 Happy Women's History Month! We had a fabulous night on March 4 at WGC's 2025 Annual Celebration & Pink Party! It was wonderful to have so many of us together last night at Howard Community College to discuss how philanthropy can, and is, supporting women's health. View photos from the event below and review the event slide deck here. WGC Events Committee Chair Jade McClary welcomed everyone and mentioned that Time Magazine reported that dozens of congresswomen were planning to wear pink last night to the Joint Address to Congress to signal protest against policies that are negatively impacting women and families. As Jade said, "while pink is our branded color, and beautiful, it is also a color of power and protest, and one that the WGC will continue to embrace." We honored former WGC Advisory Board Member Judy Smith for Women's History Month, and we enjoyed delicious food from Chef Jamila, non-alcoholic drinks from Beth Harbinson and Sobar, and women-made wine from The Wine Bin. WGC Chair Jennifer Woods declared that the state of the WGC is strong. She provided 10 data points about our impact the last 23 years, and highlighted the role that WGC is playing locally, regionally, and nationally in growing the women's collective giving movement:
As Jen said, "this is the power of our giving circle." WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz welcomed everyone and underscored the power of collective giving. She highlighted that we are more than donors—we are neighbors, advocates, and changemakers, and as a people-powered philanthropic ecosystem, we are committed to engaging in conversations and partnerships that continue to leverage our collective voices and collective power to support our community. As Buffy said, "giving circles like the WGC are a movement, not a moment." In advance of our Annual Celebration we invited the community to let us know what you are thinking about women’s health, and Buffy provided a sampling of what we heard:
We then welcomed Keynote Speaker Elizabeth Edsall Kromm, PhD, MSc, Assistant Secretary, Population Health and Strategic Initiatives, Maryland Department of Health, who attempted to address these concerns while discussing gaps in the continuum of women’s health, focusing on menstrual health, reproductive health, maternal health, and menopausal health in our community, and how philanthropy can, and is, providing support. As Elizabeth said, "philanthropy can help by supporting policy advocacy, staying up-to-date with needs and issues as identified by key coalitions and organizations, and looking to maximize impact." Candace Dodson-Reed, Vice Chair of the WGC, and Chair of our Grants Committee then mentioned how proud she is of the work we are doing in terms of investing our collective dollars in the community to support women and girls. She noted that it is a challenging time for women and girls, and we know that less than 2% of overall charitable giving in the US goes to organizations that support women and girls. This is something that the WGC - along with many other women’s giving circles and funders - are focusing on. She reviewed the WGC's State of Women and Girls in Howard County, and how we continue to utilize the data to inform our grantmaking and partner in the community and then provided four data points about the continuum of women's health and four examples of how WGC has recently provided funding. As Candace said, "WGC has always walked the talk, and I am especially proud in this current environment." Candace introduced Paula Seabright, Chair of WGC's "Break the Cycle" Period Product Drive to highlight some of the specific work WGC is doing to support menstrual health. Paula explained that "Break the Cycle" is our effort to highlight period poverty through education, fundraising, and grantmaking to support women and girls in Howard County. One part of this work is hosting seven amazing student interns who are supporting these efforts, all of whom spoke to attendees about their thoughts on their experience this year. As Paula said, "I have had the honor of leading these young women on a journey to learn more about philanthropy, women’s philanthropy, and how an organization like the Women’s Giving Circle can make an impact on issues impacting women’s health. We have focused on period poverty because it's a need that is easily and often overlooked." WGC Advisory Board Members Kashonna Marrow and Jade McClary ended the celebration with information on how to give and get involved in the WGC. After the Annual Celebration, many of you asked how you can get or remain involved in our collective work. Here are 10 ways to engage in the coming months:
Many thanks to all of our sponsors so far this year, those who attended the event, and to everyone who supports the WGC and all that you do to support women's rights in Howard County. As Kashonna said, "We women are using our collective voices, power, and financial resources to support women’s rights in many forms, and utilizing the power of collective philanthropy. We truly are stronger together." Thank you for joining us!
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"Women’s philanthropy shapes the future for women and girls through the power of collective giving." - Jennifer Woods, Chair
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