Q: Why did you decide to join the Women's Impact Fund?  I learned about the Women's Impact Fund through Deborah Majewski who is the incoming board chair and a mentor to me.  I was looking for a way to become more involved in the Charlotte community, and also looking for ways to get to know great women in the area.  I joined in the fall of 2015, and am currently on the Member Engagement Committee.

I love that WIF provides unique opportunities to give back to the community, and also to learn from others.  I like to surround myself with entrepreneurial people who are successful, and at the top of their industries.  I appreciate opportunities to learn from successful people whose skillsets differ from mine, and I like to pass along my own knowledge and skills to others in turn, whether that's through events, wine, or entertaining.

Q: Where did you grow up and how did it shape you?  I grew up in Bayside, Queens, one of the boroughs of New York.  I have two sisters and a brother, and my dad took care of us, while working two jobs after my mom passed away.  I had to grow up fast, and in many ways my siblings and I raised ourselves, with our grandmother's influence, while our dad worked...READ MORE

by Carolyn Meade
(Editor's Note: This is another in an occasional series of updates on the impact of WIF grants.)

Women's Impact Fund is known for the power of our grants, the detailed approach we take to our initial evaluation of the grant applicants, and the tracking of their work and achievements as they use our funds. Did you know, however, that our dollars often not only fund the projects for which they were awarded, but also generate additional support for the organizations that receive them?

WIF awarded Care Ring's Nurse-Family Partnership ("NFP") $90,000 in 2015, which enabled NFP to hire Paulina Munoz, a bilingual nurse who formerly served Carolinas Medical Center's NorthPark OB clinic and also worked as a labor and delivery nurse with Novant Health.  Her goal: expand the NFP program into the Latina community. NFP provides at-home visits to women living in poverty and expecting their first child; the NFP nurses provide prenatal care and parenting training and continue to support each mother through her child's second birthday... 

Right Moves For Youth ("RMFY") is a school-based dropout prevention and support program that serves over 1,500 middle and high school students attending 29 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. RMFY collaborates with community partners including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office to help at-risk students improve school attendance, behavior and performance. A multi-year $90,000 grant from WIF has allowed RMFY to expand staff capacity...READ FULL STORY ON BOTH GRANTEES