New sWIFT Masthead Dec2012
New Members

Amanda Colgate
Alicia Davis
Julie Eiselt
Hannah Kay Herdlinger
Kate Eng Large
Elizabeth Naman
Kirsten Pittman
Jessica Schwartz

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Referring Members

Dianne Bailey
Paula Broadwell
Daniele Donahoe
Christy Durbin
Lisa Parrish
Jen Rosen
Marcie Shealy
Julie Sheffer

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Planning Your Calendar?

Make sure you check out the WIF "Master Calendar" for dates of all our events. It is also a great tool to understand the many moving pieces of WIF. See things such as our Board meeting dates, when sWIFt will be in your Inbox, and many other items. It can be found in the password accessed Members Room on the website.
Click HERE to check it out.  
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  Please take a moment to like the Women's Impact Fund
page on Facebook. Invite your friends to "Like" it, too!  And don't forget to share/retweet our posts/tweets!

Also, the new WIF Members Facebook Group allows WIF members to connect, share and discuss topics relevant to WIF & our members. Click "Join Group" on the righthand corner of the cover photo to be added.

If you are on LinkedIn,
please ask to join the
Women's Impact Fund Group
by clicking on the "Join Group" button. 
 
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And the Top 20 Grants Finalists Are....
by Gina Lawrence

Mid-January is one of the most exciting times for Grants Committee members. The focus area work teams have each selected their top 4 applicants and are embarking on site visits to those top choices.  There is still much work to be done, but the Grants Committee celebrates its accomplishments over the last 3-4 months: conducting research regarding local critical needs and emerging issues in each focus area, reviewing no less than 131 LOIs, and narrowing the pool to 20 applicants who have submitted RFPs.

The Grants Committee work teams will conduct site visits until mid-February. In mid-March, the full Grants Committee will meet and select the ten finalists for the full membership vote in mid-April.

The top 20 grant applicants are:

Arts and Culture:
  • ourBridge for Kids -  To launch a special arts curriculum (in partnership with LilySarahGrace fund) for afterschool and summer programs serving immigrant and refugee children
  • McColl Center  - A Tale of Two Cities: McColl Center and the North Tryon corridor - to create a collaborative to co-construct active, positive, and engaged community partnerships in the development of the North Tryon corridor
  • Goodyear Arts - To sustain existing residency and multi-arts events program that allows local artists and Charlotte residents a space and forum for creation and interaction with the arts
  • Caroline Calouche & Co. - To expand dance and circus arts after school program to new Title I elementary school site
READ FULL LIST
Member Recruitment Aims for 500!
by Christy Durbin & Marcie Shealy
Happy 2017! We're excited for a year full of meaningful programming and activities to connect, collaborate and enrich. We are also excited to kick-off a meaningful goal -- growth to 500 members total.

This year we will grant our 5 millionth dollar to Charlotte Mecklenburg non-profits which underscores that we are stronger together. In 2017, we want to celebrate $5 million dollars of cumulative impact and 500 members.

Why 500 members? When Women's Impact Fund grows, our community wins. At 500 members, we fully fund all 5 of our grant areas. Today, we can't guarantee this. At 500 members, we can strengthen our non-profit community with half a million dollars every year and ensure each grantee is awarded their full amount requested.

Where are we now? We are currently 451 members strong. Thank you! We collectively give each year, but it takes each of us. We can reach 500 total members when we are at 451 today. That's only 49 more members to add!

What will it take? Spread the word about our impact and that we welcome new members! Now is the time to invite that woman you've been meaning to ask. They can join now, or if they want to learn more, feel free to invite them to one of our events. Our signature events are open and meant to be inclusive to those interested. We need our full membership finding new members to help us reach 500 members total. Don't rely on another member to do it because with each Woman's Impact Fund member added, the community wins.

If you want to do even more, we are seeking volunteers to be part of a special growth team. If interested, please email Jessica Klasinski at jklasinski@womensimpactfund.org.
Getting to Know Erica Fenlon
by Melissa Hovey

Erica Fenlon is the owner and founder of CycleSouth, uptown Charlotte's first boutique indoor cycling ("Spin") studio which was recently named 'Best New Workout' in Charlotte Magazine's 2016 BOB awards. Erica moved to Charlotte in 2014 following 15 years in New York as an investment banker.

Why did you decide to join the Women's Impact Fund? When I moved to Charlotte, my sister, who had lived in Charlotte for years said, "You MUST join WIF. Period." She knew that WIF would introduce me to an amazing network of women, help me plug into the community and allow me to give back through a leading nonprofit. I reviewed the website for 5 minutes at most and signed up. She was right! WIF is amazing.

What would you tell a friend or colleague who was thinking about joining Women's Impact Fund? Sign up immediately! It's flexible, welcoming, educational, effective and fun. It is a great opportunity to surround yourself with a diverse group of strong women. Joining was one of the BEST decisions I made (or my sister made for me)!  READ MORE...
WIF Member News

 Congratulations: Claire Tate was awarded the 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Keeper of the Dream Award. The award, given to individuals in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community who exemplify strong character, determination and humility, was presented as part of the National Day of Celebration.

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: communications@womensimpactfund.org
Are You Going?  WCGN Conference March 12 -14

Many of our members attended the Women's Collective Giving Grantmakers Network conference when it was here in Charlotte in 2015.  This year it will be hosted by Women's Giving Alliance in Jacksonville, Florida on March 12 - March 14. It is a great way to meet women around the country that are impacting their communities.

Check out the WCGN website HERE to learn more details and how to register.

If you are already planning to go, let us know.  Click HERE to add your name to the list and see who else is coming!
UPCOMING EVENTS

New Member Onboarding
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
6-7:30pm
Cantina 1511
(invitation previously sent)

Save the Date! 
New Member Monday
Monday, March 6, 2017

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For more information on all upcoming WIF events,
click HERE