Today’s front page of the Washington Post features a story on The Women’s Foundation’s African American Women’s Giving Circle.

The article states, "’I'm not a wealthy woman, but all of us together are wealthy,’" Nadia Mitchem, 31, a development professional in the District, told her circle sisters. ‘You go into a museum and you see a plaque on the wall and you see a ‘$100,000 Club. You know what? We can do that.’" The women chanted back, ‘Yes, we can.’"

The Women’s Foundation’s giving circles are just one of the many ways that we empower women to give more, by giving together.

To learn more about other ways to be involved, or about how to become a member of a giving circle, click here.

We hope you’ll join us in changing the lives of women and girls, together.

I saw the new X-Files movie, I Want to Believe, this weekend.  That’s what diehard fans do. 

Because we’ve been waiting a long, long time.

I love the X-Files for many reasons.  It’s smart. It’s funny.  There is mystery.  It involves the F.B.I.  And it stars David Duchovney.

But, it also stars Gillian Anderson, who plays one of the best female sci-fi characters ever invented.  And possibly, the best. 

She is smart.  She sticks by her principles and ideals, and doesn’t get swayed by the madness around her, even when her very good looking partner tries everything possible to get her to change her mind. 

And best of all, she’s a geek.  I mean, a real geek.  She’s a doctor.  And more prone to be wearing a lab coat than heels, and far more concerned with scientific integrity than getting her hair just right.

Yes, she is a geek in the coolest sense of the word.

Feministing perhaps says it best, with their Ode to Scully. 

And what better timing for her to make a comeback, as we’re learning that, in fact, girls aren’t science and math shy.  They’re hanging right up there with the boys, says the journal Science. 

An article on the research in the Washington Post describes how common misperceptions have led girls and their parents to expect less from them in these fields.  Such as Barbie exclaiming, "Math class is tough!"  The article concludes with a description of Barbie, saying, "So far, while her current career choices include baby doctor and veterinarian and Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, too, Barbie has not branched out into technology or engineering."

Lucky for us, Scully has. 

Helping us believe that girls can do and be anything they want.  A truth that isn’t so out there, after all.

Pimps were everywhere.

That is the first thing that I noticed when I arrived with a colleague in downtown D.C. late in the night last week to conduct outreach to prostituted teen girls. And, the police seemed to be out in large numbers, too.

So, if it’s so easy for us to find the pimps and traffickers, then why don’t the police just arrest and prosecute them – like the 2008 conviction and 96 month sentencing of Levar Simms for the prostitution of a 16 year old minor across state lines?

We hung back and watched young women, most of whom looked between the ages of 20 and 25 but could have been in their teens, as they stood on the corners and watched men go by in cars. The cars would slow down and a girl would look back to her pimp to see if she should get in the car.

Other times, a girl would be alone.

I handed some girls food and my colleague would hand them outreach cards with a hotline number for trafficked persons. As one very thin young woman with a black eye said, “At least I am not dead, but I am still out here.”

Then, she turned to follow a potential client’s car down the street.

A pimp is someone who forces someone else, usually a very young girl, to have sex for money. The pimp takes the money that the girl “earns,” and does so successfully because they are abusive and manipulative. They have strict rules, strict quotas, and dole out punishments to the girls in their "stable".

As some of the teens in our D.C. classrooms told us “Pimps Up, Hoes Down,” which means that if a girl is walking down the sidewalk and another pimp walks onto that street, she must go into the street and cross over.

I find it very disturbing that any 14-year old girl would know so much about prostitution.

Pimps run the largest growing criminal industry by exploiting girls across the globe.  So, how is it that these pimps are just standing around on 14th and K in downtown D.C.?

Pimping is illegal in Washington, D.C., as is prostitution and solicitation. And, if you are minor involved in commercial sex it is considered a form of human trafficking. As a member of the D.C. Anti Trafficking Task Force, our organization, FAIR Fund, has trained some very caring police officers in how to identify and assist victims of trafficking.

Still, the problem is everywhere on the streets - and what seems worse - increasingly moving online.

There are several reasons why an arrest for pimping and paying for sex is so difficult. 

First, both parties would essentially have to incriminate themselves. FAIR Fund has found, though, that the true barrier to ending sex trafficking of minors here in D.C. is that there are few incentives for a young girl (or boy) who is identified to testify against their exploiter because law enforcement and outreach organizations that work to help young victims have very few options to present to him or her.

