You don’t have to be a millionaire to give a million, or to feel like it, when you’re part
of the power of giving together.
No one knows this like the founding members of Washington 100, The Women’s Foundation’s premier group of supporters who give $10,000 each over two years, generating a collective $1 million that is changing the way The Women’s Foundation works by supporting the efforts that are changing lives and our community.
Phyllis Caldwell, a founding member of Washington 100, explains that her commitment stemmed precisely from this, saying, “I liked the idea of being part of a $1 million donor pool. It’s more than I could ever donate as an individual.”
Co-chaired by Barbara Strom Thompson and Doreen Gentzler, Washington 100 met its charter membership goal in July with 118 founding members. This achievement was due in great part to the enthusiasm and dedication of its co-chairs and early members who reached out and brought people into this esteemed network.
Strom Thompson describes the fulfillment of this network of leaders as a natural outshoot of the desire among women philanthropists to find innovative, effective ways to invest their gifts. “Women are looking for new ways to give,” she says. "Women don’t want to just support the status quo, particularly Washington women. They want to be very savvy about where they’re investing their time and their money, and they value the camaraderie of giving collectively. Washington 100 is a perfect match for these women.”
Washington 100, which is made up of a diverse, engaged community of women and men representing industries, neighborhoods, interests and talents throughout our region, is a unique opportunity for philanthropists who want to broaden their engagement with giving, but on their own terms.
“Women have chapters in their lives, and Washington 100 provides a really important way that women can get involved in The Women’s Foundation and have it meet their own needs, as well as doing really important work,” Strom Thompson says.
She explains that one of the advantages of Washington 100 is that it provides an opportunity to make an impact through various levels of involvement. It’s fine to give a check, or, for those who want to be more involved, the networking with like-minded community leaders and the philanthropic education opportunities are plentiful and meaningful.
“One of the reasons I got involved in The Women’s Foundation was that I felt like I didn’t even know my hometown,” Strom Thompson says. “It felt odd to live in a place for decades and not know such huge parts of the city. A lot of women are drawn to the opportunity to broaden their sense of home.”
Opportunities like this exist for Washington 100 in the form of networking events with other top leaders from the region; private receptions and forums on key philanthropic, community issues; personalized assistance from The Women’s Foundation with creating giving plans, connecting with other community organizations and leaders and finding additional ways to become involved in our community; and more, including site visits to see firsthand the work being done by The Women’s Foundation’s Grantee Partners.
Cathy Isaacson, a founding member of Washington 100, gains perspective from these opportunities. “It is a much deeper understanding,” she says. “Hearing from the women who benefit from those programs so that you can—in a very concrete way—learn about the impact is so valuable.”
In turn, the commitment and support of Washington 100 is invaluable to The Women’s Foundation, providing the core support that enables its grantmaking, leadership development and technical assistance to Grantee Partners, research and community education efforts and the long-term social change that is the goal of its work.
“We’re not funding band-aid efforts,” Strom Thompson says. “This is about institutional, societal, cultural change. We’ll be able to exponentially grow and expand on the progress The Women’s Foundation has made in less than 10 years. It’s been amazing what The Women’s Foundation has accomplished, and it’s our job to provide the financial security for that work to continue.”
Caldwell sees it also as an important force in our region’s growing wave of women philanthropists. “The founding members of Washington 100 all believe in the vision of The Women’s Foundation as part of the new wave of women as philanthropists,” she says.
Strom Thompson agrees, saying, “There is a certain alchemy when women get together, and we’re creating new ways of engaging in the community that go beyond just the money we give. And not only are we helping change others, but we’re changing ourselves.”
Learn more about this powerful network of women and men investing in women and girls in our region.
(Photo: Washington 100 co-chairs Barbara Strom Thompson and Doreen Gentzler. Courtesy of Michael Colella.)
