Challenged to make a difference by a group of kids

Give a few kids a video camera and see how they can inspire others. That’s just what Women’s Fund of Central Indiana did during their GO Family Philanthropy Day. Their creativity, passion and honesty are heartwarming, touching and motivating. They asked simple questions – and answered them with their own ideas of how they could change the world. In just two minutes, they made me think about ways I could make a difference (they also made me smile). Click here to see the video.

I know I’m already making a difference in some of the volunteer work I do throughout the community, but what can I do to do more? After watching the video, I realized there are simple things I could do that would make a difference. Serving on the boards of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Lacy Leadership Association, volunteering to serve meals at Wheeler Mission Ministries throughout the year and chairing the Komen Indianapolis Race for the Cure are all important work, but so is giving up something to give to others.

• Their simple ideas of buying less gum and giving away unwanted items to people in need are easy to do, so why not do it?
• Their idea of getting their friends together to start a club sounds fun, so why not get family friends together and start a project?

I’m going to take them up on their challenge. I don’t know how yet, because I want to involve my family. I always ask my kids to dig through their toys before their birthdays and donate unused toys, but is that what they really want to do? Maybe my 7 and 3-year-old have their own ideas of how they want to help others. We’ll soon find out.

I encourage you to take the challenge – and then share with us what you’re doing to make a difference. I’ll plan to report back in a month and share some of the ideas – and actions the Young family is doing. If you feel compelled to share your story, please do. We’d love to know what other Central Indiana families are doing to make a difference in our community.

GO Family Philanthropy Day: The Power of Half

Last Saturday, about 60 people, including 16 families, gathered for 2010 GO Family Philanthropy Day at the Indianapolis Art Center. This event provided a meaningful and enriching philanthropy education experience to parents whose children are involved in GO: Give Back.

The day featured speaker Joan Salwen, whose husband, Kevin, and teenage daughter, Hannah, wrote the book The Power of Half. Joan shared first-hand her family's story of coming to the decision to sell their home, moving into a home half the size, and donating half the proceeds to a cause they mutually agreed upon as a family. See teenage son Joseph Salwen's YouTube video for a great synopsis of their story.

After hearing the Salwen's story, families were divided into age-specific groups to explore concepts shared in The Power of Half, such as: "What's your half?" (What can you give?), "Follow your heart," and "Use your voice." Parents engaged in a group discussion with Joan to explore the topic, while intermediate ages worked on a PSA video project to share their message, and elementary ages engaged in interactive art projects. Preschool-age children were also included in the day's events with their own special activities.

The day concluded with a family art project and picnic lunch. To further connect the concept of giving half, half the expense budgeted for the day's food and all of the expense budgeted for an event token was saved, to be used for philanthropic purposes. School-age children participating in the fall GO: Give Back educational session will undergo a group grantmaking exercise to decide where to donate the funds.

The buzz in the air was unmistakable, and the day was truly a success. Women's Fund thanks The Glick Fund of CICF for making Family Philanthropy Day possible, as well as the volunteers and Indianapolis Art Center staff who led dynamic programs.

If you are interested in learning more about philanthropy education for children through GO: Give Back, please contact us.

Celebrating Donors and Their Impact

Last night Women's Fund held an event to thank donors to the Endowment Campaign. An impressive crowd of 200 people gathered at the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral to celebrate the impact their support has made to women and girls in central Indiana (click here for highlights featured in today's Indianapolis Star, and here for an album of photos on Facebook).

Co-chaired by Dinah Bird and Anne Steinberg, the event featured highlights of Women's Fund's recent grantmaking, and the impact of these grants. Thanks to over 1,100 donors to the campaign, which ran from 2004-2009, Women's Fund raised $7 million, growing the endowment to over $11 million. Thanks to the generosity of campaign donors, Women's Fund has increased our capacity to grant to women and girl serving organizations in central Indiana.

