In May, we celebrated the awarding of $565,000 in Women's Fund grants to six nonprofit agencies working to improve the lives of women, children and families in the Santa Barbara area. Planning is now underway for our next event: our popular annual Women's Fund Site Visit.

Each year, Women's Fund members enjoy a special opportunity to tour our most recent grantees to learn first-hand how our grants are making a difference.

This year's Site Visit will be held Wednesday, November 16 from 9:30 am - 1:30 pm. We'll tell you more soon but in the meantime, hold this date so you don't miss this moving and fun event.

Guests who might be interested in joining the Women's Fund are welcome at our Site Visit so start thinking now about women you'd like to invite to attend in November.

2010 Site Visit to Casa Esperanza

One of the many exciting messages in our recent membership appeal is the fact that we have $100,000 remaining from Betty Elings Wells' 2010 matching grant, so that every dollar donated in 2011 (above $350,000) will be matched 2-for-1, up to $100,000.

Memberships, contributions - even donations to underwrite WF expenses (see below) - all count toward our goal. So renew today (if you haven't already) and then tell a friend about the Women's Fund - this may be just the motivation she needs to become a member!

A big thank you to Women's Fund members Maryan Schall and Connie Kennelly who generously responded to last month's request for underwriting expenses for our membership appeal mailing. Thanks to them, all but these two expenses for our mailing have been underwritten.

• Reply envelopes: $190
• Postage: $210

Remember that underwriting donations count in our total to trigger Betty's 2-for-1 match! If you would like to help, please contact us at info@womensfundsb.org.

As you know, generous underwriting last year resulted in NET ZERO expenses so that every dollar donated was part of our grants pool awarded in the spring.

...to all those members who came to write personal notes during our 2011 membership appeal mailing last month. In the crush of summer travel, we are especially grateful to those who were in town and joined us.

Mailing Chair Carol Palladini applauds the excellent committee who managed everything from stamps to package assembly, post-it notes to snacks for volunteers. They were: Julie Capritto, Carol Fell, Sue Kadner, Carrie Lundquist, Penny Martin, Lilli Tragos, Susan Robeck, and Char Williams.

A special thank you to our partners at the Santa Barbara Foundation (especially Amanda Kastelic and Laura Wyles) for their help in accomplishing this complex project.