We had a wonderful Women's Giving Circle of Howard County Mother’s Day Happy Hour tonight at Bra-La-La. We highlighted how women can engage in the WGC, and in particular, our WGC Feminine Hygiene Product Drive. Thank you to all who joined us and many thanks to Mary Jordan & Bra-La-La for hosting us. Period Poverty is real. Learn more and support the drive here.
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EIGHTH ANNUAL BOOKS IN BLOOM FEATURES AWARD WINNERS AND FAN FAVORITES IN MULTIGENERATIONAL, MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY EVENT Downtown Columbia Partnership and Howard Hughes Holdings Host Book Festival May 11 at Color Burst Park in Downtown Columbia Women’s creativity and accomplishments are at the forefront of the eighth annual Books in Bloom festival hosted by the Downtown Columbia Partnership (DTCP) and Howard Hughes Holdings on Saturday, May 11, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., in Color Burst Park, Merriweather District, Downtown Columbia. The multigenerational, multicultural event is free and open to the public. The roster of featured presenters includes:
Children’s activities, writer’s workshops and exhibits by local literary, human rights and other organizations will be included. Busboys and Poets will showcase books by festival authors, and local restauranteurs will offer special snacks and meals for sale. Free parking is available in the parking garage at the festival site. More book festival information is at https://merriweatherdistrict.com/books-in-bloom/ Happy Spring! It's a lovely time of year where we've been out regularly celebrating women's philanthropy in the community with many of you. This, is the power of a giving circle. You are the women engaged in the important work of the WGC that supports women and girls in our community throughout the year. Read the full April 2024 eNewsletter here In fact, I hope you will join us for WGC's Mother's Day Happy Hour on Wednesday, May 1, 5:30 pm at Bra la la. We'll sip, shop, and connect with WGC Advisory Board members and donors. And, you'll have a chance to win a gift from Bra la la. A portion of all proceeds will go to support the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive. Bra la la is a WGC Feminine Hygiene Product Drive partner, and hosts a bin in the store - we invite you to bring products to donate. There is no fee to attend, but we ask that you register here. And, I hope you will join the Women's Giving Circle, Horizon Foundation, Community Foundation of Howard County, and United Way of Central Maryland for the Changemaker Challenge on Tuesday, May 7, 6:00 pm. The Changemaker Challenge 2024 is a social innovation competition to highlight and award ideas in Howard County where we will give out $100K - think “Shark Tank” for social change! This biennial event awards funding for project ideas that promise to make a difference in Howard County and this year we have some amazing finalists. And, one $10k award will go to a project geared toward women and girls or pitched by a woman! Click here to register to join us virtually to view the LIVE 2024 Changemaker Challenge event at The Collective Encore. Please contact WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz with any questions. Looking forward to seeing you on May 1 and having you join us virtually on May 7! Jennifer Bodensiek WGC Advisory Board Chair wgcchair@wgchowardcounty.org www.wgchowardcounty.org By Julia A. McCready Village Green/Town² I’ve been listening to this episode of Kelly Corrigan Wonders podcast: Go To on Infectious Generosity, For the Good of the Order, Kelly Corrigan When my girls were young, I must have told them a hundred times: you get what you give. I believe it like I believe the sun will rise tomorrow. Chris Anderson, the genius do-gooder behind TED, believes it too. And with good reason. He’s seen generous giving pay off in big ways — giving his brand to TEDx conferences around the world, giving away TED speeches to anyone who wanted them online, giving attention, support and contributions to the most focused, devoted, strategic efforts on the planet. This is an episode for anyone looking for inspiration. Chris Anderson’s book, Infectious Generosity* shines a spotlight on how acts of giving can spark a ripple effect in cultivating positive societal change. Howard County is full of examples of infectious generosity these days. Initiatives that are alive in the community through sharing goods, services, experiences, and learning include Columbia Community Care, The 3rd, The Community Ecology Insitute, Sobar, Inner Arbor Trust/Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods, The Howard County Library System, Howard County Lynching Truth & Reconciliation, groups like CARY - - Community Allies of Rainbow Youth, HCPSS Pride, and HoCo Pride, The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County. The way in which these groups operate and interact locally is significantly