Other event highlights include:

• Jennifer Pope Baker welcomed everyone, shared the success and growth resulting from the campaign, and detailed the impact of gifts to the endowment.
• A video featuring interviews given by Women's Fund volunteers, of grantee organizations: Business Ownership Initiative, Girls Inc. of Franklin/Johnson County, Ruth Lilly Health Education Center, Training, Inc., and The Julian Center.
• Elaine Bedel, Women's Fund Finance Committee Chair, spoke about financial responsibility through Women's Fund's strategic and financial planning.
• Myra Mariani, OPTIONS Alumnae and co-chair of the OPTIONS Tenth Anniversary Celebration, spoke about OPTIONS, including the leadership resulting from 230 participants over ten years and contributions totaling nearly a half a million dollars.
• Maddie Hudson, GO: Give Back Participant and 6th grade student, spoke about the impact GO has made on her and shared her philanthropic plans to grow her GO Fund so she can help others.
• Ann Murtlow, Women's Fund Advisory Board Chair, thanked volunteers leading the endowment campaign, past Advisory Board chairs, all donors to the endowment campaign, and event sponsors.

A special thanks to corporate and individual supporters, resulting in the event being no additional cost to Women's Fund:

• Eli Lilly & Company - Presenting Sponsor
• Detail + Design - event planning and decor
• Indianapolis Power & Light - invitations
• Barefoot Wine - wine and champagne
• Dinah and Larry Bird
• BMG Event Productions - audio visual equipment
• A Classic Party Rental - tables and linens

Women's Fund appreciates the support of all of our donors and thanks you for your generosity. If you are not a donor and would like to contribute, click here to donate now.

Celebrating and Reflecting

On the eve of the new year, it is timely for me to take a moment to reflect on the past year at Women's Fund and to share my vision for the next. 2009 been a challenging and rewarding year for Women's Fund. In the difficult economy, challenges faced by women and girls in our community have increased. This hardship has solidified Women's Fund's position as an expert resource on women and girls. Despite these challenges, we have had many notable accomplishments, impacting women and girls by:

• Concluding our endowment campaign. Thanks to the support of thousands of campaign donors since 2004, we have increased our capacity to grant to women and girl serving organizations in central Indiana now and in the future. And, the launch of online giving is helping us provide better service to our donors!

• Granting $337,500 to 13 organizations focused on keeping women and girls safe and helping women and girls gain and retain employment.

• Celebrating our 9th class of OPTIONS. 210 women have given more than 450,000 dollars to benefit women and girls in central Indiana. These participants and alumnae are the current and future philanthropists and leaders for our community.

• Growing GO: Give Back to include 67 GO Funds and almost 90 children and young adult participants. We also hosted our ninth Power of Girls event in collaboration with Indianapolis Power & Light and The Julian Center.

• Launching a Facebook page and blog to create conversations about women and girls.

What does 2010 hold for Women's Fund? Continued progress through funding addressing our issue areas: caregiving, domestic violence, and insufficient income. Communication with current and future donors will be a priority. And, we will continue to be the expert resource on philanthropy education, through GO and OPTIONS. We will forge ahead in our efforts to improve conditions for women and girls in central Indiana--there is much work yet to be done!

Thank you for reading, and for your continued support. I look forward to connecting with you in the new year!

p.s. Our next post will be January 12th. Women's Fund and CICF will be closed the week of January 4th, so be sure to check back with us!

Being Thankful

It's approaching the end of the work day before Thanksgiving. Traffic on the street is moving by steadily as commuters get an early start home or elsewhere. I am in my office, wrapping up loose ends before going home for the holiday weekend. With tomorrow being a day to give thanks, I have paused to reflect on some things I am thankful for - big and small - in my role at Women's Fund.

I am thankful for...

• Donors who believe in Women's Fund's mission and the importance of investing in our permanent endowment, impacting women and girls for years to come through our grantmaking to nonprofit organizations.


• Advisory Board members and volunteers who work tirelessly to help women and girls in our community have a better future.


• GO: Give Back children and their parents, fostering our next generation of thoughtful philanthropists and community leaders.


• OPTIONS participants and alumnae, who have taken a step to learn about philanthropy, community needs, reflect on their values, and provide leadership to our community.


• Working with a team of committed staff and consultants who go above and beyond what's required of them every day, for the benefit of central Indiana's women and girls.


