Howard County Executive Allan H. Kittleman and the Department of Community Resources and Services honored individuals and programs that have made a difference in the lives of children at the 19th annual “Celebrating Successes for Children” ceremony held last night. Coordinated by the Department’s Office of Children and Families, the ceremony recognized the contributions and dedication of more than 60 honorees, including child care providers, local businesses, teachers, volunteers, students and coaches.

WGC-Funded Journey Camp for Girls was honored in the Middle and High School Aged Children Category:

Journey, a Leadership Development Program: Journey is a week-long youth leadership development program designed for rising 7th, 8th and 9th grade girls to help foster increased self-esteem and confidence. Founded by the Women’s Giving Circle – a fund of the Community Foundation of Howard County, Journey strives to break down stereotypes that girls face. Each year, 25 promising young women participate in peer-led workshops to develop leadership skills and build self-confidence. A robust scholarship fund ensures participation is not limited to just those who can afford it. Graduates of Journey are equipped with the necessary leadership skills, tools and motivation to help them enhance their schools and communities.

Congratulations to all the honorees recognized at the 19th annual “Celebrating Successes for Children” ceremony!

Read about all the honorees here.
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Photo courtesy of Howard County Government

Dear WGC Donor and Friends,

Today, April 10 is Equal Pay Day. That means women had to work all of 2017 and until this day in 2018 to catch up with what men earned in 2017 alone. We care about this because one of the goals of the WGC is to raise the awareness of gender disparities in our community.
As I walk through my personal and professional travels each day, women who don’t know us ask me what the WGC is and what we are trying to do. My answer is our mission: 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 next question naturally is how we are doing this, which gives me an opportunity to discuss our goals and accomplishments, which you can read more about here.

What is perhaps the most important question that often follows is why … why are women partnering to support programs that benefit women and girls? My answer is comprehensive, which you can read here, but in a nutshell, because programs for women and girls have historically been underfunded, and philanthropy and social change needs to continue to more fully recognize and include women’s voices in order to spark greater investment in issues affecting women and girls in our community, including issues like equal pay.

When I’m done answering these questions, I always have one of my own … “so, do you want to get involved?” 
I hope many of you do.

In fact, one easy way you can get involved today is to help spread the word about ourJourney Camp for Girls. Journey is a week-long summer leadership camp for girls entering 7th, 8th and 9th grade, in partnership with Maryland Leadership Workshop. You can read more about it below, and on our website here.

Here are 3 ways you can help – please:

• Send us the name and email of anyone you think might be interested in learning more – we’ll reach out to them! We are accepting applications from rising 7th, 8th and 9th grade girls.
• Post the link to the Journey Camp page of our website on your social media pages and on any neighborhood, women’s groups and/or school Facebook page groups that might find this camp of interest.
• Forward this eNewsletter to friends and neighbors regarding Journey.

​Thanks for your help with securing another wonderful Journey Camp class!

READ THE APRIL 2018 ENEWSLETTER HERE

Please know I’m always here to answer your questions about the WGC and to help you determine the best way to get involved in whatever way is meaningful for you. Don’t hesitate to contact me or anyone on the WGC Advisory Board at any time. Thank you for your partnership and support!

Sincerely,
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Alison Canning, WGC Chair
aecanning@gmail.com

Each month we are speaking to our donors to learn more about how they are participating in WGC efforts, and why it’s meaningful to them. This month, please meet WGC Advisory Board Member Kim Agnor:

1. How long have you been involved with the WGC, and what is your role now?
Barb Van Winkle introduced me to the WGC about six years ago. Barb asked if my daughter Rachel would be interested in the Young Women’s Giving Circle (YWGC). Rachel was very interested and participated in the program during her sophomore, junior and senior years of high school. Through this connection, I became more familiar with the WGC and was asked in 2015 to serve as treasurer for the advisory board. I currently hold that position and am also the chair of the WGC’s Youth Development Committee.

2. What is your favorite WGC grant or effort, and why?
My favorite WGC effort is all the work we do supporting middle school and high school aged girls in Howard County. We raise funds for JA Rising Women and the Journey Camp for Girls programs. Both of these programs increase life skills of girls and encourage their healthy development and personal authority. They also provide philanthropy and mentoring opportunities for women of all ages.

3. Why should women in Howard County give to the WGC and get involved in WGC efforts?
Women have come a long way, but we have further to go. We want to reach as many Howard County women and girls as we can through our wonderful initiatives. Of course, growing any non-profit like this requires funding and volunteers. We are so grateful to those who have already generously contributed their resources, time and talents to our efforts.

