2011ReachingOut_Header 

June 2014

Greetings! 
  
~Maya Angelou  

 

The Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis is among the millions who pay tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou. Her universal messages have touched people across the world and correlate to our mission and work in Memphis.

 

As we work to meet our annual fundraising goal on June 30, we look forward to celebrating our 20th anniversary next year and look back to remember the great achievements we have made over time. The significant strides we have made for women and their families across the city are far-reaching, but the impact comes from the success of each individual woman and child.

 

Just as we work to move the needle forward in Memphis, so too are women and children who are seeking opportunities to grow personally, to develop new skills and thrive in our community. The two-generation approach is not an overnight process, it's a journey that takes years to see progress. Yolanda and Alejandra are examples of two women who are raising the bar for themselves and their children and breaking the cycle of multi-generational poverty.

 

Join us at our Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 19 from 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. to learn more about the lasting change we are creating.

 

We need your support to help women and children continue their path to economic independence. 

Donate Today

PHILANTHROPY

 ~ Maya Angelou

 

Thelma P. completed Advance Memphis' Jobs for Life program and is now a receptionist at Advance Memphis and saving to purchase a home.

Over the past 19 years, The Women's Foundation has been able to invest $14.9 million into more than 420 programs, all of which would not have been possible without the support of donors who believe in the importance of uplifting women and children.

 

Programs like Girl Scouts' Centsability which teaches financial literacy and independence to girls; Youth Striving for Excellence which provides scholarship opportunities, builds self-esteem and confidence for youth, and prepares them for college and the job market; and Advance Memphis' Jobs for Life, that helps adults overcome barriers to employment, find jobs and succeed in the workplace.

 

We have less than 20 days left in our annual campaign. A gift to the Women's Foundation is your way of ensuring these programs continue to serve women and children and work toward strategic solutions for economic independence.

 

Make a Gift Today

 
LEADERSHIP

"I am a woman, phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that's me."
~Maya Angelou
  
Leadership Recognition

Memphis Business Quarterly recently announced its 2014 Power Players. Board Members, Trustees, Legends and Friends of the Foundation were listed among the Who's Who in Memphis Business.

 

Board Member

Nisha Powers, President, Powers Hill Design, LLC
Susan Stephenson, Co-Founder, Co-Chair, Independent Bank
Barrie Wexner-Wurzburg, President, Joseph
Becky Jones West, Founder/President, WestRogers  

 

Board of Trustees Members

Kathy Buckman Gibson, President and COO, Buckman (2013 Legends Award Honoree)
Barbara R. Hyde, President, J.R. Hyde III Family Foundations (2011 Legends Award Honoree)

Gayle S. Rose, Founder, Electronic Vaulting Services (2010 Legends Award Honoree)

 

Past Board Members

Meri Armour, President/CEO, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital
Cynthia Ham, President, BRIDGES

 

Legends Award Honorees
Onie Johns, Founder, Caritas Village

Dorothy Gunther Pugh, Founder/CEO, Ballet Memphis

 

Ruby Bright, Executive Director, Women's Foundation
  

  

Local Film Company Launches Hollywood Partnership  

 

Past board member Marie Pizano, founder of Memphis-based MVP3 Entertainment has has forged a partnership with Lighthouse Pictures, a production company in Studio City, Calif. The partnership will help open doors for more independent filmmakers. Read more...

GRANTEE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

"If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded." 

~Maya Angelou

 

New Ballet Ensemble Receives Rave Reviews at the Kennedy Center

 

 

Last month, grantee partner New Ballet Ensemble performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. at the New Symphony Orchestra's New Moves: symphony + dance mini-festival. They wowed the audience and were featured in the Washington Post. Read more...

 

See feature on WREG

 

New Ballet Ensemble is also one of 50 finalists for the 2014 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, the Nation's highest honor for out-of-school arts programs that foster creativity in young people. The President's Committee on Arts and the Humanities will select 12 winners who will receive $10,000 and an award from First Lady Michelle Obama.

