2024 WGC Grants
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 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.
We have lots of options to make an impact, and 1 final day to give to the WGC in 2024. Thank you for your generosity!
 thank you. As we celebrate the holiday season I want to thank all of you - our WGC community. Read the full eNewsletter here I am grateful to our Advisory Board, our Executive Director, our past leadership, and all of you - our growing community of donors, grantees, partners, and all those who are making a bigger difference together than we might otherwise make alone through collective giving. One way many women are doing this is through an end-of-year gift to the WGC. There are numerous 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 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 your consideration of a year-end gift. Please contact WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz with any questions. Happy Holidays! Jennifer Bodensiek WGC Advisory Board Chair [email protected] www.womensgivingcircle.org  What a night celebrating philanthropy with the Community Foundation of Howard County! The Women's Giving Circle of Howard County was in the house as two of our visionary longtime leaders were honored. Congratulations Jean F. Moon and Alison Canning for all you do for our community, for all you’ve done to grow philanthropy, and in particular, for all you have done and continue to do for The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County! WGC's Advisory Board got together for an end-of-year gathering, where we toasted a meaningful year supporting women and girls in Howard County. WGC’s Advisory Board = true leadership! Thank you to everyone who stopped by Howard Community College to drop off period products for our "Break the Cycle" Period Product Drive! We collected enough products today to support HCC's Food Pantry for students for a few months - we appreciate all of the support! Please click here if you are interested in donating and learning more about WGC's Break the Cycle Period Product Drive and the amazing work of our student interns! On Saturday, December 7 our WGC Break the Cycle Leadership and Student Interns represented the WGC at the Girls on the Run 5K, and collected period products from participants. Many thanks to all who donated! We are so proud of our partners at GOTR and all of the amazing girls who ran the 5K!  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:
Since 2022, the WGC has supported women’s health and highlighted period poverty in Howard County through the WGC’s “Break the Cycle” Period Product Drive, an effort to highlight period poverty through education, donations, fundraising, and grantmaking to support women and girls in Howard County. The WGC has chosen to continue our focus on this important issue because it's a need that is easily and often overlooked and we believe it is time to break the cycle of period poverty”. This year we are excited to host 7 “Break the Cycle” Student Interns throughout the 2024-2025 school year, who are focusing on women’s philanthropy, the continuum of women’s health, and in particular period poverty. On Wednesday, December 4 we hosted our monthly, virtual WGC Break the Cycle Student Intern meeting, where we discussed the state of women's healthcare with Guest Speaker Jennifer Holland, Director of Policy and Community Engagement at The Horizon Foundation. Jennifer discussed the Horizon's focus on women's health, and in particular Maternal and Infant Health, Mental Health, and Health Coverage and Care. Jennifer also discussed how we all can take action to fight for the things we care about, including:
WGC's "Break the Cycle" Student Interns appreciate learning about women's health from a local advocate and will continuing learning and engaging each month on these issues that they care deeply about. Learn more about WGC's "Break the Cycle" effort here. 
 Friends,
As we gather during this week of Thanksgiving, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to you. Your generous support of the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County has made a significant impact in our community, empowering countless women and families. We have been part of the Howard County community for over 22 years, and together, we have given over $1.2 million to our nonprofit partners. We have also built a $1.1 million endowment that will ensure there are funds to support women and girls in our community in perpetuity. This, is the power of our giving circle. Thank you for your commitment and generosity. We are making a greater difference together than we might otherwise make alone. We are grateful for you. Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with joy and warmth. The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County Advisory Board - Laura Bacon, Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, Jennifer Bodensiek, Adora Brown, Alison Canning, Maxine Clark, Candace Dodson-Reed, Lee Draminski, Cheryl D. Gray, Kashonna Marrow, April Force Pardoe, Jade McClary, Barbara Peart, Lynne Schaefer, Nette’ Stokes, Barb Van Winkle, Beverly White-Seals
