Transforming Lives through Training and Education

Hi, I'm Abigail Coleman, Women's Fund Development Officer. I am excited to contribute to the conversation about issues impacting women and girls and am interested in our collective efforts to lessen them. I hope our blog will inspire additional conversation - and action - around these issues.

As a native central Indiana Hoosier, I am fortunate to have been a part of the Women’s Fund team for nearly a year now. It has been enlightening to engage through the lens of Women's Fund. I'm learning about organizations playing a significant role in the success of our community, many of which I previously knew little or nothing about.

Thanks to great family support and encouragement, I am a graduate of Ball State University and SPEA at Indiana University Indianapolis. I am grateful for my family's support and as a result, I aspire to continue to make positive contributions to our community both professionally and personally. With this fortune, I often find myself asking: What about those who do not have the resources? And those whose support network is fragile, such as domestic violence victims? I’ve found some of the answers through Women's Fund, our funding focuses, and some amazing central Indiana nonprofits.

With the economic woes that have stricken our community and world, nonprofits are relied upon more heavily right now; those funded by Women's Fund in core funding areas of caregiving, domestic violence, and insufficient income are as relevant now as ever. Organizations such as Women's Fund grant recipient Training, Inc. provide services to those who do not have the support or resources and are hit even harder by the current economy.

The core function of Training, Inc. is to provide career training for people living in poverty in Marion County. 80% of clients are women, 77% of these women are single mothers with an average of 2 children each and 16% of these women have at one time been in a domestic violence relationship.

Through the Career Track program, Training, Inc. participants receive training in computer skills, resume development, job searching, professional etiquette and attire, and even create and execute a business plan by running a simulated business. As I saw during a recent site visit, the expectations for program participants are high; participants must clock in and out and excessive tardiness may result in removal from the program! Training, Inc. graduates are truly prepared for the workplace and have high job placement and one-year retention rates as a result.

What a wonderful alignment with our goals! We recently awarded a grant for board development, succession planning, technology upgrades, and a fundraising database, which we hope will help it continue to succeed in the long-term. I am proud we fund Training, Inc., as it serves an important role in the success and empowerment of women, children, and families in our community.