different than traditional “charitable giving” models or straight business models. All give ordinary human beings an opportunity to engage, give meaningful input, learn new skills/have new and transformative experiences. It’s not simply about sending an “ask letter” and expecting a check in return. I am convinced that this way of engaging is making a big impact in the community by making deeper and more lasting impressions. The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County is gearing up for The Big Give. Have you seen their posts? (below) This year marks the third WGC Big Give and you can learn more about it at their website. (My apologies that I haven’t written about this sooner, as today is the deadline if you want to participate.) What I like about this initiative is that it truly taps into that idea of Infectious Generosity. WGC is giving a learning experience - - How do I learn about grantmaking? How can I impact the needs of women and girls in Howard County as a small giver? How do giving circles transform that giving process? Participants will make meaningful decisions that result in real world community grants of their choosing. Past grantees include Bridges to Housing Stability, Columbia Community Care, Girls on the Run, Grassroots, HopeWorks, and the Howard Community College Educational Foundation. Another great example to put on your calendar now is United Way’s Changemaker Challenge, to be held May 7th. There are a variety of local sponsors for this event. Notice that WGC is one of them. They’ll be giving away 100,000 dollars to support innovative ideas for social impact in Howard County. The Horizon Foundation, United Way of Central Maryland, Women’s Giving Circle and Community Foundation of Howard County are igniting and recognizing new and continued innovation in our community with the Changemaker Challenge. Think “Shark Tank” for social change! This biennial event awards funding for project ideas that promise to make a difference in Howard County. That’s why our theme for the 2024 Changemaker Challenge is – Innovate. Cultivate. Uplift. - - Changemaker Challenge I watched the online Live Event in 2021 and it lifted my spirits in during a really challenging time in our community. I’m looking forward to May 7th and will give you more information when I have it. (below) Are you seeing what I’m seeing? Can you envision how all of this can spark a ripple effect in cultivating positive societal change? Read more Village Green/Town² blog posts here The Women's Giving Circle of Howard County was in the house at a wonderful brunch with a room full of amazing women, led by Columbia Inspired Magazine Publisher Anika Baty-Mills. A number of WGC Advisory Board members, leaders, donors, and partners were in the room, and were on the cover of one of Columbia Inspired's recent magazine covers! Thank you for bringing us together, highlighting stories, elevating health and wellness, and building community - we are proud to partner with you.
Join us at the 2024 Changemaker Challenge on Tuesday, May 7 at the Collective Encore!
Words of Wisdom from Tyeshia "Ty" Wilson of Philanthropy Together & The HERitage Giving Fund3/13/2024
Happy Women's History Month & International Women's Day!
We had a fabulous night on March 6 at WGC's 2024 Annual Celebration & Pink Party! It was wonderful to have so many of us together exactly 48 hours ago at Howard Community College to discuss how philanthropy can, and is, supporting women's rights. View photos from the event here WGC Chair Jennifer Bodensiek declared that the state of the WGC is strong, highlighted the role that WGC is playing nationally in growing the women's collective giving movement, and underscored our impact the last 22 years:
This, is the power of our giving circle. Jennifer also reviewed the WGC's State of Women and Girls in Howard County, and how we continue to utilize the data to inform our grantmaking and partner in the community. She highlighted basic statistics that drive our work, including that:
Despite all of this - less than 2% of all charitable giving goes to programs that support women and girls. WGC Advisory Board Member Alison Canning provided an overview of our recent efforts to address this, and highlighted our long-standing partnership with Howard Community College, which included discussing 5 ways we have provided funding support:
You can learn more here WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz highlighted 5 recent trends in women's philanthropy from the Women's Philanthropy Institute, that included:
