Message from the Chair
Welcome to the Connect! We are excited to launch this newsletter, and hope that by publishing it quarterly our very busy members have another way to stay connected and informed. By now you may have also seen our growing presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Next time you are logged in to any of your social media accounts, go ahead and follow/join us.
In this edition of the Connect, we are unveiling our new BWGC tag line that underpins our work and mission to Invest, Connect, Inspire. These three words are at the heart of what our circle does. Thank you to those who helped brainstorm, craft and wordsmith our empowering new mission and vision statements.
I thank all of you for your support and look forward to our continued work to
invest in innovative programs that empower girls and young women in Northern Virginia, connect meaningfully with members and grantees, and inspire others to join the power of collective philanthropy.
Yours in service,
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Tanya La Force
2018 Chair
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One of the primary goals of the BWGC is to
invest
in innovative programs that empower girls and young women in Northern Virginia. Below are some BWGC program and investment highlights.
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In January, BWGC hosted the Grantee Celebration that gave each of this year's five grantees an opportunity to showcase their work to our members. We also celebrated this 4th year of grant making and $53,000 of funding to these amazing nonprofit organizations and schools who provide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), Leadership and Entrepreneurship programs to girls and young women in Northern Virginia. Our total grant making investments now stand at $178,000.
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SHINE for Girls holds recital at Braddock Elementary
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SHINE for Girls, a 2016 and 2015 grantee, held two Winter 2018 programs at Braddock ES and Woodley Hills ES. In total 35 girls and 11 mentors participated in the two programs which resulted in an increase in math scores at Braddock of 107% and Woodley Hills of 237%; and an increase in confidence levels at Braddock 24% and Woodley Hills 15%.
"The main thing I have noticed is the confidence the girls come away with. They are not afraid to tackle a math problem and approach it as a challenge instead of something to avoid. To see that growth and comfort level applying themselves to math is just phenomenal." Mrs. McAdam, Grades 4-6 Teacher, Braddock ES
SHINE has successfully managed the BWGC grant and will be extending the impact by offering a summer immersion camp at Braddock ES. BWGC members are welcome to attend!
Dates: July 9-19, 2018 (8 days)
Days: Monday-Thursday
Time: 1 PM - 3 PM
Final Performance : Thursday 7/19/18 at 2 PM
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The BWGC
connects
meaningfully with members and grantees. The Network and Education Committee has planned two education events and two open house socials this year. In March, we kicked off a new initiative of capacity building opportunities for our grantees. Read on.
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Women, Work, and Technology: Closing the Gap
Thursday, April 26: 6:00 - 8:00 PM
A rapidly changing landscape of work. A growing skills gap. The scarcity of women in male-dominated STEM fields. Join us for a dynamic discussion of the challenges and opportunities the current work and technology environment presents to women. The discussion will highlight organizations that are addressing these challenges and implementing innovative programs to increase employment opportunities for women in the technology space.
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BWGC hosted its first Capacity Building Seminar on March 12th at the offices of Credence Management Solutions. Past and current grantees were invited to participate in this session designed to help target messaging and create focused fundraising communications and asks. The gathering naturally provided a forum to share ideas and collaborate. BWGC members Kathy Renzetti and Cheryl Janey shared their expertise on these topics.
"[Today's program is a]
reminder how much energy there is when you surround yourself with people who are passionate about what they do"
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Aliyah Nisa Pandolfi, Executive Director, Kashmir World Foundation
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The BWGC
inspires
others to join the power of collective philanthropy. An individual gift of $1,000 to any organization is helpful but our collective grants have
impact!
As we enter our 5th year of grant making our goal is to grow this year's grant pool to over $55,000. Thanks to our new and renewing members, we are on our way.
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We Welcome our New Members
Mary Albanese
Sharon Aylward
Cerasela Cristei
Jen Dalton
Rita Goodroe
Marlissa Hudson
Stephanie Marshall
Christina O'Connell
Nina Un
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"As one of the early female geological explorers of interior Alaska, I know all too well how hard it is for young women to break into male-dominated science fields. But I also know it is possible...It has to start somewhere. Why not right here, right now" -
Mary Albanese, PhD
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Thank you to our Members
who have renewed
Anja Allen
Grace Anton
Faith Boettger
Kristina Bouweiri
Leigh Chowdhary
Nancy Eberhardt
Eileen Ellsworth
Lilly Harris
Lauri Isbrandtsen
Tina Johnson
Tanya La Force
Kim Luu-Tu
Kim Mason
Erin Norman
Susan Pierce
Judy Redpath
Carol Shapiro
Julie Simmons
Susan Snell
Anne Marie Wemmlinger
Tessie Wilson
Stefanie Zeldin Sigel
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We encourage you to help grow our circle by bringing a friend or colleague to one of our upcoming events.
Find the calendar here.
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The mission of the Business Women’s Giving Circle is to invest in innovative programs that empower girls and young women in Northern Virginia, connect meaningfully with members and grantees, and inspire others to join the power of collective philanthropy.
The vision of the Business Women’s Giving Circle is a community where all young women are empowered to make lasting impact through our legacy of collective philanthropy.
The Business Women's Giving Circle brings together engaged women who want to support positive change for girls and young women in our community. Launched in 2014 by the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, the Business Women's Giving Circle (BWGC) invests in innovative programs, connects meaningfully with members and grantees, and inspires others to join the power of collective philanthropy. BWGC has awarded $178,000 to organizations providing exciting experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), Leadership and Entrepreneurship with measurable impact on the lives of over 1,300 girls and young women in Northern Virginia. Learn more at
www.cfnova.org/bwgc
.
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