Some Facts About Fundraising
- Women’s Fund of Central Indiana has a bold new strategic plan to invest, convene and advocate MORE for women and girls in our community.
- Starting in 2025 and beyond, Women’s Fund has committed to deploying $1M million or more in grant funds directly into the community, more than ever in our history!
- Money earned from Women’s Fund of Central Indiana’s endowment goes directly to the community through our responsive grantmaking and community leadership.
- We also utilize our newly established Women in Health Giving Collaborative, which puts philanthropic power to improve health outcomes in the hands of women working in all sectors of healthcare, to make grants into the community.
- Women’s Fund must raise more than $1.5M annually to cover operating costs that fuel our work, including the OPTIONS program. Put simply, to make a big impact we need your support!
Our Goal
- Our goal is to inspire every OPTIONS Alumnae to give at a level that she feels is meaningful by Thursday, December 31.
- All OPTIONS classes that give at 100 percent will receive Women’s Fund “Woman Up” t-shirts.
Your Fundraising Plan
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Set a goal to get every member of your OPTIONS class to give. We will provide you with names and contact information for your class. We may not have contact information for some alumnae who have moved away or otherwise disconnected. Missing class members will not be counted against your 100 percent.
- Make your donation. Make your donation to the fund through this webpage.
- Set a plan. Based on your relationship and communication style, decide the best way to motivate your class. Phone calls? Emails? Cocktails? A Zoom reunion? It’s up to you.
- Reach out. To help, we have shared some language and FAQs on this webpage to help you communicate with classmates.
- Follow up. Remind your classmates of the Dec. 31 deadline and ensure they haven’t lost the donation link. Answer any additional questions and emphasize the impact you can have together.
Suggested Timeline
- September 2: Fundraising begins. Webpages go live.
- Oct. 6: Deadline for contacting OA classmates
- Oct. 21 (12-1 p.m.): Mid-point check-in Zoom
- Nov. 30: Deadline for all class gatherings
- Dec. 31: Fundraising ends.
- Jan. 2025: “Winning” classes announced; t-shirts awarded.
Starter copy
Use the below copy as starter prompts to initiate conversations.
Text Message
Download image to accompany text »
Hey NAME,
www.womensfund.org/options-class-giving-initiative
[Are you interested in chatting more?] OR [Would you be interested in attending a small gathering I am hosting for our class?]
Download flyer to attach to email »
Hey NAME,
Because we were both in OPTIONS class xx, I thought you might be as excited as I am about the bold new things Women’s Fund is doing.
As someone passionate about women and girls and Women’s Fund, I would love to see every member of our OPTIONS class give a meaningful unrestricted gift to show our support for this work. Unrestricted gifts make Women’s Fund’s work, including OPTIONS, possible.
I’m planning a gathering for our class. [insert details] Would you join me or could I take you to coffee to share more about why I am so passionate about this effort?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the OPTIONS Ambassador program?
To engage OPTIONS Alumnae in Women’s Fund’s new work and to encourage every OPTIONS Alumnae to support it by giving in an amount that is meaningful to her by Monday, Dec. 31.
How does the OPTIONS Ambassador program work?
Women from almost every OPTIONS class have agreed to serve as ambassadors, galvanizing their classmates to give. Ambassadors are encouraged to use their creativity to inspire classmates in a way they deem most effective. That may look like a group meeting for cocktails, a Zoom reunion, a text, phone call or all of the above.
All OPTIONS classes that give at 100 percent (all reachable members give) will receive Women’s Fund “Woman Up” t-shirts
Who are the OPTIONS Ambassadors?
| Class | Options Ambassador | Email Address |
| 1 | Chrystal Struben | chrystal.struben@gmail.com |
| 2 | Rachel Riegel | rgriegel@aol.com |
| 6 | Caroline Gleason Dutkanych | carolined@womensfund.org |
| 7 | Kristy Lombardo | kristyrobinsonlombardo@gmail.com |
| 8 | Mary Beth Kohart | mbkohart@gmail.com |
| 9 | Dheepa Maturi | dmaturi@gmail.com |
| 10 | Tiffany Barnes | tsbarnes@bsu.edu |
| 11 | Ali Sylvia | asyliva@psrb.com |
| 12 | Morgan Coleman | mmpcoleman@gmail.com |
| 13 | Jennifer Gause | jlgause@sbcglobal.net |
| 14 | Sally Winter | sally@wintercommunications.com |
| 15 | Rachael Ehlich | rachaelclaire@gmail.com |
| 16 | Kareema Boykin | kboykin07@gmail.com |
| 17 | Hadley Moore Vlahogeorge | hadleyecmoore@gmail.com |
| 18 | Carrie Sermersheim | csermersheim@structurepoint.com |
| 19 | Jamie Allen | jaaindy@gmail.com |
| 20 | Ebony Funches | funches.ebony@gmail.com |
| 21 | Danielle Dove | ddove@irtlive.com |
| 22 | Genevieve Gaines | genevieve@childadvocates.net |
| 23 | Wendy Dukes | wendybdukes@gmail.com |
What if I do not have contact information for every woman from my class?
