Today is #WomenEqualityDay.
99 years ago, women finally received the right to vote. The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote - but it only gave some women—namely, white women—that right. Almost 100 years since the 19th amendment was ratified and women are still fighting for their rights - not another minute should go by before we make this right. Today, on#WomensEqualityDay we must continue the fight for equality and pass the Equal Rights Amendment #ERANow #EqualityCantWait For Women's Equality Day, here are 3 things to know about the suffrage movement
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![]() 13 microgrants awarded to connect and catalyze the field nationally August 22, 2019 As part of its campaign to strengthen, expand and diversify the movement of North American giving circles, a group of giving circle networks and leaders, representing thousands of individual contributors, has made 13 microgrants to a diverse set of collective giving organizations. The grants will support the creation of new giving circles — especially among communities traditionally underrepresented in philanthropy — and help existing circles and networks create resources and build capacity to benefit the field at large. The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County has received a grant that will 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” says WGC Chair Barb Van Winkle. The microgrants are part of a sustained effort, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lodestar Foundation, Bank of America, and 17 other funders, to diversify and democratize the field of philanthropy by amplifying the power and reach of the giving circles. Hundreds of giving circle stakeholders have been engaged in a yearlong co-design process led by Amplifier, Asian Women’s Giving Circle, Catalist, Community Investment Network, and Latino Community Foundation that has identified four strategies to move the field forward: showcasing the giving circle model, building broad awareness of giving circles and their manifold benefits; helping the field scale by supporting a variety of efforts to start new circles; providing resources and capacity-building to strengthen existing circles and networks; and sustaining the field with collaborative initiatives, funding, and action-focused research. This effort comes as giving circles are exploding in popularity in America. A recent report from the Lilly School of Philanthropy found that the number of giving circles tripled to 1,500 between 2007 and 2017, and that giving circles have given as much as $1.29 billion in that time. Another recent study, by the Collective Giving Research Group, found that they offer a way to meaningfully engage people in giving and in engaging in their communities. Giving circles are characterized by innovation and experimentation - circles are nimble, close to their communities, and strengthened by the diversity of opinions, identities, and experiences of their members. These microgrants, totaling $32,000 to 13 circles and networks, offer an opportunity to a wide variety of circles and networks to experiment with new models, create new resources, and form new partnerships. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $5,000. Paula Liang, a member of the core co-design team and Chair of Catalist, a network of 70 women’s funds, foundations and giving circles with 17,000+ individual members, noted that "those of us who have been in the giving circle world for a long time, often depending entirely on volunteer efforts, know how rare and important external funding can be - so we’re excited to see the impact that these new investments can produce!” Mcrogrants were awarded to: Showcase the giving circle model
Scale the model by creating more circles and networks
Strengthen existing circles and networks
Sustain the collective giving movement
# # # Previous press coverage The Chronicle of Philanthropy covered our project in November 2018 in “Giving Circles Grow in Diversity and Get an Assist from the Gates Foundation.” That same month, The New York Times recognized the growing power of giving circles in “When It’s Time for Giving, Some People Circle Around.” Contact: Isis Krause, [email protected] ![]() Dear WGC Donors and Friends, Have you heard? Two weeks ago the WGC launched IMPACT 2024, our new five-year, $500,000 fundraising effort and focus on diversity, equity and inclusion for women in Howard County. READ THE FULL ENEWSLETTER HERE 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.Learn more and please considering joining us! And, it's back! We are currently accepting applications for the 2019-2020 Young Women's Giving Circle (YWGC), which is sponsored by the WGC. The group is composed of girls in 7th - 12th grade who share the same passion: helping women and girls in need. Interested? Plan to join us at our Wednesday, September 18 YWGC Interest Meeting, 7 pm at the Elkridge Library to learn more. We have many great things going on - I hope to see you at some of our upcoming activities: - TODAY! August 20: Join us after work for a Business Women's Network Happy Hour Mixer along with the Women's Bar Association of Howard County and the WGC from 4:00-6:30 PM at CURED Table & Tap, 10980 Grantchester Way, Suite 110 in Columbia. Mix and mingle with women who are making things happen - bring plenty of business cards, and cash for food & drinks. Enter to win fun door prizes! Event is FREE. Registration is not required, but is appreciated - let BWN know you're coming! - September 24: Save the Date for our next WGC Happy Hour from 5:30 - 7:30 PM at Success in Style Charity's First Pick at Historic Savage Mill, 8600 Foundry Street, minutes from Columbia - where else can you meet, drink, shop, donate, and learn more about women helping women through the WGC?! No cost to attend, please just bring a bag of clothes and/or jewelry to donate. Donations to WGC gratefully accepted - RSVP today! - October 14: Join us for WGC's 2019 Annual Celebration - A Tale of Two Women and Their Rise to Equality: Shattering Glass Ceilings in Howard County, with Keynote Speakers Lisa Myers and Christine Uhlhorn, Howard County's first female Police Chief and first female Fire Chief, at Howard Community College, Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center - Purchase tickets today! Thank you for your support of the WGC! We are committed to growing a community of empowered philanthropists that are building on the past, and working today to shape the future for women and girls through the power of collective giving. I look forward to seeing many of you soon! Sincerely, Barb Van Winkle, WGC Chair [email protected] ![]() The Young Women's Giving Circle (YWGC) is sponsored by the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County. The group is composed of girls in 7th - 12th grade who share the same passion: helping women and girls in need. The YWGC raises money and makes grants to nonprofits organizations in Howard County whose missions support the needs of women and girls. We meet regularly, hold several fundraisers throughout the year, and have ongoing community service and volunteer activities. We have provided grants to a variety of groups, including Girls on the Run of Central MD and HopeWorks. We are currently accepting applications for YWGC members for the 2019/2020 school year! We have three opportunities for girls grades 7-12 to participate in the YWGC - as a full participant, as an ambassador or on a committee. Interested? Learn more here! |
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