"It's Because of You ..." for Her Mind Magazine

By Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, Executive Director, Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County

“Women’s philanthropy shapes the future for women and girls through the power of collective giving​.” – Barb Van Winkle, Chair

As we head into the New Year, we reflect on the unexpected challenges for all of us - which the WGC has tried to navigate by developing creative solutions to ensure our work continued to make an impact throughout the year. 

We did this by:
​

• Giving Grants – we gave $130,000 to support women, girls and their families to our nonprofit partners, and $608,000+ to support COVID-19 needs through our #HoCoRespond partnership with the Community Foundation of Howard County, Horizon Foundation and United Way of Central Maryland.
• Engaging Members – we engaged and increased our membership through seven in-person and virtual events, including our new monthly “Membership Mondays” virtual gathering, and developed and reinforced our membership structure, with an enhanced menu of giving and engagement options moving into 2021.
• Strengthening the Circle – we invested in and focused on our core strength by growing our professional staff, developing our volunteer leadership, and advancing and enhancing our diversity, equity and inclusion framework throughout all of our work! And, we amplified and elevated our voice through increased marketing and communications efforts.

You can read more about our 2020 efforts here.

Our work in 2020 has assured us that partnership and generosity is alive and well in Howard County and that philanthropic investment in our community is more important than ever as we continue to face the COVID-19 global pandemic and fall out.

Please consider a year-end gift to the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County so that we can continue to give more grants, engage more members, and strengthen the circle for the future. One option for an end-of-year gift is to sponsor our upcoming WGC Virtual Annual Celebration on March 8, 2021 – “Democratizing and Diversifying Philanthropy Through the Power of Collective Giving” – find sponsorship information here, starting at $100.

Also, the WGC is highlighting “(S)heroes Among Us” this year during the March 8, 2021 Virtual Annual Celebration. Please join us in thanking women in your life for their efforts by uploading a photo of your Howard County (S)heroes on our WGC (S)heroes Among Us Virtual Mosaic Wall. With your help, we are highlighting women across the county before, during and after our upcoming Annual Celebration!

Thank you for supporting women, girls, and families in Howard County. We are making a greater difference together than we might otherwise make alone.

It’s because of you .... Happy New Year!
​
Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz is the Executive Director of the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County. She can be reached at: [email protected] and www.wgchowardcounty.org

---