe, WGC Advisory Board Members and Co-Chairs of the Youth Development Committee for the WGC of Howard County. “And in the end, the clear winner was the need to provide greater access to basic feminine products.” Although specific organization(s) have not yet been chosen, the YWGC 2020 did determine the thrust of its philanthropic efforts will be to create a campaign drive and collection of feminine products at key access points and will be strategically distributed accordingly to women and girls as well as organizations post-collection in Howard County. In the coming months, the group will work together to successfully market the campaign through social media and print channels, create corporate partnerships in addition to securing financial donors, identify key collection points, and create a logistics plan on how, when and where to distribute the feminine supplies throughout the County. “We are so proud of these young philanthropists who are committing themselves to learn more about the community and raising money to fund programs that are meaningful to them” said Barb Van Winkle, WGC Advisory Board Chair. If you are interested in assisting with this campaign, please contact us at youth@wgchowardcounty.org. We look forward to the collective minds and power of these highly intelligent and motivated young ladies to display the impact they can make in Howard County and in the lives of hundreds of women and girls.  Brings Extensive Experience in Women’s Philanthropy and Giving Circles
The Advisory Board of the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County, a fund of the Community Foundation of Howard County, is excited to announce the appointment of Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz as its first Executive Director. The Women’s Giving Circle is building a community of philanthropists and creating a permanent legacy to address the needs of women and girls in Howard County. “It is truly full-circle having Buffy take the helm as our first Executive Director almost 20 years after helping to start the circle as a founder, serving as Chair, and then consulting with the WGC the last two years” said Barb Van Winkle, WGC Advisory Board Chair. “As a recognized leader in the field, we are thrilled to have her energy and experience helping to guide the WGC into our 20th year and beyond." Beaudoin-Schwartz is a philanthropic leader whose professional career, volunteer efforts, and activism have been focused on women’s issues, human rights, and social change through philanthropy. She is co-author of the award-winning book Women & Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World, has written articles on women’s giving, and is active with national groups, including Women’s Giving Circles International, Catalist, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded Infrastructure Support Group for the American Giving Circle Field. “I am excited and honored to step into this position” said Beaudoin-Schwartz. “I strongly believe that giving circles help to democratize philanthropy, and that pooling our money so we can have a greater impact together than we might otherwise have alone is a powerful way to engage in giving and invest in women and girls in our community.” She began her career working for an international human rights organization in Washington, DC, and has served as Director of the Baltimore Giving Project, Communications Director at the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (now Maryland Philanthropy Network), and is currently President of her own firm BBS Consulting, working with foundations, nonprofits and political campaigns. Buffy has been recognized for her work in philanthropy: as part of the “Circle of Excellence” having been honored as one of Maryland's Top 100 Women three times - in 2003, 2008 and 2010 by The Daily Record. She was named an "Innovator of the Year" in 2004 by The Daily Record, and one of "40 Under 40" in 2004 by the Baltimore Business Journal. She was a first Impact Award Winner in 2012 by The Mall in Columbia and the WGC, and was honored to be inducted into the Howard County Women's Hall of Fame in 2019. She is active in the community and has served on numerous Boards of Directors including the Community Foundation of Howard County, Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County, Hope Works, Sobar, Our Maryland, and the Friends & Foundation of Howard County Library System, and is involved in gun violence prevention efforts. She has a BA in Russian History from the University of Maryland and has lived in Howard County for almost 30 years. She and her husband Howard have four children ranging in age from 27 – 13 and a newborn granddaughter. Find more information about the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County at www.womensgivingcircle.org  The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County received a request to help with an immediate need in the community through our Emergency Response Network (ERN). - our partners at Grassroots requesting $700 to help a woman in need of a down payment on a car.
And in less than an hour, you responded. The money you collectively donated will help put a down payment on a car from Vehicles for Change so that this woman can commute to work and her large family of six can get affordable housing. This woman and her family have been living at the Grassroots shelter for several months but they will soon be leaving. She is the sole breadwinner of the family which includes a school-age child, a toddler, newborn twins, and her partner who provides the childcare for the family. She works at the Amazon warehouse in Baltimore but it has been a big challenge for her to get to work and take care of her children without a car, which would allow her to keep her well-paying job to support her family and to find affordable housing for all of them. Thank you for your support of women and girls in our community through the WGC’s Emergency Response Network (ERN). We are making a bigger difference together than we might otherwise be able to alone – the reason for our giving circle! If you have any questions about the WGC or our Emergency Response Network, please email wgcchair@womensgivingcircle.org. |
Location"Women’s philanthropy shapes the future for women and girls through the power of collective giving."- Barb Van Winkle, WGC Chair
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