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One of WGC's "Break the Cycle" Period Product Drive interns picked up a car full of products today from our partners at the Howard County Library System and dropped them off to our partners at Howard County Public School System.
We are honored to work in partnership with so many to support women and girls in our community. Learn more about WGC's "Break the Cycle" Period Product Drive here.
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new year, lots going on. Happy New Year! We are ready for the year ahead and the opportunities we have to bring us all together to learn, share, connect, and pool our dollars to support women and girls in our community. We appreciate the importance of building community and being there for one another, now more than ever. To that end, I hope you will join us at our upcoming WGC Annual Celebration & Pink Party on Tuesday, March 4, 5:30 - 7:30 pm - at Howard Community College, where we will discuss "The Continuum of Women's Health and How Philanthropy Can Help" with Keynote Speaker Elizabeth Edsall Kromm, PhD, Director of the Prevention and Health Promotion Administration for the Maryland Department of Health. You can purchase tickets and/or sponsor here - see you soon! READ THE FULL ENEWSLETTER HERE There are numerous additional ways to support the WGC - from donating to WGC's Break the Cycle Period Product Drive, to supporting a woman in need through WGC's Emergency Response Network, to becoming a WGC 2025 Sponsor, to joining the WGC's 2025 Big Give, to leaving a Legacy Gift to the WGC ... and more. Any gift, of any size, is valued and appreciated! This, is the power of our giving circle. Thank you for all you do to support women and girls. Please contact WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz with any questions. Sincerely, Jennifer Woods WGC Advisory Board Chair [email protected] www.womensgivingcircle.org 
2024 WGC Grants
 The Women's Giving Circle of Howard County is proud to amplify the voices and stories of women givers in our community through our regular series "Our Giving, Our Stories". Inspiring philanthropic leadership and increasing giving by amplifying the voices of women and girls are among the goals of this effort and we are committed to advancing this important work in our community. This month we are profiling Dr. Abbie Diane Martin in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Read Dr. Abbie Diane Martin's full profile here What advice do you have for those interested in giving back? "Connect with others who have the same passion. Look for a need and work with others to find solutions. Then develop a plan to address the need. There is plenty of work to be done - so jump into the vineyard and get involved in a cause that you know will make a difference for one or many." Dr. Abbie Diane Martin supports the following:
Learn more about the WGC's "Our Giving, Our Stories" and nominate a woman today! We are always accepting the names of women throughout the year who may be profiled for their inspiring philanthropic leadership.  As we begin the new year, we are proud that the WGC continues to play a role in leading the national women’s collective giving movement and the growth of the philanthropic sector overall.
WGC Executive Director, Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, and our Immediate Past Chair, Barb Van Winkle currently serve on the Board of Philanos, the national women’s collective giving organization. Philanos’ mission is to support and strengthen women's collective giving organizations through education and collaboration designed to promote women's philanthropy and informed, impactful grant making in communities. Barb serves on the Executive Committee as the Treasurer and Buffy is the co-Chair of the Communications Committee. Philanos hosts monthly webinars and regular Affinity Group virtual meetings that all WGC donors are invited to attend! Learn more here. In October 2024, WGC leaders worked on a national level to bring attention and resources to underserved communities through collective giving by participating in multiple convenings and educational experiences with the Philanos Board of Directors in Mississippi and Alabama. This trip provided an unprecedented opportunity for the Philanos Board, and for Barb and Buffy to learn about the history and current conditions in the South, and how we can help elevate community-centric giving in the region, and they are brought this learning and knowledge to the WGC to inform our ongoing work. "We were proud to be among those working nationally to bring additional attention and resources to underserved communities" said Barb Van Winkle, Immediate Past WGC Chair. "We will continue to support this important work and bring what we learn to the Women's Giving Circle." The WGC was honored to co-host the 2023 Philanos PowerUP! Baltimore National Conference, which brought together hundreds of leaders in the women's collective giving movement to learn, share, network, and connect together. Numerous WGC leaders played a role in the success of this conference, including serving as panelists and facilitators for the gathering. And, WGC's Malynda Madzel was awarded the prestigious national Willoughby Award at the conference for her efforts to change the status quo for philanthropy in our community. WGC will play a role in coordinating the upcoming 2026 Philanos PowerUP! Texas National Conference - mark your calendars! Buffy also serves on the national Steering Committee for this year’s Philanthropy Together We Give Summit May 13-15, 2025. Philanthropy Together is a global initiative, co-created by hundreds of collective giving leaders, to scale and strengthen the growing movement. They are on a mission to diversify and democratize philanthropy. Buffy, Barb, and other WGC leaders have served on We Give Summit panels in the past, sharing about WGC's