You can learn more here And, she discussed how WGC is focusing on women's rights through collaboration with our donors, nonprofit, and community partners. She then introduced our Special Guest Speaker Tyeshia "Ty" Wilson of Philanthropy Together and the HERitage Giving Fund, who highlighted how giving circles across the country are supporting women's rights - you can listen to Ty's words of wisdom here. WGC Advisory Board Member Lee Draminski introduced our powerhouse panel and Advisory Board Member Laura Bacon did a wonderful job facilitating an inspirational and important conversation about how philanthropy can, and is supporting women's rights - with WGC Advisory Board Chair Jennifer Bodensiek, former Maryland Women's Commissioner Melissa Curtin, Howard County Women's Commissioner Kashonna Marrow, and Director of the Howard County Office of Human Rights and Equity Yolanda Sonnier. They provided insightful and inspirational commentary based on their personal, professional, and lived experiences, answering 3 key questions:
And, we pledged to continue the conversation - stay tuned for additional opportunities. We honored past WGC Chair Alison Canning for Women's History Month, and we enjoyed delicious food from Chef Jamila, non-alcoholic drinks from Beth Harbinson and Sobar, and women-made wine from The Wine Bin. WGC Advisory Board Member Kashonna Marrow ended the celebration with information on how to give and get involved in the WGC. After the Annual Celebration, many of you asked how you can get or remain involved in our collective work. Here are 10 ways to engage in the coming months:
Many thanks to all of our sponsors so far this year, those who attended the event, and to everyone who supports the WGC and all that you do to support women's rights in Howard County. While it is Women’s History Month, and International Women’s Day, there is not just one time to celebrate women’s successes and discuss solutions to ongoing challenges. We must continue to do this each and every day, and the Women’s Giving Circle will be here to be your partner in supporting women and girls, and women's rights in Howard County. We are truly stronger together! Remarks by WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz at the WGC's March 6, 2024 Annual Celebration & Pink Party As we get ready to hear from our incredible panel on the topic of how philanthropy can and is supporting women’s rights, I want to help frame the conversation by highlighting 5 key trends we are seeing right now in women’s philanthropy. Several weeks ago, our friends and partners at the Womens’ Philanthropy Institute (WPI) of Indiana University hosted a webinar to look into a crystal ball and discuss what members of the giving community believe is coming our way in the coming year. Here are the five key trends they identified:
The Women’s Giving Circle will continue to obtain important research, use data, build partnerships, and strengthen relationships to fund women and girls, and to support women’s rights. We thank our partners at the Women's Philanthropy Institute for their important research that informs our work. Remarks by WGC Advisory Board Member Alison Canning at WGC's March 6, 2024 Annual Celebration & Pink Party: I am so proud of the long-standing and growing partnership between the WGC and Howard Community College. We all know that educating women and girls can create a ripple effect of greater good that holds the key to unlocking brighter futures and empowers women to reach their full potential. Education gives women a pathway to learn the power of choice: how to advocate for themselves and think about how they want to live their lives, what they want to do, and who their role models are. Providing women with access to education, training, and resources enables them to challenge traditional gender roles and break down barriers Our State of Women and Girls in Howard County underscores what we know - that poverty rates are higher for Howard County women if their educational attainment is a high school graduate or less. Once women attain bachelor's degrees or higher educational degrees, the poverty rate for Howard County women becomes lower. 5 Ways We’ve Partnered I want to share 5 ways that the WGC has partnered with HCC and has served as “a lifeline” to women at HCC through the years:
Our data tells us that:
We know that there is a link between period poverty and gender education gaps … and we have partnered with HCC to provide an opportunity for students to donate products if they can, and to take products if they need to. Here’s a snapshot of what’s happened this past year:
Thank you all for donating products today in our new boxes that will support students at HCC. In fact, rather than purchasing marketing “swag” for this event, we have chosen to invest that money in these new, sturdier, more visible boxes for our 2024 Feminine Hygiene Product Drive. They are making their debut today and you will start to see them around town at all library branches, at CA gyms, and at local businesses like The 3rd, Vectorworks and Bra-la-la. And, we’ve raised over $6,000 to provide to our partners to purchase products for their clients, and we invite you all to continue participating by donating products and donating money as we continue to grow this important effort. We appreciate our long-standing partnership with Howard Community College!