Typically, she is jailed as the only means of detaining her - not exactly a comforting environment.  Nevermind the irony that In a city where a 15-year old is too young to consent to sex, she can still be charged for prostitution.

And, because there is not a single safe space designed in the District or surrounding areas that is available for a teenager who is being commercially sexually exploited, life away from a pimp means hunger, homelessness, and an uncertain amount of abuse. Trying to convince that young person to testify against her trafficker could very well seem more risky than it does safe.

Imagine, though, if there was a space for these young victims to be safe from their violent exploiters. A space where the District Attorneys Office, our Metropolitan Police Department, and local nonprofits would be able to direct a young victim to the services and support that she needs while advocates are busy working to build a case against a trafficking and pimping network.

Perhaps, then, she might feel supported enough to press charges against a man that has put her on the street since she was 13.

Perhaps, then, she might be the key to arresting, prosecuting, and jailing what we would argue are some of the most dangerous criminals in Washington, D.C. 

Perhaps, then, the scene on the streets would change and the pimps wouldn’t be everywhere.

Andrea Powell is co-founder and executive director of FAIR Fund, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.  She co-wrote this blog with FAIR Fund’s development officer Amelia Korangy.

A few weeks ago, Phyllis blogged about being a guest editor on Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty site.

And now, her post is live.  "From Orphan to Millionaire: The story of an amazing woman," discusses a woman who has been a source of inspiration to Phyllis, both for her business saavy and her philanthropy. 

"Based on what I know about Madame Walker, I assume that her products would fit into the former category. Because her life tells the story of a woman who didn’t necessarily seek to enrich herself, but to enrich every woman around her.   This is how good business, in the truest sense of the word “good,” is conducted. Not with only a profit motive, but with a people motive," Phyllis writes.

Read the full column.

We at The Women’s Foundation are very excited to announce the release today of a new Request for Proposals under our Stepping Stones Initiative.

We have learned so much during Phase 1 of Stepping Stones (2005-2008) through our Grantee Partners, their clients, other stakeholders and our evaluators.

We hope Phase 2 (2009-2012) will deepen this work, as well as the learning, and build on the initiative’s success in increasing the economic security and financial independence of low-income, women-headed families in our region.

One of the greatest learnings from Phase 1 is the value of partnership and collaboration. That’s part of why Phase 2 and this RFP are so exciting: they seek to strengthen this learning.

Phase 2 is also exciting for us as funders because we are using it as an opportunity to broaden the frame of “place-based” philanthropy, which now concentrates giving in a particular geographic place, usually a neighborhood. Our approach will intentionally focuses instead on supporting organizations and collaborative efforts that reach low-income women where they work, attend school, engage or participate in professional or personal development services, or receive services for their children – not only where they live.

So welcome to the beginning of Phase 2 – we can’t wait to see what it brings!

Gwen Rubinstein is a program officer at The Women’s Foundation overseeing Stepping Stones’ grantmaking in the areas of jobs, early care and education, and strategic opportunity and partnerships.

One of the many things I appreciate about The Women’s Foundation is how deliberately it works to bring people together–both donors and Grantee Partners–to build community. For example, as a member of the 1K Club, I’m occasionally invited to special events that showcase Grantee Partners and their outstanding work.

Last Thursday, I attended such an event: the graduation ceremony for the latest class of the Training Futures program. This group of 48 women and men had completed a 25-week office skills training program for underemployed and unemployed workers.

Their graduation was held at the Gannett headquarters in McLean.  As students were called up to receive their diplomas, they were each complimented in a special way and challenged to move forward to continued success.

The pride in each of the graduates was palpable. Each graduate had been trained and given skills to become productive workers. They also developed ties to a nurturing community and support group that will be there for them when they need it.

This class represented more than 20 different nationalities and a variety of skill levels. We were told that the program creates an office simulation for trainees. Students are taught a full-range of current computer office programs, keyboarding, business English and math, filing, how to use a calculator, and customer service. They also are expected to dress professionally, arrive on time, complete office assignments, and interact professionally with their fellow classmates as well as their teachers.

In the process, Training Futures creates a community of support for their trainees who learn they are not alone, that others do care about them and want to see them succeed. They also work in internships and can earn up to 17 college credits from Northern Virginia Community College during their six months of training.

