2009Celebrating and Reflecting
On the eve of the new year, it is timely for me to take a moment to reflect on the past year at Women's Fund and to share my vision for the next.
Resolving to Make a Difference
It is almost 2010, so I am reflecting on what I was doing ten years ago, as the world anticipated what might come with Y2K. That same year, Women's Fund celebrated our first year of grantmaking. Ten years later, we have granted a total of over $3.2 million to 89 central Indiana organizations.
Exploring a Community Center i Never Had
I decided to take a closer look at Concord Neighborhood Center. Women’s Fund has provided significant funds to this organization for a number of years – from computer training for girls to childcare for women; assistance with basic needs to youth development.
Women's Fund of Central Indiana Announces Officers
INDIANAPOLIS – Women’s Fund of Central Indiana announces new leadership to its 2010 Advisory Board. The following Officers have been selected: Ann Murtlow, chair, President & CEO, Indianapolis Power & Light Co. Julie Manning Magid, vice-chair, Associate Professor of Business Law, IU Kelley School of Business Elaine Bedel, vice-chair elect, President, Bedel Financial Consulting
Include Emergencies in Your Giving Plan
If you contribute to any non-profit organization on a regular basis, you may receive frequent communication regarding financial crises that arise. Sometimes I know that I feel like charities may be crying wolf too often. And sometimes I wonder to myself why these organizations haven’t planned for the unexpected, and that maybe they are just preying on my human reaction to want to help fix an emergent problem.
The Best Method to Gift to Charity
Contributed by Elaine Bedel, CFP; President, Bedel Financial Consulting, Inc. The end of the year is a good time to consider donating to your favorite nonprofit organization and to take advantage of tax benefits. Depending on the form of your gift to charity, you can receive tax benefits beyond the charitable tax deduction itself. To take advantage of these other benefits, you need to review your personal situation and plan ahead to allow sufficient time to complete the gifting process.
Tis' the Season for Joy Not Pain
I recently read an article about the increased rate of domestic violence during the holidays, which really breaks my heart. The holidays are supposed to be filled with fun with family and friends, not a time for living in fear of violence. “Holiday stress” is no excuse for abuse (nothing is).
"Working it Out" with Girls Inc.
When I had an opportunity to volunteer for Girls Incorporated of Greater Indianapolis, I was immediately interested. Through their recent expansion of outreach-based programming, volunteers and staff are reaching more girls through program delivery in community centers and schools.
Food Stamps on the Rise
Women’s Fund recently asked its Facebook Fans what they thought when hearing the words Food Stamps. What images come to mind? Interesting question..
Being Thankful
It's approaching the end of the work day before Thanksgiving. With tomorrow being a day to give thanks, I have paused to reflect on some things I am thankful for - big and small - in my role at Women's Fund.
Volunteering as a Family
Women’s Fund may not be the first organization that comes to mind when thinking about family volunteering, but in fact, they offer two philanthropy education programs that instill that same belief of giving back. The cool thing is their philanthropy education programs extend beyond a day or week of volunteering together, but focus on lifelong giving.
OPTIONS Alumnae Reconnect
As the ninth class of OPTIONS concludes and we head into the tenth anniversary year for this philanthropy education program, this was a fitting way to celebrate this year and launch into the next.
National Family Caregivers Month - Think About the Caregivers in Your Life
This month is National Family Caregivers Month, which got me thinking about the roles of traditional caregivers.
Lessons for a Lifetime
What did participants learn at Power of Girls? How were they impacted? So many of the "take aways" from this program go well beyond the day of the event...
Caregiving Challenges and Solutions
Women's Fund has made a concerted effort to fund organizations focused on caregiving. We have made great strides in central Indiana, granting over $832,000 to address caregiving issues through organizations.
Discovering
I truly have had a great time getting to know Womens Fund better over the past few months. Yes, I went through OPTIONS several years ago. Yes, I know several of the organizations who benefit from Womens Fund grants. Yes, I have a few friends on committees and/or the board. But Ive discovered some new things I didnt know (or maybe didnt remember). Take, for example, some of these did you knows that ive discovered or rediscovered.