• The support of CICF to Women's Fund, and the dynamic resources they provide to assist us in our work.


• Nonprofit organizations providing services to help women access caregiving, have jobs and feed their families, and keeping them and their children safe.


• Women facing great obstacles and striving to overcome them, despite any barriers they have.

Although I could write much more, I will leave the rest to your imagination!

At this time of thanksgiving, what are you grateful for?

Lessons for a Lifetime

Power of Girls participants had a great time last Saturday at this ninth event hosted through a partnership between Women's Fund, The Julian Center, and Indianapolis Power & Light (for more information, click here to go to Ann Murtlow's recent blog post, or here to go to our website).

What did participants learn at Power of Girls? How were they impacted? So many of the "take aways" from this program go well beyond the day of the event... and even the responses we received that day are pretty powerful! Here are reflections from both girl and adult attendees:

"What one thing sticks in your mind from the Healthy Relationships session?

• "How, when I was in two abusive relationships that the cycle would go again and again, and how I can recognize the signs." - Local 13-year-old girl

"Do you feel that your participation today has made a difference in the life of your daughter?"

• "I think the participation in today's event has made my daughter more aware of women's needs in the community and the lessons learned in the healthy relationships seminar will make a strong difference in her life; it will open doors for healthy relationships now and in the future." - Mother attending with her 14-year-old

"What was the most valuable part of the day for you?"

• "Seeing my daughter be a part of the process to learn of needs and experience the process of allocating donations." - Mother attending with her 15-year-old

"Do you feel you made a difference in the lives of others today? How?"

• "Just seeing the happiness and joy of the mothers and children (at the Julian Center) made you feel like you accomplished something great." - Ninth grade girl

Do you know someone who could benefit from this meaningful program focused on learning about healthy relationships, needs of the central Indiana community, and philanthropy? Our next event will be in 2010; contact me at abigailc@cicf.org if you would like us to send you information!

Discovering “Did You Knows”

I truly have had a great time getting to know Women’s Fund better over the past few months. Yes, I went through OPTIONS several years ago. Yes, I know several of the organizations who benefit from Women’s Fund grants. Yes, I have a few friends on committees and/or the board. But I’ve discovered some new things I didn’t know (or maybe didn’t remember). Take, for example, some of these “did you knows” that I’ve discovered – or rediscovered.

• Grants: I was familiar with the fact that Women’s Fund supports women and girls in Central Indiana. However, I didn’t recall their primary focus on caregiving, domestic violence and insufficient income. The even greater “did you know” … Women's Fund has awarded a total of 236 grants totaling $3,244,077 to 89 different organizations since its inception in May 1999. This year alone they granted over $330,000 to 13 organizations. Wow!


• Programs: I was familiar with OPTIONS because I went through the program, but what I didn’t know was some of the specifics about their other philanthropic educational programs, such as GO: Give Back and Power of Girls – programs specifically designed to teach youth about philanthropy and giving back to the community.


• Research: I was familiar with their “Still On Shaky Ground” reports, but I find the work, passion and commitment to research on the critical issues facing women and girls in our community remarkable. Again, my “did you know” moment was realizing that the research and key findings help form Women’s Fund priorities when making grants.


• Funding: This isn’t a “did you know” defining moment, but it was a great reminder, Women’s Fund continues to fund programs that improve the lives of women and girls in our community, but in order to do so, they need our help. They can’t continue to fund at the level they have been if we don’t continue to fund them. “Did you know” you can donate online now too?

I look forward to discovering even more about Women’s Fund -- about the organizations they support and the programs they develop; their research and key findings; and how Women’s Fund will continue to make an even greater impact in the work they do throughout the community.

