Philanthropic leaders gathered today at the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers Annual Meeting had many different opinions and thoughts on issues of local and national poverty, but they all seemed to agree that The Women’s Foundation’s Stepping Stones program is to be lauded as an effective, innovative leader in transforming lives.
In a discussion on sustainable, meaningful efforts to address poverty, Ralph Smith, Senior Vice President of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, called Stepping Stones an "amazing effort" and stated, "Those supporting that effort should be congratulated, because you’re pointing the way."
Patricia McGuire, President of Trinity (Washington) University and one of The Washingtonian’s "100 Most Powerful Women of Washington," thanked The Women’s Foundation for its work on building the financial skills of area women, a primary component of Stepping Stones. She noted that the Stepping Stones approach is an important and effective one because it addresses poverty by moving from charity to investments that empower people to sustain change in their own lives.
To learn more about why Stepping Stones is viewed as a leading model in addressing poverty and empowering women and their families, check out the program’s latest report, Stepping Stones 2006: Paving Women’s Pathways to Economic Security. It explains how 5,500 women saved nearly $3 million while shedding more than $72,000 in personal debt, and more!
