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In the July 2022 issue…

  • Grantee of the Month: Girls Inc. of Carpinteria
  • Membership Corner: Thanks to Our Members; Register Now for Our New Member Event
  • Get to Know Our New Website
 

Grantee of the Month: Girls Inc. of Carpinteria

With a “national emergency in children’s mental health,” according to the U.S. Surgeon General, this month’s featured Women’s Fund grantee answers a critical need in our community. Girls Inc. of Carpinteria has been a place of refuge for thousands of girls for more than 50 years, providing mental health support, age-appropriate therapies, and education to help girls express themselves, regulate emotions, and build resiliency. As Executive Director Jamie Collins attested, “Girls Inc. shows up when our girls feel they have no one else to turn to. When culture, fear, or loneliness tells them there isn’t anyone there for them, we are.”

The mission of Girls Inc. is to inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold. The agency helps girls value themselves, take risks, and discover and develop their inherent strengths by developing mentoring relationships, fostering a pro-girl environment, and providing research-based programming. From after-school and summer school programs to community programs and those focused on helping and educating parents of girls, Girls Inc. empowers girls and women to achieve personal, social, political, and economic success.

The recent Women’s Fund grant of $100,000, paid over a two-year period, allows Girls Inc. to hire a licensed therapist to provide weekly sessions for girls and quarterly workshops for parents. Two hundred girls, ages 4-18, will receive one hour of group therapy each week, using such strategies as play, art, and other hands-on activities, to encourage the girls to explore and share their feelings. Quarterly workshops for parents will provide additional education to help reduce any cultural stigma regarding mental health support. Local schools maintain close relationships with the agency, allowing opportunities for early intervention.

Our grant is enabling Girls Inc. to be “the first step” in identifying girls who need “a little extra support [which will] prevent serious mental health issues down the line,” says Ms. Collins.

Is your group interested in learning more? Girls Inc. is happy to host tours – just contact Carly Bass (carly@girlsinc-carp.org). Would you like to volunteer? Then contact Gloria Flores (gloria@girlsinc-carp.org).

-      Contributed by Catherine Nietzel
 
Membership Corner: Thanks to Our Renewing Members

Thanks to all the Women’s Fund members who have already renewed! We saw a jump in our membership after the Celebration of Grants – proving the power of our collective giving model. And many of you responded to our first renewal appeal this year. Renewing early helps the Research Committee plan ahead for next year’s grants pool and ballot. We appreciate it!

Please welcome our newest members: Roberta Ainciart, Ariel Bowers, Maria Boyse, Ivy Hirsch, Robin Lee Lewis, Ivy Moliver, Melissa Patrino, Elisabeth Soth, and Courtney Taylor.

Register Now: New Member Event!

Calling all new members who have joined this year or in 2021! Register here to join us for an in-person New Member Reception on August 11 at 5:00 pm at Gardens on Hope, an 89-unit housing community serving the financially vulnerable and frail senior population. You’re also welcome to invite a friend. Gardens on Hope is a two-time Women's Fund grantee - including a $100,000 lead grant in 2016 to help build it and more recently, another $100,000 grant to help fund supportive services.

Here's why you should attend:

  • Meet other new members and current leaders in the Women’s Fund
  • Get a chance to ask questions about how the Women’s Fund works
  • Learn more about how our grant dollars are working in the community
  • Find out how agencies and projects are chosen for the ballot
  • Enjoy delightful hors d’oeurves and refreshments
 
Get to Know Our New Website

Have you checked out our new website? You should! Many other people are… we’ve seen more than a 100% percent increase in visits to the website since we introduced it in February.

In upcoming newsletters, we’ll feature articles to help you learn a little bit about the new sections and what they contain.

The “About” section is where you’ll find fundamental information about the Women’s Fund, including:

  • About Us: explains who we are, and highlights our mission, core values, and more
  • How We Work: shares our unique approach to philanthropy
  • Members: lists our members: current year-to-date, all previous-year members, group members, and individual members
  • Committees: features photos and bios of the volunteers who keep us running
  • Supporters: lists all the people and businesses who help us thrive
  • Financials: highlights our 2021 financials
  • Endowment: explains our endowment
 

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Santa Barbara, CA 93101

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A tax-exempt nonprofit organization | Tax ID 82-5169678

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