 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 Mona Lawrence in Honor of National Veterans and Military Families Month. Read Mona's full profile here What advice do you have for those interested in giving back? "I believe that each day that I am fortunate enough to wake up, I must make it a Good Day! Every day is a new opportunity to do something different or to keep a great thing going. Generosity doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated, start with kindness and a smile!" 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 head into the season of gratitude, I want to thank the WGC community. I am grateful to our Advisory Board, our Executive Director, our past leadership, and all of you - our growing community of donors, grantees, partners, and all those who are making a bigger difference together than we might otherwise make alone through collective giving. Read the full November 2024 eNewsletter here. Many thanks to all those who joined us for WGC's "Sip, Sparkle & Support" Sponsor Thank You Happy Hour two weeks ago on the Community Foundation of Howard County's "WGC Porch". It was a beautiful night to celebrate and thank WGC sponsors. What does your sponsorship do? It funds the work of the WGC and supports our grantmaking to women and girls in our community. Thank you to those who have already committed to invest in the WGC throughout 2025! Read about the event, view photos, and learn more about sponsoring the WGC in 2025 here. On behalf of the WGC's Advisory Board I thank those who have voted, and those who are voting tomorrow to exercise our rights, as each vote is a powerful affirmation of our democracy and a step toward shaping the future we want to see. We strongly believe that voting isn’t a love letter - it’s a power move. As we head to the polls tomorrow, we celebrate the powerful impact of our voices and votes, especially as women. For us as philanthropists, every vote amplifies our voices and leverages our philanthropic investments, enabling us to drive change and champion the causes that matter most to our communities. We encourage all our donors to make your voices heard and participate in shaping a future that supports women and girls - a vision that we share together. This, is the power of a giving circle. Please contact WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz with any questions and to learn more about how to get involved. Jennifer Bodensiek WGC Advisory Board Chair [email protected] www.wgchowardcounty.org 
Jennifer Bodensiek, Chair of the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, attended last week's Washington Area Women's Foundation Reception, held at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
"I was honored to attend this event that brought together influential leaders from across the region to celebrate those making a powerful impact on the lives of women and girls" said Jennifer. "As the Chair of the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, I was excited to support a sister organization supporting women and girls." The evening featured inspiring speeches from community leaders, networking opportunities with passionate advocates, and a celebration of Angela Franco, President and CEO of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, and Deryl McKissack, Founder, Chairwoman, and CEO of McKissack & McKissack received the prestigious Visionary Award for her work in empowering businesses and women in the District. It was a night of connection, reflection, and dedication to advancing gender equity in the Region. For more details on the event and the Washington Area Women's Foundation’s mission, visit their website! Pictures:
 WGC had a wonderful "Sip, Sparkle & Support" Happy Hour on the "WGC Porch" at the Community Foundation of Howard County to celebrate and thank all current and past sponsors, and to invite sponsors to support WGC throughout 2025. "The WGC is building a community of philanthropists to address the needs of women and girls in Howard County" said Jennifer Bodensiek, WGC Chair. "This event, and all of you are an important part of this." We have been part of the Howard County community for over 22 years, and have given over $1.2M+ to our nonprofit partners. And, we have a $1.1M endowment from over 1,700 donors that will ensure that there are funds to support women and girls in our community in perpetuity. We bring women together and pool our dollars so we can have a bigger impact together than we might otherwise have alone - this is the power of our giving circle. "It takes a special individual, organization or business to understand the value of investing in women and girls by sponsoring the WGC throughout each year" said Kashonna Marrow, WGC's Membership & Development Committee Chair. "Thank you to our 2024 Sponsors who have invested in the WGC throughout 2024, and thank you to our 2025 Sponsors who have already committed to invest in the WGC throughout 2025!" We are excited that our 2025 Sponsorship opportunity is open - you can learn more about sponsoring the WGC in 2025 here. Sponsoring WGC throughout 2025 includes tickets to our signature event, WGC's Annual Celebration & Pink Party on March 4, 2025 - during Women's History Month. Sponsors will not only be investing in the WGC's 2025 Signature celebratory event, but our learning, networking and giving events throughout the year as well. And, all WGC sponsors will be promoted throughout the year. You can download our WGC 2025 Sponsor Package here. As WGC Events Committee Chair Jade McClary said "Here’s what it all comes down to … why we are all engaged in this work ... because less than 2% of all charitable giving goes to women and girls. Less.than.2.percent. And that is why we thank you for joining us tonight and investing in the WGC by sponsoring us in 2025." Thank you for having a greater impact together than we might otherwise have alone! WGC's "Break the Cycle" Period Product Drive Student Interns were excited to attend the Blossoms of Hope "Seeds of Hope" Summit on Saturday that seeks to address the pressing challenges surrounding mental health and wellness. Our amazing Student Interns discussed the challenges of period poverty and invited those interested to learn more about how WGC is working to address it, including by donating to the WGC to purchase products. We are so proud of them! Learn more about WGC's "Break the Cycle" here |
"Women’s philanthropy shapes the future for women and girls through the power of collective giving." - Jennifer Woods, Chair
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