This year, Women’s Fund broke records. With $1 million awarded in grants, we reached a new milestone in our mission to support women and girls in Central Indiana. These resources are going into organizations and programs that move the needle: from housing security and workforce development to prenatal care and mental wellness.
The State of Women in Central Indiana Report, released last year, laid bare hard truths. But this year, we witnessed resilience blooming through Women’s Fund programs like Generosity Forward, which saw middle and high school youth making close to $10,000 in grants to women- and girl-serving organizations. We saw that same resilience in our gatherings like our Power of Women event with Glennon Doyle. Her words were a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we act with purpose and intention.
In the coming decades, women are set to inherit more wealth than ever before. Quietly, steadily, the balance is shifting. Across partnerships and generations, major financial decisions will rest in women’s hands. But it’s not just the number that matters. It’s the moment. Women will not only hold wealth, but direct it, grow it, and decide how it will shape our society.
To harness this power fully, we must reimagine how philanthropy works. As my CICF Collaborative colleague Jeff Bennett and I shared at Old National’s Philanthropy Summit this summer, democratizing philanthropy will be key. And, as it turns out, women were pioneers in that very idea from the beginning. Giving circles, grassroots funding, and collaborative models aren’t trends. They are visionary practices designed by and for women of all means during the initial stages of the Women’s Funding Movement in the 1970s.
I believe giving is deeply and uniquely human. Do you remember as a child, dropping coins into the Salvation Army bucket or choosing your favorite Girl Scout cookies? Giving was joyful, impulsive, even fun. It still is. But now we have the opportunity to support organizations that amplify our gifts and our impact in ways that can lift whole communities.
As we step into this season of generosity, I invite you to think about how you give. It could be a simple word of recognition to a woman who doesn’t always hear it. It could be a donation to a fund that will extend your gift in new and meaningful ways your hadn’t considered. However you give, and however you open yourself to receive, you are part of Indiana’s heart and power.
Finally, this next year marks a Women’s Fund milestone: thirty years. We have lots in store to celebrate. But the real celebration will be in what we accomplish. Let’s make 2026 a year when generosity removes more barriers for women, reaches deeper to those in need, and creates a legacy we can be proud of for decades to come.
Tamara Winfrey-Harris
President
Women’s Fund of Central Indiana
This article was published within the August 2025 issue of the Women’s Fund’s Diane magazine.
