It seems like only yesterday I was attending my very first event at The Women’s Foundation: The Leadership Awards reception.

The Leadership Awards Program is a signature program of The Women’s Foundation that identifies and recognizes local – but largely undiscovered – nonprofits demonstrating innovation and measurable success in the service of women and girls.

The event started out as so many others, with snacks and drinks, friendly chit chatting, and meeting new friends and old.  It was lovely, but also very reminiscent of a number of other receptions I had attended before.

That was about to change.

As the program began and the awards committee co-chairs began to introduce the recipient organizations, I could feel the whole tenor of the room change. I was immediately enthralled with the work of these organizations and the individuals working within them.  All of these incredible organizations were doing work right here in my own back yard! 

More amazingly, I had never heard of most of them! I realized then that though I had lived in the area of the last 10 years, I did not really know my own community.

By the end of the awards presentations, this ordinary reception had become an extraordinarily inspirational event – and not just for me. As I looked around the room, I could see that many other attendees had been as amazed and inspired as I was.   (See event photos!)

Today, I am part of the great process that brought these wonderful organizations to the attention of so many others that evening back in March 2008.  I am working with at least 45 volunteers eager to get to work on what will no doubt be a challenging, but engaging selection process.

As was the case last year, the Leadership Awards are focused on organizations working to improve the health and safety of women and girls.

I can’t wait to see what hidden gems we uncover!

But we all know that we can’t do this alone. To uncover gems like these, we need the involvement of many people.

We have officially opened nominations for organizations to be considered for the 2008 Leadership Awards.

Additionally, I encourage all of you to get involved in identifying innovative and emerging organizations – many of them operating below the radar – working to improve the health and safety of Washington-area women and girls.  Visit TheWomensFoundation.org to learn more about how YOU can help the Leadership Awards committee by either joining a regional team or nominating an area nonprofit.

We will continue to welcome new members to the committee through October 24, 2008.

If you are interested in joining, please complete and return the volunteer commitment form and be prepared to attend the kick-off meeting on Tuesday October 28th from 6-9 p.m.

Or, to nominate an organization for a Leadership Award, click here.

Nicole Cozier is The Women’s Foundation’s philanthropic education officer.

Hobo International is honored to participate in Washington Area Women’s Foundation’s 10th anniversary Leadership Luncheon!  What a wonderful opportunity for us as women to focus our energy in celebration of the power of women, and the incredible triumphs that result from the power of giving.

For the third year in a row, Hobo International will donate the “handbag centerpieces” that appear on the banquet tables. The Women’s Foundation is a natural partner for us. Their values and principles resonate with us and how we approach our work: Sound research, tested strategy, and real solutions that address the needs and realities facing women and girls today.

As a women-owned company, we at Hobo International can uniquely understand the triumphs and challenges that shape the female experience. The founder of Hobo International, Toni Ray, was a single mom who was forced to re-think her career after leaving the only job she had ever known. Through hard work and perseverance, Toni turned adversity into a new opportunity. And 20 years later, Hobo International is a thriving accessory design house, now under second generation leadership of Toni’s daughter, Koren Ray Brewer.

The work and mission of the Women’s Foundation changes lives. Everyday. Last year, program participants Laceiy and Sharan shared their life-changing journeys that were made possible with support from The Women’s Foundation. Their personal stories were inspirational.

And I wasn’t the only one to think so!  At the conclusion of the luncheon last year, two of the women who won bags from the table drawings noticed that Laceiy and Sharan didn’t win handbags—and gave them their bags.

In that moment, the spirit of The Women’s Foundation was captured: women helping women.

As we celebrate incredible women like Laceiy and Sharan for their courage and their personal triumphs over adversity, let us also remember that the power of giving can change lives.

We at Hobo International look forward to another exceptional Leadership Luncheon, and to making this year the most successful year to date!

Wendy Pierce is marketing director at Hobo International.

I am so excited that Dr. Johnnetta Cole is going to be speaking at this year’s Leadership Luncheon.  I admire her and the work she is doing tremendously.

Last summer, I had the honor of getting to participate in her work directly, when I spoke at the Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity and Inclusion Institute’s Power Girls Summit.  As a gift after the summit, I received a wonderful, inspiring book of quotations by Dr. Cole, Dream the Boldest Dreams: And Other Lessons of Life. 

