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 a summary of recent research on issues of economic security and financial independence for women and their families.

CBS Evening News aired a story last week about a mother of three in Washington state who is rebuilding her life after leaving a domestic violence situation.

One of the tools that helped her is an IDA (Individual Development Account) matched savings account, which she used to buy a car, a computer and a home. The three-minute video is on Capital Area Asset Builder’s Web site.

On October 15, 2008, The Women’s Foundation held a Community Briefing on the importance of early care and education. 

Craig Pascal, Senior Vice President/Territory Manager, Community Development Bank at PNC and Tobi Printz-Platnick, Program Officer, Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, made a strong case for increased investments in early care and education.

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.

The Women’s Foundation is proud to announce that the board of directors has recently approved grants totaling $645,500 to be invested in the Washington metropolitan area.  This brings our 2008 grantmaking total to more than $1.1 million.

See where and how we’re investing.

Philanthropist Laurie Emrich, a "woman moving millions," and a founding board member and supporter of The Women’s Foundation, as well as many international women’s funds, describes how her journey from Denver to Africa to Washington, D.C. was an intellectual, spiritual and emotional one leading to her commitment to give back to her community and to "participate in the long-term building of an inclusive, community-based, multi-racial movement for justice."

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.

Getting the Ball Rolling
Thirty years ago, Women & Philanthropy was born out of the desire and outrage of a small cadre of women (and a couple of male allies).  Troubled by the lack of representation of women in positions of leadership in the philanthropic field (a report from the Council on Foundations reported that only 18 percent of foundation trustees and 28 percent of foundation professional staff were women), and the dearth of program funding supporting programs for women, one motivated woman held an impromptu lunch to figure out what could be done.

Access to quality early childhood education is finding articulate advocates in unusual places, including voices from the Federal Reserve Bank. The economic argument for investing in quality early childhood education has been soundly made by Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis researcher Art Rolnick in the working paper, A Proposal for Achieving High Returns on Early Childhood Development.

No not Extra-Sensory Perception, I’m talking about the Economic Stimulus Payments.

Beginning in May, the IRS will send Economic Stimulus Payment checks to over 130 million households.  Intended to spur a slowing economy, these payments represent many millions of dollars flowing into our communities. Just imagine what you could do with that money! How about doing something really novel and taking that payment and saving all or part of it for a rainy day?