efforts, and learning from others. Buffy currently serves on the September 2025 Maryland Philanthropy Network Annual Member Gathering planning committee. MPN's mission is to build and activate a diverse, informed, and effective network of philanthropists to inspire transformational impact throughout Maryland. "We are honored to be learning, sharing, and connecting with other women's collective giving leaders across the country who are rolling up their sleeves and doing this important work" said WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz. "We are proud to be a part of Philanos, Philanthropy Together, and the Maryland Philanthropy Network and participating in important efforts while representing the WGC and we will continue to help do this work nationally, regionally, and here in our community." We are proud that WGC leaders are playing a role in leading the growth of the national women's collective giving movement and the national and regional philanthropic sector overall, which ultimately supports and uplifts all we are collectively doing here in Howard County.  Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County Announces New Leadership
The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County is very pleased to announce the addition of three new members to its Advisory Board, as well as the full slate of Executive Committee and Advisory Board members for 2025. The newly elected Advisory Board members are Shaundra Turner Jones, Yolanda Sonnier, and Robin Stimson. “We are thrilled to welcome these incredibly talented women, each of whom bring diverse experience and unique backgrounds to the Women’s Giving Circle” said WGC Advisory Board Chair Jennifer Bodensiek. As well, we are very grateful to Adora Brown, April Force Pardoe, and Barbara Peart, whose terms are ending on the WGC Advisory Board after years of dedicated leadership and service. “Adora, April, and Barbara have deep community knowledge and a true passion for philanthropy” said Jennifer Bodensiek. “We have been 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 WGC is honoring Adora, April, and Barbara for all that they have done and will continue to do for the WGC through the WGC’s Barb Van Winkle Leadership Fund. This is a fund honoring former WGC Chair Barb Van Winkle and all WGC leaders, and we invite gifts in honor of WGC women's philanthropic leadership the last 23 years with a gift in her/their honor. Shaundra Turner Jones Shaundra Turner Jones is Principal and Founder of STJ PR, Communications & Consulting, LLC. As an outcomes-driven strategic communications leader with extensive corporate communications, public relations, media relations, crisis management, public affairs, foundation and reputation management experience, her inclusive approach to problem solving consistently produces top-tier results for clients. This proven PR maven leverages relationships, strategic communications and effective public relations to support business growth. As a trusted partner to chief executives and senior leadership, she brings a keen sense of audience understanding, creativity, an ability to see blind spots, discretion and sound judgment to successfully navigate challenges and grow the business. Shaundra is an advocate of positively impacting the community through service. She and her family take pride in giving back and helping others. Learn more Yolanda Sonnier Yolanda F. Sonnier is the Administrator at the Office of Human Rights and Equity for Howard County Government. She also serves as the President of the Maryland Association of Human Relations/Rights Agencies (MAHRA). In this leadership role she serves on the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention out of the Office of Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown. Yolanda feels strongly that human rights and equity is only accomplished in communities where all persons are engaged. She is passionate about engaging with the next generation, believes that we need the strength, innovation, passion, and excitement of our young people, and believes that teaching human rights and equity transforms our communities for the better. Learn more Robin Stimson Robin M. Stimson is the Community Engagement Manager at Columbia Association (CA). In her role, she spearheads initiatives that position the organization as a leader and key partner in Columbia, Maryland. Robin is passionate about advancing the CA mission and vision by helping to develop and maintain policy, service standards and protocols around programs and outreach. Robin has a Bachelor of Arts and Humanities in History from the University of Maryland College Park, as well as a master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland Baltimore. She credits her social work experience as key in her ability to advocate, educate and facilitate connection. Robin believes in the power of community to cultivate essential resources and programs for those in need, which includes educational workshops, grassroots advocacy, multimedia content, tailored peer support and innovative workplace change initiatives at local, state and national levels. Learn more The Women’s Giving Circle is building a community of philanthropists to address the needs of women and girls in 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 have been part of the Howard County community for 22+ years, have given $1.2 M+ to our nonprofit partners and we have a $1.1 M endowment from 1,700+ donors that will ensure that there are funds to support women and girls in our community in perpetuity. The full 2025 slate of WGC Executive Committee and Advisory Board members are: Executive Committee:
Advisory Board Members:
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"Women’s philanthropy shapes the future for women and girls through the power of collective giving." - Jennifer Woods, Chair
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