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A Sad Start to the New Year
Dear Members,
Our hearts are heavy. Our community has suffered—first the fires, then the mudslides.
To Women’s Fund members and their families who live in Montecito and have had their lives turned upside down, we offer you our profound sympathy and compassion. You and your families are in our hearts and minds.
We are heartbroken over the loss of life. The images are so troubling that we struggle coming to terms with the reality of the situation, because it is so very hard to wrap our minds around the enormity of the devastation in our own neighborhood. Whether directly or indirectly, we have all been affected by this tragedy.
We now share a common grief. And we gain solace from one another. A friend insisted we get together, a “gathering” she called it, just to be with one another. Friends are checking in with friends to see how they are holding up. Support networks are offering assistance with clothes, housing and jobs. Greetings on the street are no longer a quick “Hi,” but a long hug followed by the question, “Are you ok?”
There have been many acts of bravery and human kindness. Neighbors helping neighbors. Strangers rescuing people unable to free themselves. First responders risking their own lives to save residents trapped in their homes. Service providers, facing deplorable conditions, steadfastly continue to clear away debris, rocks and downed trees, so that families can return to their homes.
But recovery and rebuilding is a long process. Beyond emergency relief, many local nonprofits will be called upon to provide long-term support to our community—particularly in processing the trauma and emotional strain of this crisis. The Women’s Fund has supported many of the agencies that will answer that call, and we will continue to do so as it is at the heart of our mission.
While the journey may be tough, we know we are tougher. The Women’s Fund has taught us all that together we can change lives for the better. Let’s spread that philosophy and deepen our resolve to support one another, as we start to rebuild what we have lost.
Best regards,
Shelley Hurst and Laurie Tumbler, Steering Co-Chairs
Donations Exceed Goal—We Did It, Together
One of the signs of strength and commitment is carrying on in the face of adversity. And that’s exactly what happened as we approached December 31 and the end of our 2017 membership year. And what an ending it was!
Although we’re still auditing our numbers, we know we exceeded our 2017 goal to create a $500,000 grants pool to be distributed this spring! That’s half a million dollars from us— from you!—to help local women, children and families. And it will bring our total donations since 2004 to an amazing $6.6 million—at least.
We are very pleased to announce that we welcomed 195 new members in 2017—the largest number of new members in Women’s Fund history. Our membership is now over 865 women strong! Our founders—sitting around that dining room table 14 years ago—never envisioned growth like this.
The Women’s Fund Research Committee is moving swiftly to finalize their examination of the 2017-18 grant candidates to be considered for funding this year. Please remember to mark your calendars (see below) with important dates that will lead to the announcement of our new grantees on May 2.
We sincerely want to thank you all—long-time members and new friends—who made our 2017 membership year such a success. We can now change more lives together!
Mark your Calendars
Let's all mark our calendars with the dates listed on the post-it note. They represent the dates we need to keep as essential for selecting the 2017-18 grant recipients.
- March 9 - Ballot Information Package with worksheets and background information sent to all 2017 Women's Fund members via our electronic newsletter. This information will be useful for planning your individual or group vote.
- March 14 - Individual Members and Group Captains meet to discuss ballot choices and learn how to vote electronically. Look for your electronic invitation in mid-February.
Group Captains: You may want to make plans now to meet with your group members sometime between March 14 and the March 31 voting deadline to discuss and determine your group's vote(s).
- March 15 - Ballots emailed by Survey Monkey to all eligible voters (Individual Members and voting Group Captains). It will include a link to cast electronic votes.
- March 31 - Deadline for electronic voting by eligible voters.
- May 2 - SAVE-THE-DATE for our 14th annual Presentation of Grants reception, kicking off at 4:30 pm at The Fess Parker, where we’ll gather to celebrate our new 2017-18 grantees. These nonprofits will join the 86 other agencies that have received over $6 million in Women's Fund grants since 2004.
Membership Corner
We welcomed 62 new members in December—Julia Abulafia, Judy Astbury, Nikki Ayers, Beth Bartlett, Rebecca Benozare, Jennifer Blum, Susan Brunn, Susan Cappiello, Pam Caswell, Deepika Chandrashekar, Valarie Cherot, Stephanie Connaughton, Donna Coolidge, Bridgid Costa, Angelique Davis, Emily Day, Jamie Dufek, Elise Fields, Margaret Fuller, Pam Gartner, Mary Grady, Carol Greene, Susan Gwynne, Betsy Hannaford, Valerie Harrison, Victoria Hines, Kat Hirsch, Ginny Holt, Louise Janis, Carol Johansing, Kathleen Johnson, Catelynn Kenner, Heike Kilian, Ana Killingstad, Sarah Kils, Carolyn Kreiner, Jessica Laband, Maria Long, Dr. Patricia Madrigal, Nancy Melekian, Virginia Moodie-Woodward, Revae Moran, Judy Nobriga, Marie O'Regan, Suzanne Oliver, Francesca Peri, Meryl Peters, Lois Pigg, Elizabeth Rosedale, Caroline Rutledge, Laurie Schuster, Carol Schwyzer, Janet Spencer, Deborah Steinhoff, Lynn Stewart, Heather van Buren, Nancy Vidoni, Kathryn Washburn, Candace Winkler, Kaye Willette, Tricia Winterbauer, Nicole Woodhouse, Susan Woodhouse, Anne Woodward and Laura Wyatt.
Above are some photos from the new member event hosted by the Membership team on January 23 to welcome our new 2017 members.
A Very Successful Site Visit Season
“There is nothing quite like being on site to understand what we are supporting financially and how important it is to support these organizations.” “So inspiring! Made me feel good about helping with my donation.”
These were just a couple of the many positive responses our members had to our 2017 Site Visits where members visited our most recent grantees to see their dollars in action.
About 150 members participated in the 28 visits to eight grantees; many of those members visited multiple sites. Almost 90% of participants completed a survey after their visits, which yielded valuable information for the future. About 10 respondents reported having trouble with the site visit sign-up process, and for that we sincerely apologize; we have already determined how to improve the procedures for next year.
98% of participants found the site visits to be very valuable. Many praised the presenters who were able to deliver information about their programs in a clear and concise manner. One comment noted that the hosts were knowledgeable and welcoming. “Students, tutors and mentors were impressive.” Another stated, “seeing the dynamic school principal, hearing about her vision…was terrific. Now I understand why the research committee recommended the books-in-classroom project.”
Sadly, some of the 2017 Site Visits had to be cancelled because of the Thomas Fire; most were held, and several of those that were cancelled have now been rescheduled.
Thank you to all volunteers—Site Visit Coordinators, Grantee Liaison, RSVP Manager, Survey Administrator, Site Visit committee members—who worked so very hard to bring the Site Visit opportunities to us. It takes a village!
Women's Fund Volunteer Opportunities
 From time to time, we “advertise” volunteer opportunities at the Women’s Fund. “You can do as little or as much as you like,” is one of our mottos. But if you would like to share your talents and get more involved with other Women’s Fund leaders, click here to find out if any of these volunteer opportunities are appealing.
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