New sWIFT Masthead Dec2012
New Members

Patrice Funderburg
Jennie Winston 

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Member Referrals

Lisa Crotty
Anne Essaye
Lisa Howell 

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WIF Central is on the MOVE!
After calling the Foundation For The Carolinas Building home for  many years, we are searching for a new space.

Anne Essaye, Incoming Board Chair, is leading a task force to find a new space.  The task force is exploring all options & welcomes additional help from our members.  If you know of a good location, please contact Anne at
[email protected].
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Women's Impact Fund Group
by clicking on the "Join Group" button.
 
 
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Grants Committee Chooses 10 Grant Finalists!
By Suzan Becker

After months of research, site visits and wrangling, it took 51 Grants Committee members 3 hours AND 1 minute to select the 10 finalists for the  2016 WIF grants (two from each of the five focus areas). They are:

Arts & Culture:
  Arts for Life (Sustain an existing art therapy pr
ogram for critical patients at Levine Children's Hospital) and Musical Minds (Expand a unique musical instrument program to a new Title 1 school).

Environment:
  Catawba Lands Conservancy (Hire a staff person to provide educational programming) and Clean Air Carolinas (Expand a "clean air zones" monitoring project in CMS).

Education:  Augustine Literacy Project (Expand an intense literacy tutoring program for 1st and 2nd graders into more schools) and Reach Out and Read (Expand an existing program that makes literacy part of wellness checkups to three additional sites).

Health:
  Matthews Free Clinic (Expand clinic services by adding a full-time provider and RN) and Children's Home Society (Sustain the Wise Guys Male Responsibility program that promotes pregnancy prevention and social responsibility).


Human Services:
  Communities in Schools (Expand the Immigrant Youth Services program) and Friendship Community Development Corp. (Support My Sister's Place, a transitional living site for single homeless women).

 
Click to view more
After presentations and discussion came the voting by Grants Committee members. 
For the second year, committee members used text voting technology to vote, and Jessica Klasinksi, WIF's Operation Manager, was in charge.  At one point, she urgently called out from the back of the room, "Get your votes in!"

"It's too close!  Every vote counts," Klasinski said.  It turns out two of the five focus area votes were very close.  While there was no drama in the room, there was some angst.

"This is a tough one," said one member.  "She's gonna make us cry before the end of the night," said another.  And, "This one really touches your heart."  Anupam Bose, who is finishing her first year as a new member, added, "It's really hard when you have all the programs affecting children."


WIF co-founder Mary Lou Babb is serving for the very first time on the grants committee. She said it's true when people say everyone should serve on the grants committee. The best part for her was the field work.
 

"I would not want to miss any of the site visits," Babb said.
 

It's now up to the entire WIF membership to choose the grant award winners. On April 4, ballots with more information on the finalists will go out via email. Voting will close April 15.  The 2016 grantees will be revealed at the Annual Meeting on May 11.
Meet Juanita Wade, Grants Committee Environmental Work Team Co-Leader
By Kim Cobb
Editor's Note: This is one in a series of stories about WIF's grants selection process and the members who make it work
Juanita Wade is new to sharing the lead of WIF's environmental work team, but she knows about non-profits and the importance of communitypartnerships. Prior to her recent retirement, she worked in public and private  sector roles in Washington and Boston -- as Community Relations Director with Fannie Mae, ED of the DC Education Compact, and elected member of the Boston School Committee, among many other significant positions.  Against the backdrop of her life's work, joining WIF and serving on the Grants Committee were easy decisions.

In talking with Juanita, several things become clear:  First, no expertise is needed to serve on a grants work team. Neither she nor many of her seven team members have any background in environmental issues...

READ MORE
WIF Member News
In the News:  Candice Langston was featured in a story in a recent Style section of The Charlotte Observer for her signature "power look." Read more.

Charlotte Women of the Year:  Two WIF members, Jill Dinwiddie and Susan Patterson, will be honored as 2015 Women of the Year at the annual "A Woman's Place" program on March 22, 2016. They join many WIF members honored previously at the annual event, including Claire Tate, Mary Lou Babb, Cyndee Patterson, Betty Chafin Rash, Jill Flynn, Patty Norman, Velva Woolen, Sally Robinson, Pat Rodgers, Ruth Shaw and Anna Nelson.

The event at 7pm at ImaginOn will feature a panel discussion entitled "Civic Activism Today" and moderated by Charlotte City Council member Vi Lyles.  The panel will include Janet Cowell, NC Treasurer; Janeen Bryant, regional director of Leadership for Educational Equity; and Amalia Deloney, program officer of Media Democracy Fund.

The event is free but reservations are required. To reserve your ticket, go to:
www.A-Womans-Place-2016.eventbrite.com


WIF members, we want to hear from you!  WIF Member News depends totally on you!  Please send us news of a new job, new volunteer leadership role, a new addition to your family, a big move or anything else you'd like to share with your family of WIF friends. Email: 
[email protected]

UPCOMING EVENTS!
Member Recruitment Event
Monday, April 11, 2016
5:30-7:30pm
Sponsored/Hosted by: MetLife
11225 North Community House Road
$10 for WIF members;
Free for all guests
Register Now

Save the Dates!
Lunch & Learn
April TBD
Program: Crisis Assistance Ministry
Foundation For The Carolinas

Annual Meeting
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
in the evening
Foundation For The Carolinas
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For more information on upcoming WIF events,
click HERE