OPTIONS and Impact
Contributed by Lynda Goeke. We all have options to give money where we like: church, museums, not-for-profits, etc. My OPTIONS class number four had the opportunity to give money as a group. That is what I love about Women’s Fund. It takes all the money we give, pools it all together and gives it where it is needed.
Becoming Passionately Pink
During October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wear more pink than normal; I eat pink M&Ms and I eat Yoplait and save the lids. For several years I have walked in numerous breast cancer walks locally and even 60 miles in San Diego for the 3-Day Walk. I've attended fundraisers and made donations. In a way, I hoped that would make me exempt from breast cancer ever affecting me or my friends. Not so. Last year was a year when breast cancer became more than a "cause" and more of a "personal passion".
Business Ownership Initiative - Another WF Success Story
With the help of the bold and transformative Women's Fund grant, Business Ownership Initiative has grown into a big, broad organization, offering one on one business counseling services, planning, and workshops to help people with any of their small business educational and support needs.
Investing in Our Community
What would you do with $337,500? Thanks to our permanent endowment and all donors to it, Women's Fund will be able to continue this impact in our community for generations to come.
Women's Fund Awards $337,500 to Organizations Supporting Caregiving, Domestic Violence and Insufficient Income
(Indianapolis) Women’s Fund of Central Indiana recently awarded $337,500 to organizations giving opportunities, encouragement, knowledge and hope to women and girls in central Indiana. The grants, awarded to 13 organizations, target central Indiana’s organizations focused on caregiving, domestic violence and insufficient income.
Friendships Made; Experiences Gained - Your OPTION
Recruiting for OPTIONS Class 10 already? It doesn’t seem that long ago that I participated - eight years goes by quickly. Back then I was eager to learn; eager to make a difference. I wanted to participate in every leadership and community program offered. OPTIONS was one of several – and the one that had the greatest impact on me.
Creating Options and Opportunities
OPTIONS is a year-long philanthropy education program for women who are 25-45 years-old. For nearly ten years, Women's Fund has been educating a new class of twenty women every year to learn about the needs and concerns of women and girls, personal and group philanthropy, the role of non-profit board leaders, and creating opportunities for site visits to organizations we support.
Shining a Light on a Quiet Issue
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Thanks to initiatives like Shattering the Silence, led by Angela Caine at WTHR Channel 13, domestic violence is more openly discussed in our community. As one of our primary funding areas, Women's Fund welcomes opportunities to shine a light on domestic violence and its impact on our community.
Funding Cut; Women's Fund Refuses to See Women at Risk
This week I learned from Women's Fund that they are involved in trying to save a critical program in our community. Women's Fund stepped in after the Julian Center learned the Department of Justice is cutting funding for "The Grants to Encourage Arrests" program – a program credited with having a significant impact on saving lives and keeping women safe.
Bank on Indy
How did you first learn about managing money? At some point, you probably learned something about the value of money and keeping it safe. Through economic literacy programs at local Girls Inc. chapters, for example, many central Indiana girls are developing money management skills at an early age.
Options and Opportunities
My grandmother graduated in 1949 with a Chemistry degree (pictured is the two of us in recent years). Her five hard-working daughters became a teacher, nurses, doctor, and a graphic designer/business owner. From a young age, my closest friends were education-focused, and they are now working in a variety of career fields. You might imagine one of the most important values to me is education, and I am fortunate this was modeled by many strong women in my life.
Are You Hungry?
This past Saturday our GO: Give Back participants gathered for their GO educational sessions and in age-appropriate and gender divided groups, we discussed Food: Enough to Spare? Enough to Share? It was a challenging topic for children to think about people in our country and community who don't have enough to eat. The children were open, receptive, and left the session with a greater appreciation for food, nutrition, and hunger.
More Than Fun and Games
I was lucky enough to have opportunities like Girl Scouts and great programs at school to get involved in... so many good opportunities, it was sometimes hard to choose. I never imagined that these choices and opportunities did not exist for other girls.
Everyday Leadership
Do you see yourself as a leader? Many of us are leaders by nature of our work or affiliations. Leadership opportunities occur at many moments each day. Sometimes we take advantage of them, sometimes we don't, and sometimes we exhibit leadership in unexpected ways.
