The Women’s Fund of Southwest Florida founded to research needs, fund opportunities for the advancement of women
In 2011, several Southwest Florida women formed an exploratory group to discuss and investigate ways they could assist women and girls in achieving independent financial stability, while helping to improve the region’s economic condition. With counsel from the national Women’s Funding Network and inspiration from WomenMovingMillions, a global organization of committed, purposeful individuals making unprecedented gifts of $1 million or more for the advancement of women and girls, The Women’s Fund has launched in Southwest Florida. This philanthropic non-profit group is committed to improving the lives of women and girls in Southwest Florida.
The mission of The Women’s Fund of Southwest Florida is to conduct research to learn what issues affect women and girls in Southwest Florida, raise money through relationships with individual and corporate donors, and employ a strategic grant-making model to direct grants to programs and organizations that address the special, critical needs of women and girls in Southwest Florida.
In December 2011, The Women’s Fund commissioned the Regional Economic Research Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University to investigate the status of women and girls in Southwest Florida. The study will provide data and analysis on population and diversity, employment and income, achievement and autonomy, health and well-being. The study results are expected to be released later this year. The Women’s Fund will make this information available to the community in order to benchmark progress, inform public policy, set funding priorities and programming, and to inspire demand for additional knowledge about the status of women and girls in Southwest Florida.
Only 7 percent of foundation donations are earmarked for women and girls nationwide according to the National Women’s Law Center, and The Women’s Fund of Southwest Florida seeks to define the need and increase support in this region.
“What we found is that no comprehensive, gender-specific study has ever been performed for Southwest Florida,” said Tate. “So our starting point became evident: Before we make investments, what do we know about the status of women and girls in Southwest Florida? Solutions must combine women’s philanthropy with research and analysis to form collaborative coalitions to achieve collective impact on the complex issues facing women and girls.”
Founding members of the Women’s Fund of Southwest Florida Board of Directors include Brenda Tate, president; Linda Uhler, Secretary/Treasurer; Lalai Hamric, Vice Chair and Lou Pontius, Chair.
For more information, visit http://www.womensfundflorida.org/ or email contact@womensfundflorida.org. Follow The Women’s Fund online at facebook.com/floridawomen and on twitter.com/twfofswfl.
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