Thank You for Joining Us for the WGC's "Our Giving, Our Stories!" Virtual Happy Hour

Thank you for registering/joining us for the WGC's virtual “Our Giving, Our Stories!” Happy Hour in celebration of Black Philanthropy Month - hosted by Candace Dodson Reed, with guest speakers Jackie Hrabowski and Cynthia Bell.

We would appreciate hearing your feedback on the event - please take this short survey so we can continue to make our events better. 

​We enjoyed hearing our wonderful panel discuss the three questions that we posed in our daily "Our Giving, Our Stories!" profiles: 1) What moves you to give your time, talent, and financial resources? 2) When did you start giving to issues that are important to you? and 3) What advice do you have for those interested in giving back? 

Click here to listen to the conversation.

Here's a few highlights:

Candace - is a long-time supporter of the WGC, and was excited to host the event because as she said "I'm a storyteller, and I understand and appreciate the value of telling our stories, including those about why we give ... I love what the WGC is doing with the "Our Giving, Our Stories!" 31 day profile series of philanthropic women in Howard County as part of Black Philanthropy Month, and it's important to me that the WGC is one of the first giving circles in the country to be a financial supporter of Black Philanthropy Month as well."

Jackie - believes that philanthropy is more than just check-writing, and when asked why she gives, simply said: “Because we can." When invited to share advice for those interested in giving back, she mentioned three things:

• Be authentic in your giving.
• Learn to listen as much as you speak.
• Be smart about how you invest your philanthropic dollars in order to have more of an impact.

Cynthia - believes that "our kids are our future" and that all of us have an opportunity to provide examples of making a difference in the community through our philanthropy. When asked about what advice she has for those interested in giving back, she encouraged others to:

• Start with where you are living. 
• Consider the organizations and issues that have impacted you in your life.

We loved hearing from all of you why YOU give, and WHAT you are giving to: 

And, we invite you to Give, Connect and Engage with us:
​

• Give to the WGC - all who give are members of the WGC and there's lots of ways to give. 
• Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin, read our blog, and check out our website - it's a great way to keep informed about what we are doing and how you can get involved.
• Engage with us - attend our (virtual) events, participate in our Emergency Response Network and/or consider joining a committee. 

If you are interested in learning more about the WGC, please join us for our upcoming virtual WGC Membership Monday Chat on September 21 at 8:30 am. You will meet members of the WGC’s Advisory Board, hear about our efforts, how you might get involved, and have a chance to ask questions. Join us and register today!

Finally, we hope you enjoy our collective celebration of Black Philanthropy Month through the WGC's "Our Giving, Our Stories!" daily profiles series. Please help us spread the word far and wide.

We look forward to hearing from you and keeping in touch!

Sincerely,

Judy Smith & Hina Naseem, WGC DEI Committee Co-Chairs
Barb Van Winkle, WGC Advisory Board Chair
Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, WGC Executive Director