Go Girl!
Driving home from a meeting with Women’s Fund, I found myself comparing them to an event I participated in over the weekend. On Saturday, I was one of 500 women who participated in the Go Girl Triathlon, an event benefiting the Julian Center
D. Emily Frank - Chef and Physician Extraordinaire
On Tuesday night, I had the honor of attending a dinner and talk given by Dr. Emily Frank at her lovely home in Carmel. For those of you who know Emily, you also know that she is a very gifted internal medicine physician, who has a passion for women's health issues.
Mentors and the Green Sash
Contributed by Lynda Goeke, Community Volunteer. When I think of the experiences in my life that have made the person I am, there are many that come to mind, but one that stands out is my Girl Scout experience.
Back to School...Or Not?
"Kids go back to school... or maybe not" talks about the challenges the Indianapolis Public School (IPS) system faces this time of year.
Women's Fund Endowment Campaign
Contributed by Julie Manning Magid, Associate Professor of Business Law, Indiana University Kelly School of Business. Women's Fund maintains a permanent endowment. A well-funded endowment allows Women's Fund to research and communicate the needs of women and girls in this community. A well-funded endowment supports the needs of the agencies to continue their crucial services.
Planning For Impact
What do all of the following entities have in common? * Indianapolis Colts * Indianapolis Woman magazine * Indianapolis Airport Air Traffic Control Planning. All of these have a plan - a detailed plan - to accomplish great success.
A Delightful Experience
Contributed by Shelley Raper. As an alumnus of OPTIONS Class Eight, I had the opportunity to attend a Girls Inc. Do's and Taboo's Class- Etiquette Tea Class last Wednesday, July 29, to see a program funded by the members of the OPTIONS Class Eight.
Celebrating 40 Years
Girls Incorporated of Greater Indianapolis celebrates their 40th anniversary this year. As a long-standing Women's Fund grantee, we are proud to support their work to help girls become strong, smart, and bold.
Summercamp...At Indiana Women's Prison
How many of you think back to childhood and remember the joy of summer camp? So, as much as I LOVE summer camp, I have to say I was astounded to learn about summer day camp at the Indiana Women's Prison (IWP).
Family Preservation @ the Indiana Women's Prison
Women's Fund has long supported the Family Preservation Program at the Indiana Women's Prison (IWP) because we believe a woman is more likely to live a lawful life and not re-offend if she has the tools necessary to be a good mother. So what does this mean?
Indiana Women in Prison
The front page of today's Indianapolis Star tells a story we are, unfortunately, familiar with at Women's Fund. In the past eight years, the number of women incarcerated in Indiana has risen 61%.
Learning the Lingo
Most of us tend to use a specific vocabulary, or set of words, among our friends and family groups, coworkers, and organizations we are involved with. Women's Fund of Central Indiana and Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) are no exception.
Taking a Charitable Staycation
Are you being inundated with requests for charitable gifts this year? Are your inboxes and mailboxes full of invitations, stories, and pulls to your heartstrings? Are you finding yourself challenged by how to respond when your financial situation is different than in the past? If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you can empathize with the way Women's Fund is feeling in 2009.
Transforming Lives Through Training and Education
With the economic woes that have stricken our community and world, nonprofits are relied upon more heavily right now; those funded by Women's Fund in core funding areas of caregiving, domestic violence, and insufficient income are as relevant now as ever. Organizations such as Women's Fund grant recipient Training, Inc. provide services to those who do not have the support or resources and are hit even harder by the current economy.
Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Violence: Educating Children
The domestic violence statistics continue to be staggering. The only thing new to me lately is the attention the most recent violence has received in the media. Unfortunately, domestic violence occurs every day all across this city; families of every socio-economic background experience violence in their homes. Why?
Welcome!
Welcome to the first Women's Fund of Central Indiana blog post! So, what can you expect from our new blog? News, information, and observations about issues facing women and girls in our community, stories about grants we have made, notes and photos from site visits, experiences regarding philanthropy, and hopefully we are always interesting.
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