Power of Girls: A Life-Changing Experience

Power of Girls is a one-of-a-kind program providing a unique opportunity to learn lessons that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Since March 2004, Women’s Fund of Central Indiana has partnered with Indianapolis Power & Light Company and the Julian Center to host eight Power of Girls events. Power of Girls IX will be held Saturday, November 7, 2009. Over the course of a six hour period, participants:

• Learn what constitutes healthy relationships, recognize the signs of abusive ones, and learn how to get out of a destructive relationship before it’s too late.
• Learn about all forms of philanthropy and how to help.
• Hear a summary of current research about problems faced by women in our community and how Women’s Fund is helping in a very special way.
• Understand what the Julian Center does, how it is funded and the cost of providing its services.
• Hear how the Julian Center is changing the lives of many women in our community that simply have no where else to go.
• Meet and do a project with shelter residents and tour the facility.
• (Girl participants) Grant approximately $3000 to the Julian Center for purposes that they decide based on what they've learned about the Center during the day.
• (Adult participants) Watch girls present the grant and explain their rationale for choosing particular services or programs to support.

There are several things that make this event so special:

1. It targets teenage girls, ages 13 to 16, at a critical time in their journey toward relationship building and teaches them some very valuable and practical lessons about healthy and not‐so‐healthy relationships.
2. 17 adult/girl couples participate, making this an intimate and interactive session.
3. Although a girl can attend with her mom, she may also attend with an aunt, grandmother or other special woman in her life.

The cost per couple is $250. While this may sound pricey, I assure you this program provides tremendous value and an unforgettable experience ; the fee is also tax deductible. For full details and to register, please download the brochure by clicking here or calling 317.634.2423. Spaces are limited and are first-come, first-served, so register soon.

I can’t recommend this program highly enough. I attended with my daughter in 2004 and I encourage you to participate with your daughter or special teenage girl. You won’t regret it – in fact, it just may change your life… and hers.

Are You Hungry?

I am feeling hungry as the day winds down and am eating an apple and trying not to drip the juice on the keyboard while I type. For my entire life, I have been fortunate to have never worried about having food for my next meal. My food worries center more around eating too much food and making healthy choices.

This past Saturday our GO: Give Back participants gathered for their GO educational sessions and in age-appropriate and gender divided groups, we discussed Food: Enough to Spare? Enough to Share? It was a challenging topic for children to think about people in our country and community who don't have enough to eat. The children were open, receptive, and left the session with a greater appreciation for food, nutrition, and hunger.

Here are some comments from GO participants about what they learned:

"We talked about world hunger and hunger in the U.S. and I learned that 1 out of nine people are hungry in the U.S. and a lot more people are hungry around the world."
--Maddie, sixth grade

"I learned about hunger and soup kitchens. We talked about how we can help people who don't have as much food as we do."
-- Joel, fourth grade

"I learned that one out of nine people in Indiana are hungry. I learned if we do not waste our food then less people will be hungry. I learned if you want to donate give some food to Second Helpings."
-- Catherine, fourth grade

Stay tuned for more later this week about what participants like best about GO. In the meantime, for more information about GO, see our website: http://www.womensfund.org/.

Thanks for reading! I have to go clean my sticky keyboard now.

Planning for Impact

What do all of the following entities have in common?

• Indianapolis Colts
• Indianapolis Woman magazine
• Indianapolis Airport Air Traffic Control

Planning. All of these have a plan - a detailed plan - to accomplish great success. The Indianapolis Colts spend months recruiting players, determining a training schedule, running routes and drills. Indianapolis Woman has a dynamic content and image plan for each issue. The Indianapolis Airport's Air Traffic Control artfully instruments a high volume of air traffic safely on and off its runways every day.

What does this have to do with Women's Fund and with you? Everything! Women's Fund places an emphasis on careful planning. For example, our Advisory Board leadership is planned years in advance and we recently adopted a strategic plan. We also make grantmaking decisions informed in part by our research, such as Still on Shaky Ground 2006.

You know that planning helps you get places on time and remember important tasks. What about your personal philanthropy? If you are like many people, you probably have not thought carefully about your philanthropy goals. What are your values? What issues do you want to impact? It is never too early or late in life to become more strategic with your personal giving.

Personally, since joining the Women's Fund and CICF team about a year ago, I have become a more thoughtful philanthropist and have grown in my efforts to impact areas I care about. Over time, we will share on this blog how Women's Fund helps many current and future donors with their philanthropy planning, through programs such as GO: Give Back and OPTIONS.