Kim welcomes the opportunity to answer any questions about the WGC – feel free to contact her! Kim@KimAgnorCPA.com


Kim Agnor, Treasurer and Chair of Youth Development Committee, is an accountant with Fisher Ring LLC where she specializes in tax preparation and accounting work for small businesses and non-profits. Kim has served in assistant controller positions at St. John Properties and Questar Builders. Kim earned a BA in Economics and an Accounting Certificate from UMBC. She became licensed in MD as a CPA in 1993 and is a member of the American Association of Certified Public Accountants.  In addition to serving as treasurer of the Women’s Giving Circle, Kim is one of the current advisors to the Young Women’s Giving Circle. She has also served on the Grants Committee of the Community Foundation of Howard County and on the board of directors of the Clarksville Elementary School PTA where she held the position of Treasurer. She has also served as a volunteer at the Therapeutic and Recreational Riding Center in Glenwood, Maryland, and has worked on various projects for Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center. Kim has lived in Howard County since 1978. She currently lives in Clarksville with her husband Jeff and her two children, Rachel and Michael. She enjoys golf, running, cooking and reading when she gets the chance.

As I walk through my personal and professional travels each day, women who don’t know us ask me what the WGC is. My answer is simply our mission: 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.

And then, they naturally ask how we are doing this, and I love to highlight our goals.

For 15 years, together, we have worked to:
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• Expand philanthropy and increase giving by local women
• Build a permanent endowment fund
• Increase the life skills of women and girls
• Encourage the healthy development and personal authority of young girls
• Raise the awareness of gender disparities in our community, and
• Sustain the WGC for future generations

These questions are exciting to me, and I believe the answers are to those I speak with, especially when I get into more specifics about how over 1,000 women have raised over $1 million and leveraged our dollars to have more of an impact on women and girls than we might otherwise have alone … or how we’ve given hundreds of grants focused on women and girls in Howard County, including grants for programs like Girls on the Run of Central Maryland and Girl Power! STEM Event … or how we’ve called upon our network of women in Howard County and raised over $50,000 through the years as part of our WGC Emergency Response Network to assist over 70 women in need … or how we started and now fund Journey Camp for Girls, that has provided leadership and empowerment skills for hundreds of rising 8th and 9th grade girls … and how we’ve funded a women’s scholarship program, providing financial aid to women seeking job-related courses, in partnership with Howard Community College … or how we gave a $100,000 multi-year grant to start JA Rising Women, a 13 week after-school entrepreneurship program for girls grades 9-12, in partnership with Junior Achievement of Central Maryland … or how we started one of the first Young Women’s Giving Circles in the country … honestly, the list goes on and on, and I love to talk about the great work the WGC has done and is doing.

What is perhaps the most important question that often follows is why … why are women partnering to support programs that benefit women and girls? And my answer is this. Because:

• We believe women’s philanthropy shapes the future for women and girls through the power of collective giving.
• Philanthropy and social change needs to continue to more fully recognize and include women’s voices, and to spark greater investment in issues affecting women and girls in our community.
• Programs for women and girls have historically been underfunded,
• All Howard County women and girls have a right to an adequate and sustainable quality of life and an opportunity to develop their full potential.
• Healthy development for girls is achieved through education, life skill training, and a sense of personal authority and safety.
• The needs and concerns of all women and girls in Howard County must be fully understood, acknowledged, and addressed.
• Available resources should be directed to achieving systemic change in the political, social, and economic institutions that influence the lives of women and girls.
• Philanthropy is not measured by the amount of the gift but by the intent of the giver.
• Women’s philanthropy has the power to improve the lives of women and girls in Howard County now.
• A permanent endowment provides a legacy of giving to the generations of women and girls who will follow.
• Education is the cornerstone of understanding and giving.
• Women of concern, compassion, and generosity can make the greatest difference by working together for change.

When I’m done answering these great questions, I always have one of my own … “so, do you want to get involved?”

As I always say, it’s easy – here’s 5 ways you can participate in the good work of the WGC:

• Make a Gift. Make a gift to the WGC today in honor of the amazing women in your life! Donate Here – no amount is too small!
• Attend an Event. From happy hours to educational events, we host a number of events that bring our donors together to network, socialize, and learn more about the good work of the WGC. Please join us!
• Engage With Us! Help us spread the word about the WGC through social media – like, comment on, and share our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts.
• Spread the Word. Forward our latest eNewsletter to your friends, family and networks and invite them to review our work and get involved.
• Host a Coffee or Happy Hour! If you like what you see, help us connect with your friends, family and networks. Invite a few friends or neighbors over for coffee or happy hour where they can learn a bit more about the WGC. Let us know and we’ll be there to help you plan a great gathering!

Contact me anytime with questions … I’ll be happy to provide all the answers that I can, and will always end with that question of my own – “so, do you want to get involved?” Hope so!

– Alison Canning, WGC Chair, wgcchair@womensgivingcircle.org