Obviously, this was a triumphant experience on many levels. Training Futures was able to show what they do and how effective they are (more than half of the 48 graduates have already found jobs and the others are interviewing), and thank the funders who continue to support them.

I look forward to celebrating the successes of other Grantee Partners in the years to come as The Women’s Foundation continues to both build and invest in our community.

Laura Forman is a member of the 1K Club and serves on the Open Door Capacity Fund Committee.  She is president of Laura Forman Communications LLC.

Training Futures is a program of Northern Virginia Family Services, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.

The Women’s Foundation congratulates Casa de Maryland on its victory Tuesday before the Montgomery County Council, when the Council unanimously approved a bill that will provide new legal protections for domestic workers.

This bill is believed to be the first legislation nationally of its kind.

The Washington Post covered the back story that led to this tremendous advocacy effort here.

With support from The Women’s Foundation, CASA led the advocacy efforts for this breakthrough legislation for women who work in other people’s homes.

As CASA’s Alexis De Simone noted, “The nannies, housekeepers, and elder companions who keep our homes and our families safe and secure are routinely denied overtime pay, minimum wage, sick days, and health insurance. They work in isolation, and are in some cases forbidden to interact with the outside world. Many are physically, sexually, and verbally abused.”

Thanks to a four year campaign by CASA and their coalition partners, these employees will no longer be so vulnerable.

The bill requires an employer to present the domestic worker written notice of their legal rights guaranteed under state law and a written contract specifying the terms and conditions of employment. Support for this policy was strengthened after the County Council released a 2006 report that found that domestic workers often did not know their rights – a fact that often resulted in their being paid less than the minimum wage or not receiving overtime pay.

The bill also requires that live-in domestic workers have a separate bedroom with a door that can be locked, and reasonable access to a kitchen, bathroom and laundry facility. In addition, the bill prohibits retaliation against a domestic worker who requests a written contract, attempts to enforce the terms of a contract, files a complaint or participates in an investigation of a complaint.

County Executive Isiah Leggett has said that he will sign the bill. That could happen as early as tomorrow, and then the bill would go into effect in 180 days.

Sharon Levin is The Women’s Foundation’s Director of Major Events and Policy Advocacy.  Casa de Maryland is a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.

The Washington Post reports today that the Washington Middle School for Girls received a little sprucing up from about 40 volunteers from Chesapeake Surgical who came in to paint classrooms.

The Washington Middle School for Girls is unique to Washington, D.C. in that there are no other all-girls independent schools in any underprivileged part of the city.  The school was founded to provide a high quality education for young girls who show academic potential, but who are at risk of terminating their education prematurely, and also provides important support to the girl’s parents.  For example, during the course of its first mother/daughter book club, seven of the mothers pursued and completed high school equivalency programs.

Washington Middle School for Girls is also a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation through support by the Rainmakers Giving Circle.  In 2004, the Rainmakers granted funding for the addition of a fourth grade to the school.  In 2005, the Rainmakers provided funding to supply the 4th and 5th grades with supplies, books, teaching materials, and a reading specialist and teaching aid.

The Women’s Foundation is thrilled to see Washington Middle School for Girls receiving the sort of community support exhibited through the volunteer efforts by Chesapeake Surgical, and hopes that this inspires further support among the community for the organizations and strategies that are improving the lives of women and girls.

The Women’s Foundation is proud to report that four staff members of Grantee Partners have been selected for the 2008-2009 class of Future Executive Directors sponsored by the Nonprofit Roundtable.

We congratulate each of the leaders selected for this year’s class (and noted that 20 of the 24 are women!).  And we extend a special salute to the following staff members of Grantee Partners of The Women’s Foundation:

• Jenny Friedman, Director of Development at CASA de Maryland;
• Karen Minatelli, Deputy Director at DC Employment Justice Center;
• Donna Ortega, Associate Director at Capital Area Asset Builders; and,
• Jennifer Shewmake, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Grants Manager at the Latin American Youth Center.

This is the first class of fellows in this program, and The Women’s Foundation salutes these women not only as examples of women’s leadership in our community, but as trailblazers in this new and exciting initiative of the Nonprofit Roundtable as it works to build the effectiveness of the nonprofit sector through leadership development.

Congratulations and good luck to each of this year’s fellows!