I thought I’d share a few of my favorites from the chapter called "Women" to help set the stage for the treat we’re in for with Dr. Cole speaking at our luncheon next week.  We’ve been talking a lot about her, but here are a few quotes that establish her ideas about women and women’s equality in her own voice:

The higher the pay, the less likely it’s going to be called women’s work.

It has been said: If you educate a man, you educate a man. If you educate a woman, you educate a nation.

We could stop a lot of things from falling if we just let women hold up half the sky.

A truly determined woman will succeed in doing what society has determined she is incapable of doing.

For us women folks, the distance between where we’ve been and where we’re going is surely determined by the speed at which we insist on going.

At The Women’s Foundation, we’re all about speeding things up for our region’s women and girls, and we’re thrilled to have Dr. Cole with us at this year’s Leadership Luncheon as we celebrate 10 years of our community’s efforts to close the gap between we’ve been and where we’re going! 

Jennifer Cortner is president of EFX Media, and a member of The Women’s Foundation’s board of directors.

New Kid on the Block: A new staff member’s perspective

I’m the new kid on the block here at The Women’s Foundation.  Even though it’s only been about a month, I’ve become so involved that it feels like it’s been much longer.  Maybe because the mission resonates so deeply with my own beliefs about economic empowerment, or maybe it’s the energizing, collective spirit of this organization. 

Either way, I know one thing for sure: Washington Area Women’s Foundation fits me.

It fits because, after watching the women in my family, I know that strong women build up themselves, each other and their communities.  It fits because, after participating in the Vagina Monologues for four years, I know that women cannot afford to be quiet about the issues that we face. 

And it fits because, in the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

I’m so honored to be a part of this dynamic staff and to be involved with all of the amazing organizations we serve in the Washington metropolitan area.

Lena Peterson is The Women’s Foundation’s new office assistant.

I was thrilled to hear that Dr. Johnetta B. Cole would be the keynote speaker at The Women’s Foundation’s upcoming Leadership Luncheon on October 15th!

I discovered Dr. Cole in 1994 when I read her book, Conversations: Straight Talk with America’s Sister President. The book includes a discourse on race, gender, and her experiences as an African American woman, and Dr. Cole urges the eradication of racist and sexist views through education, tolerance, and expanded social awareness.

I was particularly impressed with her candor, encouraged by her achievements, and appreciated and responded to her continued message that we can all make a difference in our communities, our country, and our world! 

Her consistent charge is: Go out and make this a better world!  Be involved!

She has continued to be a source of inspiration and hope for me as I have watched and supported her various endeavors from afar.  I am so looking forward to being in the audience as she moderates the luncheon.

Thank you Washington Area Women’s Foundation for acknowledging and including such an inspirational and motivational speaker in your Leadership Luncheon!

Ebony Ross, M.A., is a capacity building specialist with Fair Chance and is responsible for providing organizational development training during a free year-long partnership to executive directors of nonprofit organizations providing services to children and youth in Wards 5-8 in the District of Columbia.

New economic development initiatives can present outstanding opportunities for new partnerships – including partnerships that support employers and low-income single working women and their children.

That kind of thinking led Prince George’s Child Resource Center (PGCRC), with support from The Women’s Foundation, to reach out to Gaylord Hotels as it developed the National Harbor project on the Potomac River in Oxon Hill.

The goal: to connect low-income single mothers working at National Harbor to early care and education providers nearby.

The outcome: PGCRC is providing brochures and other information to National Harbor for its workers, and National Harbor is promoting PGCRC’s services through its human resources office and its internal communications with employees.

The work has also recently drawn the attention of the Prince George’s County Gazette.

No wonder. This is a smart strategy.

Gaining access to more affordable, reliable and convenient services for their children means the women working at National Harbor can become highly dependable workers, which has significant benefits for their employer and the community.

Gwen Rubinstein is a program officer at The Women’s Foundation.

You have to love this.  Today, I caught this post on Philanthromedia called, "The power of women’s funds."

