 |
September 2019 Newsletter |
Our voice
s
matter.
Earlier this month
, Women's Impact Fund join
ed
Charlotte leaders and
organizations as a signatory to the
CLT Unity Letter
, standing against racist and violent letters that were
recently
sent
to
local
leaders of color.
More than 3,725 individuals and organizations added their voices in an inspiring show of community strength
- I am proud that Women's Impact Fund was among them.
Social Hour for Social Issues
is right around the corner
on October 15. The event will feature the award
-
winning
Queen City Quiz Show.
This lively and engaging event will focus on issues of affordable housing in the Charlotte region. It will be a fun and
educational
evening for all.
This is a perfect opportunity to introduce a friend to
the
Women's Impact Fund
.
RSVP today!
Finally, check your mailboxes for the
2018-2019 Annual Report and your annual invoice which will be mailed
in the coming weeks
.
|
|
Grants Corner
Grants Corner gives members a monthly update on this year's grant making process.
Our
Letter of Inquiry (LOI) application window for non-profits opened on September 3 and will remain open through September 30. We're continuously looking for ways to increase and diversify our applicant pool, so we hope you all as members will help
spread the word!
Our Grants Sub-Committees are currently researching critical issues, emerging trends and talking to community subject matter experts across our program areas. This "Discovery Phase" enables Grants Committee members to d
evelop a thorough understanding of important issues and trends in the Charlotte community so that we can recommend projects that have the potential for high impact and significant positive change.
This year, the Member Education Committee is planning Lunch & Learn events around all of our program areas. We encourage you to attend one or more events this year to better understand the issues facing our community.
A special thanks to our Grants Committee members and team leads for their engagement as we've kicked off this year's grant cycle. What a team!
|
Mission Moment
Mission Moment gives monthly updates on the impact that Women's Impact Fund grants have in our community.
The
Spark g
rant was
created in 2017-2018 to boost our
community impact t
h
rough collaboration with other funders and non-profit organizations
during
the early stage
s
of efforts to address critical
needs
and emerging issues in
the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
area
.
Learn more here.
Tutor Charlotte received our inaugural Spark grant in 2018. We invested $50,000 in a startup collaborative effort led by Read Charlotte and United Way of the Central Carolinas to provide reading tutors to 20,000 kindergarten and first grade CMS students. Read Charlotte's goal was to double the percentage of third graders reading on grade level from 39% to 80% by 2025.
|
|
|
Shaun Corbett |
In 2019
Cops & Barbers received a $20,000 Spark grant for organizational planning and capacity building. Cops & Barbers, founded by
Shaun "Lucky" Corbett, works to create understanding and reduce racial tensions through job training opportunities for African-American youth and in relationship-building programming with CMPD officers and cadets.
|
Recap: Arts and Culture Lunch & Learn
Written by Veronica Kenny-MacPherson
On September 9, the Arts and Culture Lunch & Learn was held at the Levine Museum of the New South marking the successful return of the WIF Lunch & Learn series!
|
|
|
Members enjoyed a sold-out event featuring Mecklenburg County Manager, Dena Diorio, and new Arts & Science Council (ASC) President, R. Jeep Bryant. Past
WIF
Board Chair, Arrington Mixon, moderated the discussion which covered a range of issues including the history of how the arts and culture sector has been funded in Mecklenburg County over the last few decades and the positive impact the sector has on our community and local economy.
Diorio and Bryant responded to thoughtful questions from our members about the upcoming referendum on the ballot November 5
to add a quarter-cent to Mecklenburg County's 7.25% sales tax, proceeds of which would help fund the arts, parks, and education. (Women's Impact Fund does not take a position for or against the sales tax referendum.)
Continue reading here.
|
|
Greetings
from the Membership
& Membership Education
Committee
s!
Written by Membership Chair Lisa Crotty & Member Education Chair Vida Harvey
The Membership and Member Education Committees are responsible for
developing opportunities for members and prospective members to engage, learn, and have fun together throughout the program year. We are excited about the diverse events
engaging all of our members and guests in 2019-2020!
The
Membership Committee
is responsible for outreach to prospective members and planning events for new and current membership.
We have an average of one social event per month including New Member Mondays at
Corkbuzz
in South
P
ark, In-Home Socials at member's homes throughout the city, and Member & Friends City Socials at fun venues around town. In addition, we host two recruitment events in the fall and spring and three New Member Orientations to enable prospective members to understand the membership and its goals better. (We are still looking for hostesses for In-Home Socials this year; if you are interested in hosting, please contact us!)
Starting this year, the
Member Education Committee
is overseeing the educational opportunities that are offered to our members (this was done by the Membership Committee in the past). This includes two signature events, Social Hour for Social Issues in the fall
(
RSVP today!
)
and Women & Wisdom in the spring,
in addition to the
Lunch & Learn
S
eries and the Board Leadership Initiative through which members can learn about serving on a non-profit board.
Stay informed on
the various Membership and Member Education
events by checking the
Events
page
on the
website
and reading the Upcoming Events email on the first Thursday of every month.
W
e look forward to seeing you
at an
event soon!
|
|
Member News
WIF Board Member
Molly Shaw was quoted in a recent
Charlotte Observer article about the field trip that inspired the CLT Unity Letter.
Have Member News to share? Send us a note.
|
|
Community Partner of the Month
Each month we will highlight one of our generous community partners.
We are pleased to have Wells Fargo as the Presenting Sponsor of this year's Annual Meeting in May 2020. This is the eighth year that Wells Fargo will sponsor the event. We are grateful for their support!
|
|
Upcoming Events
Click on event to register.
Board of Advisor Luncheon with Carolyn Meade & Joan Lorden
(full)
Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Time: 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: Wells Fargo Auditorium with reception beforehand at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, 430 South Tryon St, Charlotte, NC
New Member Monday
Date: Monday, October 21, 2019
Time: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Location: Corkbuzz, 4905 Ashley Park Ln, Charlotte, NC
Lunch & Learn - Affordable Housing
(registration opening soon)
Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Time & Location: To be announced
|
|
|
The mission of Women's Impact Fund is to strengthen communities by maximizing women's leadership in philanthropy through collective giving, education and engagement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
