The latest news from the WGC. While we are all enjoying the slower pace of summer, we are also hard at work planning for upcoming events, and our 20th Anniversary in 2022! We are also continuing to engage our community in pooling dollars so that we can have a greater impact together than we might otherwise have alone on programs that benefit women and girls. Many thanks to those who have given to the WGC recently - you are appreciated! This is the value of a giving circle. Read the full eNewsletter here. We are excited to celebrate Black Philanthropy Month throughout August as we elevate the voices and stories of women philanthropists in our community through WGC's "Our Giving, Our Stories" profile series. And, we are hosting a free virtual Happy Hour on August 2 at 5:30 pm to kick-off our Black Philanthropy Month celebration - please join us! We've partnered with JustLiving Advocacy to support kids in our community with back-to-school supplies. Please consider donating and/or joining us on August 7 at an event to distribute our goal of 750 backpacks! This is a great opportunity to engage your kids in a philanthropic effort this summer. And, we've funded the Youth in Philanthropy initiative at the Community Foundation of Howard County, and in particular helped to merge WGC's Young Women's Giving Circle into YIP with a track specifically focused on women's philanthropy. YIP just announced $25,000 in grants and we are honored to support the next generation of philanthropists in our community! Finally, do you have a big idea for social change in Howard County? Pitch it to us by August 29 for a chance to win up to $25,000 through the Changemaker Challenge! We are excited that one $10,000 grant will be awarded to an entry for a project created by or serving women and/or girls in Howard County! As we enter the last month of summer, be sure to connect with us on social media and read our blog to learn more about our efforts and how you can get involved in the coming months. Thanks for all you do on behalf of our community! Sincerely, Barb Van Winkle WGC Advisory Board Chair www.womensgivingcircle.org give * connect * engage
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A student panel from the Community Foundation of Howard County’s Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program has selected nine nonprofits for its community grant awards. The grants total $25,000, with funding coming from the Youth in Philanthropy fund and the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County, two field of interest funds under the Community Foundation of Howard County umbrella. Youth in Philanthropy, a second-year program of CFHoCo, was established in 2019 to provide opportunities for high school students to learn about philanthropy firsthand. The YIP class consists of 26 students representing 13 different Howard County high schools. The students learn about community nonprofits, explore the fundraising and grant process and tackle local issues such as homelessness, hunger, domestic violence, environmental issues, arts and cultural opportunities. “Our YIP students did a tremendous job throughout this process – learning about needs of our community and awarding grants that can make a real impact,” said Dee Athey, CFHoCo’s Director of Grants and Community Engagement. “I was so impressed and proud of their thoughtfulness, focus and competence during the review and interview processes.” Youth in Philanthropy empowers students to solicit and evaluate grant applications and award funds based on need and effectiveness to nonprofit organizations in Howard County. The group met virtually to talk through the nominations, discuss the merits of each application and interview finalists. This year the group placed a premium on programs that enable access to basic needs, address mental health and help young girls and women. This year Youth in Philanthropy merged with the WGC's Young Women's Giving Circle (YWGC), which included a meaningful track throughout the year specifically for young women about women's philanthropy. “YIP participants were able to actively learn about the entire lifecycle of the grant process from the grant submission, review, interview and award phases. In the end, they were able to gain consensus as a collective group to make decisions about contributing financially to causes they felt address basic needs in their own community. They were able to gain insight into the reasons why these non-profits were requesting the money, and how the grants would be used if selected, while becoming more aware and learning more about the various struggles these organizations and the populations they serve encounter “ said Lee Draminski, WGC Liaison to the YIP Committee. The WGC has funded the Youth in Philanthropy program and has helped to shape and guide its growth jointly with the Community Foundation's YIP Committee. "The WGC is proud to be a fund of the Community Foundation of Howard County, and this partnership continues to leverage and strengthen our joint efforts to promote philanthropy in the community to focus on programs that benefit women and girls" said Barb Van Winkle, WGC Chair. Click to see the nine Howard County nonprofits selected and to read more.
WGC's Virtual Happy Hour Celebrating Black Philanthropy Month - Monday, August 2 at 5:30 pm7/26/2021 Join us on Monday, August 2 at 5:30 pm for a virtual happy hour to celebrate Black Philanthropy Month and kick-off our month-long "Our Giving, Our Stories" profile series! We'll hear from Tracey Webb and Valaida Fullwood, co-architects of Black Philanthropy Month about BPM and their 10th anniversary this year. And, Kimberly Prescott of Prescott HR will kick-off the event with a special drink presentation in celebration of Black Philanthropy Month! The primary aims of Black Philanthropy Month, which is observed every August, are informing, involving, inspiring and investing in Black philanthropic leadership to strengthen African-American and African-descent giving in all its forms. Beginning August 1 and each day in August thereafter, the WGC will share daily profiles of Howard County philanthropists in celebration of Black Philanthropy Month 2021. Here's what we did last year. Registration is now closed.
In honor of Independence Day, the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County is proud to recognize Dr. Lillian Norris-Holmes as part of the WGC's "Our Giving, Our Stories" profile series. Dr. Norris-Holmes is a life-long advocate and activist for children, with a passion and commitment to lift up families and communities to improve the welfare of children. She is a professional educator whose Doctoral Dissertation was "Implementing High-Quality Afterschool Programs in a High Poverty Public School District. She is also a political activist who has served on state and county political campaigns promoting candidates and elected officials who lift up families and citizens in need. She feels her political responsibility is to "keep a finger on the moral pulse of political leaders.” Her political work is both local and statewide, encouraging and mentoring young women to engage in the political process. She has received numerous recognitions and appointments, including being named as an Obama Fellow-Organizing for America (OFA). She serves as a Board Member of Maryland’s Advocates for Children and Youth and Common Cause Maryland where she is President-Elect, and is on the Howard County Democratic Central Committee. We are fortunate that we have Dr. Norris-Holmes in our community working with us to elevate the voices of women and girls. Thank you for joining us in recognizing her by clicking on this image to read her full WGC "Our Giving, Our Stories" profile, and learning more about all of the amazing women who are part of WGC "Our Giving, Our Stories"! WGC has partnered with JustLiving Advocacy for a Back-to-School supply drive and we invite WGC members to help support it and help us hit our goal of filling 750 backpacks before August 2nd! This is a great opportunity to engage your kids in a summer giving activity - buying school supplies for other kids. Here's 4 ways you can participate:
We are collecting: Crayons, Pencils and Pens, Highlighters, Erasers, Rulers, Multi Colored Folders, Notebooks, Index Cards, Composition Notebooks, Scissors, and Glue. Last year JustLiving distributed over 500 backpacks with supplies to family and children in need with the support from Howard County families. This year JustLiving, with support from the WGC, will host the Back-to-School Supply Give-Away on Saturday, August 7 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm - learn more here. Thanks for your support! |
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