I want to share some personal news with you.  This summer, I will be joining the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as the Vice President for Programs, Philanthropy and Volunteerism. It is a wonderful recognition of the impact and innovation of our collective work at Washington Area Women’s Foundation. But, it is also a little bittersweet for me as I will miss the Washington community deeply.

As financial literacy month marches forward and we continue to talk about the dollars and sense of financial literacy, particularly for women, today we turn our attention to the procrastination-inducing topic of retirement planning.

Yes, I know, you’re already thinking about reading this blog tomorrow.  But don’t. 

I’m very excited to report that In response to popular demand from our sister funds around the U.S., we’ll be hosting a briefing on Stepping Stones at the WFN Annual Conference in Seattle.  We’ll be taking it straight from the East Coast to the West Coast—from one Washington (D.C.) to another (State) and we hope you can join us!

As part of Huffington Post and iVillage’s new Mothers-Daughters Campaign, Melinda Gates spoke out yesterday about the important role women play in changing the world–and that she believes this is largely done these days by improving the lives of women. 

As part of our ongoing commitment–in partnership with The Urban Institute–to providing information and resources related to the goals of Stepping Stones, please find below summary of recent research on issues of economic security and financial independence for women and their families.

This research is summarized and compiled for The Women’s Foundation by Kerstin Gentsch of The Urban Institute, NeighborhoodInfo DC.

On April 7, Program Officer Nisha Patel discussed Stepping Stones with Jackie Guerra on The Jackie Guerra Show.  To tune in to hear the show, click here! 

Nisha shared the opportunities Stepping Stones provides to low-income women and families throughout our region, with a particular highlight on the YWCA’s Washington Area Women in the Trades (WAWIT) program focusing on access to nontraditional jobs for low-income women.

Helen LaKelly Hunt says women’s philanthropy rocks. 

Only she says it in more eloquent terms in a commentary this week in Women’s e-News called "Sharing the Wealth: Female Philanthropists Open Up." 

There’s news in Foundation-land of late, as the Foundation Center released a new report this month, Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates: Current Outlook, 2007 Edition. 

And the news is generally good.  In short:

• Giving by the nation’s 71,000 grantmaking foundations rose to $40.7 billion in 2006. 

And you thought it was just another Wednesday, when in actuality today was the kick-off of the DC Saves campaign with the first "Money Saving Wednesdays" seminar! 

My, oh my, the blogosphere is all a-sizzle with talk of the wage gap. 

Not over whether there is one (there’s progress for you), but whether it matters.  And whose fault it is, of course.