women supporting women. Happy Galentine's Day! Galentine's Day is the day before Valentines Day, that is dedicated to women celebrating women, and embracing the sisterhood among the women in our lives. Today we celebrate all of you. You are the women engaged in the important work of the WGC that supports women and girls in our community throughout the year. I talk to women frequently who are excited to be a part of the Women's Giving Circle and want to get a bit more engaged in our efforts. Here are 3 ways to get involved in the WGC today: 1. WGC's March 6, 2024 Annual Celebration - We are excited to host our 2024 Annual Celebration & Pink Party on Wednesday, March 6 from 5:30 - 7:30 at Howard Community College. Join us to discuss "How Philanthropy Can Support Women's Rights" and to hear about the latest WGC efforts. Learn more and sponsor and/or buy tickets here 2. WGC's 2024 Sponsorship Opportunities - It takes a special individual, organization or business to understand the value of investing in women and girls by sponsoring the WGC throughout 2024! Sponsorship includes tickets to our signature event: WGC's Annual Celebration & Pink Party on March 6, 2024 and recognition at other WGC events throughout the year. Learn more and sponsor here 3. WGC's 2024 Big Give - The Big Give 2024 is designed for women who want to learn more about grantmaking to women and girls in our community and will be a fun, fast-paced, "pop-up" giving circle learning and giving experience. Learn more and sign-up here And, we have multiple ongoing opportunities to get involved in the WGC throughout the year including giving a gift today to the WGC this Galentines/Valentines Day "In Her Honor", supporting the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive, the WGC Emergency Response Network, and the WGC's "Our Giving, Our Stories" profile series. These opportunities to get involved in the Women's Giving Circle all support women and girls in Howard County. This, is the power of a giving circle. Please contact WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz with any questions and sign up to join us below. Looking forward to seeing you on March 6! Jennifer Bodensiek WGC Advisory Board Chair wgcchair@wgchowardcounty.org READ THE FULL ENEWSLETTER HERE
The Women's Giving Circle is proud to amplify the voices and stories of women givers in our community through our regular series "Our Giving, Our Stories". This month we are profiling Jacqueline (Jackie) Scott, JD, ML in honor of Black History Month. When did you start giving to issues that are important to you? "My faith, a sense of humility, and a sense of responsibility to give back. My faith grounds and guides me. I maintain a level of humility in all that I am and all that I do, recognizing that each of us are a small part of something much bigger, yet we each have a responsibility to do our part. If doors were not opened for me, if someone had not taken the time to truly “see me”, I would not have been able to accomplish half of what I have today. I am passionately driven by, and compelled by a sense of responsibility to, and for, others." Jackie's current philanthropic focus is on: The Getting Ahead Program; The Howard County Chamber Women's Leadership Initiative; Leadership Howard County Read Jackie's full profile here Learn more about the WGC's "Our Giving, Our Stories", WGC's ongoing series of giving profiles designed to celebrate women's philanthropy and amplify the voices of women and girls in Howard County. Nominate a woman today! We are always accepting the names of women throughout the year who may be profiled for their inspiring philanthropic leadership. WGC was in the house at a recent "Community Conversation" to hear about the Horizon Foundation's new strategic direction. The Horizon Foundation has been engaging with the community to develop their new strategic plan over the course of the last year and they revealed their new strategic vision that represents their new direction to work towards a Howard County free from systemic inequities, where all people can live abundant and healthy lives. As we learned, we all want to live in a Howard County where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to reach their best health and well-being. But there are barriers built in front of us that create unequal opportunity and threaten freedom and prosperity. The Horizon Foundation intends to work side-by-side with the community to build power and advocate for policy changes that matter. As we heard: Together we can help achieve better health for everyone in Howard County and greater Maryland.
WGC 2023 Grants:
new year, new opportunities. Read the full eNewsletter here Happy New Year! We are excited for the year ahead and the opportunities we have to bring us all together to learn, share, connect, and pool our dollars to support women and girls in our community. Here's 3 ways to get involved in the WGC today: 1. WGC's March 6, 2024 Annual Celebration - We are excited to host our 2024 Annual Celebration & Pink Party on Wednesday, March 6 from 5:30 - 7:30 at Howard Community College. Join us to discuss "How Philanthropy Can Support Women's Rights" and to hear about the latest WGC efforts. Learn more and sponsor and/or buy tickets here 2. WGC's 2024 Sponsorship Opportunities - It takes a special individual, organization or business to understand the value of investing in women and girls by sponsoring the WGC throughout 2024! Sponsorship includes tickets to our signature event: WGC's Annual Celebration & Pink Party on March 6, 2024 and recognition at other WGC events throughout the year. Learn more and sponsor here 3. WGC's 2024 Big Give - The Big Give 2024 is designed for women who want to learn more about grantmaking to women and girls in our community and will be a fun, fast-paced, "pop-up" giving circle learning and giving experience. Learn more and sign-up here And, we have multiple ongoing opportunities to get involved in the WGC this year including the WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive, the WGC Emergency Response Network, and the WGC's "Our Giving, Our Stories" profile series. These opportunities to get involved in the Women's Giving Circle all support women and girls in Howard County. Learn more below. This, is the power of a giving circle. Please contact WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz with any questions and sign up to join us below. See you soon! Jennifer Bodensiek WGC Advisory Board Chair wgcchair@wgchowardcounty.org www.wgchowardcounty.org It takes a special individual, organization or business to understand the value of investing in women and girls by sponsoring the WGC throughout 2024! Sponsorship includes tickets to our signature event: WGC's Annual Celebration & Pink Party on March 6, 2024 - during Women's History Month, and recognition at other WGC events throughout the year. Thank you to our 2024 Sponsors to date! WGC 2024 Sponsorship Opportunities
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