FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: Anna Sczepanski
October 20, 2016 301-585-5034, anna@cfoxcommunications.com
Washington Area Women’s Foundation Raises More Than $875,000 at Annual Leadership Luncheon
Luncheon focused on taking collective action to create racial and economic equality for all women and girls in our region
Washington, D.C. (October 20, 2016) – Washington Area Women’s Foundation hosted its annual Leadership Luncheon today, focused on mobilizing the community to work together to build economic security, greater opportunities and racial equality for our region’s women and families. The Luncheon featured a keynote address from Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls.
The Leadership Luncheon focused on forwarding The Women’s Foundation’s strategic plan, Together We Thrive for creating consistent economic stability for all women and girls in the Washington, D.C. region. Over the next five years, The Women’s Foundation is committed to quintupling its investments in the region’s women and girls and will embolden the entire community to collectively invest an additional $100 million.
As part of this strategic plan and a broader collective effort with women’s foundations from across the country and the White House Council on Women and Girls called Prosperity Together, The Women’s Foundation will launch a Young Women’s Initiative in the coming months. The Young Women’s Initiative will push policymakers, business and community leaders and philanthropists to develop and invest in programs that address and eliminate racial and gender disparities and other challenges facing women.
“The Women’s Foundation is publicly committing to advancing equity for women and girls of color and tackling racism head on so that we can truly advance our mission and ensure that all women and girls in our community have the opportunity to thrive,” said Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat. “Stand with us as we work together to understand the root causes of inequality in our city, and develop plans, together, to create change.”
As a first step to launching the Young Women’s Initiative, Washington Area Women’s Foundation has started a listening tour, to hear firsthand from young women and girls about the concerns and challenges they face. “We are committing to ensuring that women and girls of color not only have a seat at the table, but are driving the solutions put forth,” said Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat.
The Washington Area Women’s Foundation’s Leadership Luncheon was generously supported by Capital One Investing, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente, RP3 Agency, Think Speak Act, LLC, APCO Worldwide, Marion Scattergood Ballard, Bank of America, Donna Callejon and Deborah Whiteside, Deloitte, LLP, Amy Dunbar and Ted Hester, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Graham Holdings, Hobo Bags, Horning Family Fund, The HSC Foundation, JStreet Group, Rachel Kronowitz, Elissa Leonard & Jay Powell, Pepco, Rockefeller & Co., King & Spalding, Volkswagen Group of America, Washington Business Journal, Laurie Wingate and Mark Chandler, and Mary Zients among others.
For more information about Washington Area Women’s Foundation or to donate, visit www.thewomensfoundation.org.
Photos from the 2016 Leadership Luncheon are available for download here https://spaces.hightail.com/space/2U9Px. All photos should be credited to Lisa Helfert.
About Washington Area Women’s Foundation
Washington Area Women’s Foundation is a DC-based public foundation dedicated to mobilizing our community to ensure that economically vulnerable women and girls in the Washington region have the resources they need to thrive. Learn more about The Women’s Foundation’s mission to transform the lives of women and girls, the Washington region, and the world by visiting us online, on Facebook or on Twitter.
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