 

New Ballet Ensemble's Align Mentoring Program addresses the physical, mental and social needs of children, in a nurturing after-school environment. Students receive support from volunteer mentors, health-related knowledge, job-skills training, alongside intensive training in the arts. The program provides the necessary support to ensure students are trained in the NBE program until graduation so that they realize success (i.e. acceptance to college and/or employment).

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

 

"Words mean more than what is set down on paper. 

It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning." 

~ Maya Angelou  

 

WFGM Attends Delta Grassroots Caucus Conference

 

Executive Director and CAO Ruby Bright represented the Women's Foundation at the Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus Conference on June 12 in Little Rock, Ark. She participated in a panel discussion on women and children's issues in the Greater Delta Region and presented before leaders of nonprofit organizations, lawmakers, policy makers and members of the Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus.

 

The Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus (MDGC) is a broad coalition of grassroots leaders throughout the eight-state Delta region, which stretches from southern Illinois down to New Orleans, Louisiana.  

 


 

UN Women Launch Year-Long Campaign Promoting Gender Equality

 

The United Nations entity tasked with promoting gender equality launched a major campaign kicking off a year-long, worldwide commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.

 

Through a year of activities, UN Women says it aims to mobilize governments and citizens alike to picture a world where gender equality is a reality and to join a global conversation on empowering women to empower humanity. Read more... 

In This Issue
Philanthropy
Leadership
Grantee Partner Spotlight
Advocacy In Action

WFGM Annual Report


With generous support from donors like you, the Women's Foundation has been able to make vast accomplishments locally, regionally and nationally.  

Dinate Now!

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Vote for the Women's Foundation During the 150 Days of Giving  

 
The Women's Foundation is eligible to win
 
$5,000 in the
 

Help us win! Here's how: 

  • Go to: www.150daysofgiving.com 
  • Type "Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis" in the search box
  • Click "Vote" 
  • Repeat daily until we win!  
* You may vote from multiple devices, only vote once per device, per day.

 

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UPCOMING EVENTS    


Annual Meeting

Thursday, June 19, 2014

University of Memphis

University Center, Room 320 A & B

8:00 - 10:00 a.m.

RSVP Today

   



Girls Take Charge Art Summit 2014

Saturday, June 14, 2014

BRIDGES

477 N. Fifth Street

11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Register Today

 


 
The Heart of a Woman: 

 Understanding Heart Disease in Women

 Saturday, July 19, 2014

 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Church Health Center

1115 Union Ave

901-261-8833

Register Today 

 


 

Teal There Is a Cure:

A Conversation About Ovarian and Cervical Cancer

Saturday, September 27, 2014

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Church Health Center

1115 Union Ave.

901-261-8833

 

 

 

Your United Way gift can be
designated
to the Women's Foundation
for a Greater Memphis
through the Donor Choice Option.

WFGM's Donor Choice number is
188482. 

 

  

WFGM VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

 

Administrative Support

 Clerical
Communications & Marketing
Data Entry

Special Event Support

 

To volunteer, e-mail Joyce Presley
or call 901-969-2406.
 

 

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

    

If you suspect someone is a victim
or you witness activity you believe
to be related to sex trafficking,
call the Tennessee Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline
at 1-855-55-TNHTH.
You can also visit:
StopSexTraffickingInTN.com 

 


We Want to Hear from You! 
  Each month we receive information about incredible women doing incredible things.
  
If you have a story about a phenomenal woman who is impacting the community, transforming women's lives and the face of poverty and supporting the work of the Women's Foundation, we want to hear from you.
  
Please make suggestions or submit information regarding potential
e-news stories to Kesha R. Whitaker   
or call 901-969-2405.

Find us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter

 

Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis
One Commerce Square

40 South Main Street, Suite 2380 | Memphis, Tennessee 38103
901.578.9346 (office)
901.578.9446 (fax)
 
www.wfgm.org 

 

The mission of the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis is to encourage

philanthropy and foster leadership among women and support programs that enable

women and children to reach their full potential.