Women’s Fund will provide you with names and contact information for your class. We may not have contact information for some alumnae who have moved away or otherwise disconnected. Missing class members will not be counted against your 100 percent.
Are we soliciting gifts of a specific amount?
No. Women’s Fund believes that every dollar has dignity. We are painfully aware of the gaps in women’s pay and wealth. We are grateful for ALL gifts—no matter how small or large. We can tell you that the average OPTIONS Alumnae gift is $350. Our online giving system cannot accept gifts less than $25 but donors are welcome to send smaller gifts by check or cash to Women’s Fund offices. We can also accept recurring payments that are monthly.
Are we soliciting only unrestricted gifts?
We want donors to give where it best fits their values, and our giving portal offers the choice to donate to Operating, Endowment or OPTIONS Scholarship. But, like other not-for-profits, we can best use unrestricted gifts to our operating fund.
How does Women’s Fund use unrestricted gifts?
Money from Women’s Fund of Central Indiana’s endowment goes directly to the community through our responsive grantmaking and community leadership. Women’s Fund must raise more than $1.5M annually to cover operating costs (people, places, materials and systems) that make that work, including the OPTIONS program, possible.
Does a Power of Women ticket purchase count as one’s donation?
No. However if you attend the event and make a gift that evening, your gift will count.
What are some facts about Women’s Fund’s work that I can share with potential donors?
Be sure to take a look at Women’s Fund three-year strategic plan and 2024 Annual Report. Here are four interesting projects you may wish to lift up:
2024 State of Women in Central Indiana Report
Women’s Fund partnered with the Polis Center at Indiana University Indianapolis to develop a State of Women in Central Indiana Report, including disaggregated current data and community voice. Areas of exploration included Women’s Fund priority areas of health, economic mobility, career/workforce and personal safety/intimate partner violence. Women’s Fund shared the information with women- and girl-serving not-for-profits, community stakeholders and decision-makers. The report included data on women in the eight-county area and a link to and executive summary of the 2024 Indiana Girl Report. In 2025, Women’s Fund will work with Polis to publish two briefs that explore key issues in the report more deeply.
Young Women’s Initiative | Young Women’s Advisory Council
Women’s Fund is excited to be part of the National Philanthropic Collaborative of Young Women’s Initiatives. In 2024, along with Centers of Wellness for Urban Women, we launched a Young Women’s Advisory Council for young women and gender-expansive persons ages 18-24. They are working on their action plan for building a better community.
Night of 100 Women
On July 22, 2025, Women’s Fund of Central Indiana held its third annual Night of 100+ Women, with the theme of Policies, Power and Possibility in Women’s Health. We brought together 150+ women across sectors and identities to engage in powerful conversations about the state of women’s health in Indiana–especially sexual, reproductive, and mental health. The evening included activities designed to understand women and girls’ lived experiences and needs in our community. In addition to including women working in healthcare, we prioritized the voices of women who historically have not engaged with women’s funds, including women of color, women living with disabilities, immigrant women, LGBTQIA+ women and women outside of our metro area. Information gathered during the event was shared with the sector of women- and girl-serving organizations and the Central Indiana community via a post-event report.
Women in Healthcare Collaborative
Launched in 2024, the Women in Health Giving Collaborative charged women in healthcare (doctors, doulas, executives, community health navigators, therapists and others) with making grant decisions to improve health outcomes for women and girls. The inaugural Women in Health grant round focused on reproductive health and Black girls’ mental health. The WIH Steering Committee was led by OPTIONS Alumnae, Dr. Cara Berg Raunick and Dr. Crystal Mehta. In its inaugural grant round, the Women in Health Collaborative made $260,000 to six organizations. Click here to learn more.