The article discusses how women’s funds came to be, and, more importantly, their unique and deep impact not only on women and girls–but on poverty alleviation and building stronger communities.

The article explains, "The inroads women have made in the workforce have helped create a generation of successful businesswomen who can now devote their resources to crucial issues. There’s a whole group of women who earn their own money, have good careers, and are in a high income bracket, yet abhor the chasm between the haves and have-nots,” explains Virginia Sweet, Executive Director of The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham. “Women want to support other women and give back.”

To read more from Caroline Heine on women’s funds and the creative ways they’re tacking poverty throughout the country, check out the post.

Or, for an up close and personal view of the impact of women’s philanthropy on our own region, and the impact of 10 years of investing in women and girls, join us at our upcoming Leadership Luncheon!  We’ll be celebrating the power of 10 years of investing in our community by changing the lives of women and girls!

In my work on gender issues, I am acutely aware of the disproportionate impact that poverty has on women—–and when women are mothers, on their daughters and sons.

As the former president of Spelman College and Bennett College for Women, our nation’s only two historically Black colleges for women, I witnessed the crucial link between education and a woman’s economic security. And we all know that a woman’s own education will have an influence on whether her children expect to have a college education and whether or not she can afford to send her children to college.

In my current role as the chair of the Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity and Inclusion Institute, I am keenly aware of the critical importance of advancing diversity and inclusion in our schools, our workplaces, and indeed in all arenas of our nation and our world. When different people are "at the table," different and innovative ideas come forth, and as a result, businesses can compete more successfully, schools can do a better job of educating students, and communities can more successfully tackle their problems.

There are countless examples of the value of bringing women and girls "to the table." That is why I am thrilled to have been invited to play a role in The Women’s Foundation’s Leadership Luncheon and 10th anniversary celebration.  Women’s philanthropy represents so much of what my work and learning have been about throughout my career:

The power of investing in women and girls.

The return on the investment for all of us when you bring a woman and her family out of poverty.

The power of people coming together to make a difference.

I understand that this year’s Leadership Luncheon will be like no other that has happened before. Rather than moderating a conversation among experts on a topic, I’ll be leading a special staged program that will at once be a discussion of the value of women’s philanthropy and the story of the collective power of giving together—told through the stories and experiences of key members of The Women’s Foundation community.

I’m really looking forward to being with you all on October 15th at the luncheon and to leading this exciting celebration capturing the power and potential of investing in women and girls!

Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole is Chair of the Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity and Inclusion Institute and will be speaking at The Women’s Foundation’s 2008 Leadership Luncheon.

Tickets and sponsorships are still available!  We hope you can join us and experience firsthand The Power of Giving Together!

On Sunday, The Women’s Foundation’s president, Phyllis Caldwell, was quoted in Philip Rucker’s Washington Post article, "Mortgage Giants’ Fall May Hurt Nonprofits."  Grantee Partners Doorways for Women and Families and Northern Virginia Family Services were also quoted. 

"There’s tremendous anxiety," Phyllis said.  "The uncertainty around what will happen will just cause things to stand still, and that creates more anxiety."

To read the rest of the article on how the takeover of mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could impact the nonprofit community in the Washington metropolitan area, visit WashingtonPost.com or view the PDF.

If you haven’t visited our homepage in the past few days, check it out!  We just got a new homepage to ring in our 10th anniversary year! 

Many thanks to The Bivings Group, which provides pro bono Web design and maintenance for The Women’s Foundation.  

Just as this new homepage and our Power of 10 campaign launch, it seems appropriate to recognize The Bivings Group and their commitment over the years to The Women’s Foundation’s work.  As the Power of 10 campaign signifies, the The Women’s Foundation’s impact on our community is due to the collective work of individuals, foundations and companies throughout our community who have joined together to pool their resources–whether time, treasure or talent–to support our work since 1998.

It’s truly The Power of Giving Together and this year we celebrate the impact it’s had over the past 10 years, and the unlimited potential it has to continue to improve our community by changing women’s lives.

Many thanks to The Bivings Group and those who have joined us for the first decade of our journey.  We look forward to celebrating with you on October 15, 2008. 

And if you haven’t yet been involved in The Power of Giving Together, we hope you’ll consider joining us!