Like you, every woman must know how to live on a budget and avoid debt.  For some women, it involves stretching food stamps to the end of the month.  For others, it means reducing credit card debt or saving for retirement.  This year’s grants will reach girls and women through skill building classes in a five-county area. 

 Our grantee organizations serve women and girls in a variety of life situations including girls in foster care, women who are homeless, those accepting public assistance, women starting their own businesses, women fleeing domestic violence, first time home buyers, and those planning for retirement.  Our board members and volunteers recommended these grants, from among the largest application pool in The Women’s Fund’s 13-year history, based on having a quality curriculum, in depth contact with their clients, and documented positive outcomes.     

Mya Stallworth and Aja Mills have been participating in the economic literacy program at Girls Inc. this summer.     

Women Can Move $Millions

The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham has two Million Dollar donors who are among 100 women in the world participating in the Women Moving Millions campaign.  To date the campaign has raised over $174 million.  

Jane Stephens Comer and an anonymous donor have joined The Women’s Funding Network’s history-making campaign to raise money for women-led solutions to complex social problems.  Author and campaign chair, Helen LaKelly Hunt, explained to a gathering of The Women’s Fund supporters that this is the first time in history that women have pooled their money to strategically fund social change to improve women’s and girl’s lives around the globe.

 Mary Lynne Capilouto, Virginia Sweet, Helen LaKelly Hunt, Chris Grumm, Kate Nielsen, and Jane Comer celebrate women’s philanthropy for women and girls on March 30.  

Chris Grumm, President of The Women’s Funding Network shared the mission of women’s funds this way:
In the world of development there is a wonderful saying that if you give a person a fish he will eat for the day, but if you teach a person to fish he will eat for a lifetime.  In the world of women's funds this is our saying…if you give a woman a fish she will feed her family first and might possibly go hungry.  If you teach a woman to fish she will feed her family first until the lake becomes polluted or they take away her fishing rights.  However, give women the resources and access to community capital, they will buy the lake, feed their families, keep the lake environmentally clean and have something to pass on for generations to come.  As a movement we are about building sustainable community capital in order to support women and girls who are ready to buy the lake.

If you would like to make a planned gift that will move women forward for years to come, please contact Virginia Sweet.

Update: Voices Against Violence

• Judge Chappell's Commentary Shows Results
• 2009 Grants Awarded
• Receives Critical Impact Award

• Judge Agnes Chappell highlighted the tangible change that has happened in the City of Birmingham’s Municipal Court as a result of our funding.  Read her Commentary here.
  
• In January 2009, TWF released an additional $105,000—the third year of funding for the Voices Against Violence initiative—that is making this change possible. In addition to continued funding for Birmingham Municipal Court’s domestic violence court, TWF expanded its reach to Jefferson County Family Court and the Jefferson County Circuit Court of Appeals.  Funding continues to build systems and community awareness through grants to the Jefferson County Family Violence Coordinated Community Response (CCR) and to work with human resource departments in corporations to institute domestic violence safety policies in the workplace. VAV partners include: Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence, YWCA, City of Birmingham Police, Gateway, CCR, and Birmingham Municipal Court.
  
• The Women's Fund received the 2009 Critical Impact Award from The Council on Foundations for the Voices Against Violence initiative.  This national award is given for creating common good through effective grantmaking.  They cited The Women's Fund's bold vision, community-wide collaboration and innovative solution as factors leading to our successful work.  We were nominiated for this award by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. 
   

The thanks for Voices Against Violence's groundbreaking changes goes to the lawyers, businesses, and individuals who raised their voice by supporting the Voices Against Violence campaign and participated in shaping the initiative.  

Please join us again this year to fund more change that will reduce domestic violence.  The celebration will be October 15 5:30-7:30pm at the Birmingham Museum of Art.  Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb will give the key note address.  Become a sponsor today or make a reservation.

Children who witness domestic violence are at risk of becoming victims or offenders once they reach adulthood.  Children who live with domestic violence are often physically and verbally abused too.

 What’s Next?

The Women’s Fund is starting a new giving circle to move women out of poverty.

Today in Birmingham there are 412 homeless women in shelters and 18,494 female headed households live below the poverty line.  An additional 29,205 female-headed households live below 200% of the poverty line ($39,942 for a family of 4).  By offering women the opportunity they need to improve their education, build job skills, and build assets, they can become economically secure. 

The Women’s Fund has convened service providers, researchers and policy experts to find leverage points where targeted funding could produce real change for women’s economic stability.  Women in the financial arena will lead a giving circle to fund the multi-year initiative.  If you would like to get involved, please contact us.