New sWIFT Masthead Dec2012
New & Returning Members
Kathryn Andersen
Lisa Farley
Amanda Howard
Nina Jackson
Laura Murdock
Rebecca Young

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Referring Members

Jill Dinwiddie
Gina Lawrence
Sarah Paris
Marcie Shealy
Caroline Stoneman

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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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Women's Impact Fund - Big Picture Impact!
by Anne Essaye, Board Chair

What an exciting year we're having!  Our leadership, committees and their members are firing on all cylinders, and it's a beautiful thing to see. Here are some highlights:

Big Picture Impact in our Community:
  • $5 million in total grants since inception
  • 54 fantastic nonprofits who are addressing critical needs in our community
  • 453 members
Bold Leadership on Community Issues - Strategic Goal
This is the primary strategic goal on which we are focusing this year. Key steps forward:
  • Grants Task Force - exciting new pilot project: The task force, led by Pearlynn Houck and Ann McMillin Allen, is working hard on this...stay tuned!
  • Impact Study with UNC Charlotte's Urban Institute: The study is a strategic review of the impact of our grants from 2004-2015. Up until now, we focused on the impact of our individual grants during the first one to two years of funding rather than the over the long term. (Read more here)
  • #ThisIsOurCharlotte - Statement of Commitment: The Board voted unanimously to add our voice to the Statement of Commitment issued following the fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott and protests last September, committing our organization to "the continuous work of building and being a community of justice, equity, fairness and opportunity for all."
Being Brave
  • Brave Philanthropy: Our Board and Board of Advisors believe that brave philanthropy is at the core of effective philanthropy
  • Being Brave, not Perfect: This has become our theme song (Read more here)
One sentence of the Statement of Commitment particularly resonated with me. It states:  "We must have the courage to listen, to respond and to act now."  My hope is that as an organization and as individuals we will have the courage to listen, to respond and to act now.
Board Chair Anne Essaye Challenges Us to "Be Brave, Not Perfect"
by Suzan Becker

Do you catch yourself saying things like, "I don't know," "I'm not sure," "What if...," or "Should I?"

These are thoughts that may talk you out of doing or trying something. But what if you decided to be a bit braver and just go for it? How would that feel? Could you do it?

The answer is absolutely you can...and you must, according to Anne Essaye, board chair of Women's Impact Fund.  She is challenging us all to "be brave, not perfect." This has become her creed of encouragement for the year for the board of directors and the organization.

"My goal for this year is to have bravery be the lens through which we view ourselves, our organization, and the nonprofits we decide to fund," Essaye says...READ MORE
What is Our Impact?
by Carolyn Meade
In-depth analysis shows Women's Impact Fund grants successfully target emerging issues and critical needs, have lasting benefits for community, nonprofits.

Five Million Dollars!  When we award our grants this spring, Women's Impact Fund will reach the milestone of providing $5 million to nonprofits in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County.

We have other notable numbers to celebrate as well.  Do you know why these are significant?
64%
1/3
10+
Last year, the Women's Impact Fund ("WIF") engaged UNC Charlotte's Urban Institute (the "Institute") to research the impact the grants we made from 2004-2015 had on the community and the nonprofits we funded.  With over 10 years of grantmaking (yes, there's one of those important numbers - 10+), we wanted to be able to answer a key question: Broadly, what impact have we had?

To answer that question, the Institute team interviewed agencies previously or currently funded by WIF, conducting interviews in-person or by phone, with some nonprofits responding via email.  The Institute shared with WIF the agency-specific answers, and provided the information needed to update the grant outcomes that appear on the WIF website. The final report also included some secondary data in order to provide context...READ MORE  
Getting to Know Stephanie Chen
by Suzan Becker
Women's Impact Fund member Stephanie Chen rarely has a slow or quiet day at work. She is a pediatric dentist who performs oral procedures for children, from babies to teenagers.

Stephanie is both a small business woman and a dentist. She grew up in Ohio and received her Doctorate in Dental Surgery from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She joined a dental practice in Charlotte and eventually opened her own independent office.

When asked about needs in Charlotte, Stephanie immediately points to a health issue she sees almost every day - untreated early dental decay. She says often parents don't have the means to get treatment for their children. Several times a year her work takes her to a free dental clinic for needy patients...READ MORE
WIF Member News

 Congratulations to Liz Simmons! Liz is dancing in the upcoming Charlotte Ballet Dancing With the Stars Gala. The event takes place Saturday March 4th. Liz is dancing on behalf of the Levine Museum of the New South. WIF members can support Liz by attending the event and cheering her on or by voting for her at http://charlotteballet.org/celebrity/liz-simmons/.

Congratulations also to Courtenay Clark and her husband Chris Clark who celebrated the arrival of a baby girl, Piper Lee Clark, on December 19, 2016.

Sadly, Ruth Culbertson Samuelson, who entered politics in Charlotte and rose to its top ranks in North Carolina before walking away three years ago, has died at 57 after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer.

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 to the WCGN Conference March 12 -14?

Hosted this year by Women's Giving Alliance in Jacksonville, Florida, the WCGN conference is a great way to meet women around the country who are impacting their communities.

Check out the WCGN website HERE to learn more details and how to register. AND if you are already planning to go, click HERE to add your name to the list of WIF members who are attending!
UPCOMING EVENTS 

WIF Recruiting Event
Monday, February 27, 2017
6-7:30pm
Turnhouse Grill
Register Now!

New Member Monday
Monday, March 6, 2017
5:30-7:30pm
Corkbuzz
Register Now!

Save The Date!
Women & Wisdom
Land of Opportunity: What's Next for Charlotte?
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
6-8:30pm

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For more information on all upcoming WIF events,
click HERE