women flex their philanthropic muscle
and discover the power to help other women in need
by evie sandlin white

Although it was a bright and sunny spring day outside, inside things weren’t looking so good. A panel of professionals from across the mountain region was reporting on issues affecting women in North Carolina, especially Western North Carolina, and the facts were sobering. According to data gathered in 2003 and 2004:

• 24 percent of middle school girls in NC reported seriously thinking of killing themselves
• In Western North Carolina more than 27,000 calls reporting incidents or threats of domestic violence were reported
• 63 percent of people in NC are overweight or obese, and obesity rates are higher in women
• Breast cancer is the third leading cancer killer in the state

Despite the dire statistics, the spirits of the more than 65 women listening to this presentation weren’t dampened. They were gathered together to learn about some of the most critical needs facing women and girls in the region, and, more importantly, to do something about them.

These women are part of a new group called Women for Women, a special initiative spearheaded by The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina that provides an opportunity for women to join together in an engaging and meaningful way and give back to their community. By combining their financial resources and working with others committed to the same cause, members fund high-impact grants to help less fortunate women make positive changes in their lives.

So far more than 115 women have joined Women for Women, making a tax-deductible gift of $1,100 per year for three years. Member Candy Shivers is clearly excited about the work and mission of the group. “It’s amazing to be in the same room with these women and to feel the synergy that is being created. You just know something great is going to come of it.”

Every member has a voice and a vote in how funds are directed. Grants of $35,000-100,000 will be made to nonprofits working to address the self-sufficiency and personal well-being of women in the following areas:

• Health and safety (such as prevention/treatment of physical, sexual and verbal abuse; health care; emergency needs);

• Self-sufficiency (such as housing, food and shelter services; transportation assistance; education; economic equity; financial well-being; self-esteem, empowerment and self-respect); and

• Family issues (such as parenting skills; childcare; senior and aging issues)

In addition to the Women for Women group, the Foundation has also created The Women’s Fund, a permanent endowment that supports the unmet needs of women and girls in our mountains. A tax deductible gift – of any amount – provides support to programs that are addressing some of the most pressing issues facing women in Western North Carolina, including domestic violence, homelessness, health care and more.

For women who want to create their own personal philanthropic plan, the Foundation offers Women’s Conversations, an opportunity to work with Community Foundation staff to clarify and expand personal giving goals. These meetings can help women establish charitable priorities, discover their passions and ultimately create a plan to increase the impact of their giving.

“We want every woman to become a more inspired and informed philanthropist,” said Eleanor Owen, chair of The Community Foundation Board of Directors. “We have created ways for women to exercise their philanthropic muscle collectively as part of a group, or to work with them one-on-one if they choose.”

Groups like Women for Women, sometimes called “giving circles,” as well as funds devoted specifically to supporting the needs of women, are growing. According to the Women’s Funding Network, an umbrella organization for foundations that raise money for the needs of women and girls, there are more than 100 women’s and girls’ funds thriving throughout the United States and abroad. In the last 15 years, more than $400 million has been raised for these funds alone.

One woman who chooses to flex her philanthropic power to help other women is Abigail E. Disney. Disney is the founder and president of the Daphne Foundation, and chair of The New York Women’s Foundation. She has provided support to many charitable organizations, including The White House Project, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to enhancing public perceptions of women in leadership. And when Ms. Magazine was in danger of extinction Disney worked with Gloria Steinem and a group of other funders to form Liberty Media for Women, securing the future of the magazine for generations to come.

Disney is passionate about supporting women, saying, “I think it’s important to fund women because they are a critical and strategic part of the process of lifting communities out of poverty. Just as, when a mom is sick, the whole household runs at half speed, communities, nations, economies all suffer in proportion to the suffering their women endure. Likewise, when women’s rights and health are respected, they rise, and with them they lift all those around them who look to them for help and guidance.”

Disney will be the keynote speaker for The Community Foundation’s first annual “Power of the Purse Luncheon,” a celebration of women’s philanthropy in Western North Carolina. The luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, June 22 at the Lioncrest Facility on Biltmore Estate and the cost is $40/person and $75/patron. In addition to the luncheon, purses made by women artists from across Western North Carolina will be auctioned off with proceeds going to support The Women’s Fund.

For more information about the luncheon or any of the new initiatives for women, please contact Karen Deaton at The Community Foundation, 828-254-4960.

 

Evie Sandlin White is communications director for The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.