| I heard it said that January is honorary "Get Organized" month. With a whole year ahead of us, its also a great time for articulating the focus of our activities and efforts as a giving circle...sort of an organizational "New Year's Resolution" if you will...
When we started Women United three years ago, our mission was threefold: to invest charitably and collectively to help local women; to build a community of like-spirited women; and to raise the consciousness and skill level of one another to use our economic power for personal and social good.
In 2006, we worked to grow our membership, beginning with 15 founding members to 50 by years end. In 2007, our focus was grant making: learning how to invest our funds together to make a difference. We did that with our first grant of $50,000 to open a transitional home for homeless women and children, in partnership with IRF of Teaneck.
Today as we start 2008 and our third year as New Jersey's only women's giving circle, I think our focus must turn to education: our own and that of women throughout Bergen County. We have committed to being "smarter" philanthropists, more knowledgeable about the needs of women and how we can work individually and collectively to help address them. But we join this circle for more than that. We join because of our need as women to affiliate with other women, to support each other, to network and advocate on behalf of one another, to create a community of intelligent, strong women committed to making things happen in our lives, each other's lives, and the lives of those around us.
So I propose to you that the focus for us this year be one of education, empowerment and responsibility. Let's resolve to learn what we can about the needs of women here and everywhere, the best ways to address them, the things we all must do ourselves to be economically safe, stable and strong, and to use our strength to change the world.
I think this is the year we all joined for. Let's get started.
Warmest regards,
Maxine |
