Waukesha County Community Foundation WCCF - Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County

The Women and Girls Fund

In November 2004, the Board of Directors of the Waukesha County Community Foundation established the Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County. Distributions from the Fund will be directed toward support of programs and projects that benefit women and girls in Waukesha County.

Mission Statement
The Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County seeks to aid and enrich the lives of women and girls in our community by raising permanent endowment funds.

Objectives

Educate our community and ourselves about philanthropic issues affecting women, young women and girls and their diverse needs.
Identify and involve people and institutions that are interested in contributing to the Women and Girls Fund.
Award grants to charitable organizations which will address the needs of women and girls.
Celebrate the accomplishments of women, girls and the organizations which serve them through the Women of Distinction program.

Report to the Community

Board of Trustees

The board of trustees for the Women and Girls Fund is comprised of representatives from throughout the Waukesha County. The board is responsible for raising funds, receiving and reviewing grant proposals, and making grant distributions that best fulfill the Fund’s mission and purpose.

Current Trustees

Jane Delzer, Waukesha, Chair
Kay Lettenberger, Waukesha, Vice Chair
Betty Arndt, Oconomowoc
Lillian Boese, Pewaukee
Andrea Bryant, Waukesha
Marybeth Cottrill, Pewaukee
Anne Foster, Oconomowoc
Kathleen Gray, Brookfield
Wendy Harris, Oconomowoc
Jill Haupt, Mukwonago
Jean McKey, Shorewood
Lynn Revoy, Waukesha
Sandi Wietzel, Delafield
Meg Yost, Hartland

Visionaries

The Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County has established a goal of $1 million in endowment assets. These will allow the Fund to reach more women and girls in need, and to provide more significant grants. Contributors of amounts of $1,000, $5,000 or $10,000 will be honored for their foresight and generosity. Pledges can be paid over 3-5 years.

In addition to contributions from individual supporters, the assets for the Fund will grow through the highly successful Women of Distinction Awards program.

Cocktail Reception

Boone Discusses Women's Giving

Cecilia Guthrie Boone met with 100 supporters and friends of the Women and Girls Fund at Merrill Hills Country Club recently to discuss her evolution as a donor and a supporter of women's and girls causes.

The event also honored the 62 Visionary donors who have helped the Fund through their charitable giving. According to Boone, "Helping women and their children is the most effective way to enrich families, schools, churches and neighborhoods."

Cecilia Guthrie Boone – Giving with a Vision

Cecilia Guthrie Boone’s interest in women's philanthropy began with her volunteer work in Dallas, Texas, where she worked with organizations helping women and girls. This led her fundraising and research into personal philanthropy with her husband Garret Boone, founder of The Container Store. Today, she inspires others to match their values with their giving for powerful social change that helps both the giver and the beneficiary.

Women's Fund
L to R: Key Lettenberger, Barbara Tewes-Berndt,
Andrea Bryant and Kathy Eastman

Women's Fund
L to R: Jill Haupt, Susan Bellehumeur and Beverly Chappie

Women's Fund
L to R: Ellen Schindler, Beverly Chappie and Moira Desch

Women and Girls Fund Grants

Grants to nonprofit organizations with programs serving women and girls in Waukesha County are made through a competitive grant review process. 2008 grants totaling $51,200 were awarded to:

Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland, $4,650 for the Teens for Empty Bowls program to promote teen volunteerism;
ARCh (Association for the Rights of Citizens with handicaps) Waukesha, $5,000 for the True Beauty Club program to build self-esteem among girls;
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, $5,000 for scholarships at Camp Whitcomb/Mason for girls from Hadfield Elementary School in Waukesha;
Children’s Service Society, Milwaukee, $5,000 for the Serving Teens at Risk program for adolescent girls in Waukesha;
Hebron House of Hospitality, Waukesha, $10,000 to assist homeless or disabled women in Waukesha County with enrollment in Social Security programs;
Lake Area Free Clinic, Oconomowoc, $5,000 for the Hispanic Health Assistance program to provide breast and cervical diagnostic services;
Stillwaters Cancer Support Services, Waukesha, $5,000 for the Bridges program, a pilot program for women cancer survivors;
Waukesha Community Art Project, $1,550 for the Self-Portrait Project to involve adolescent girls in after-school art activities;
Waukesha County Community Dental Clinic, Waukesha, $5,000 for the Healthy Teeth for Mom and Baby program serving area disadvantaged families.

The Women and Girls Fund also awarded six special grants in honor of each of the honorees as Women of Distinction to a nonprofit agency they recommended.

Four grants of $1,000 each were awarded to:

Lake Country Charitable Connection in honor of Karen Ellenbecker;
Waukesha County Community Dental Clinic in honor of Hanneke Deeken
Waukesha County Community Dental Clinic in honor of Teri Terrill
Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts in honor of Kathryn Wilson and family members Jen Wilson Healy, Kathy Wilson Otto and Kris Stegeman Wilson

Two grants of $500 each were awarded to:

Life Striders Therapeutic Riding Center in honor of Kaitlin Swanson
Salvation Army-Waukesha Corps in honor of Christina King

Past grant recipients include:

ACAP (Adaptive Community Approach Program)
American Red Cross
Caring Place
Family Service of Waukesha
Girl Scouts-Great Blue Heron Council
Healthy Families
Hebron House
Interfaith Caregiving Network
La Casa de Esperanza
Lake Country Free Clinic
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin
Mukwonago Food Pantry
Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital
Parents Place
Pregnancy Support Connection
St. Joseph’s Medical & Dental Clinic
Volunteer Center of Waukesha County
Waukesha County 4-H Leaders
Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum
WCTC Foundation
The Women’s Center

2009 Grants Process

Eligibility
All 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organizations providing significant programs to benefit women and girls in Waukesha County are invited to apply. Grants will not be made to individuals, or for religious, governmental or political purposes. Grants are generally not made for the same program in consecutive years.

Proposal Content
Proposals should be no more than three pages in length, single-spaced. Please include:

narrative description of your organization;
narrative description of the program for which support is being requested;
narrative description of the program’s intended impact on women and girls in Waukesha County; and
amount requested and how you would fund this program in future years.

Attachments should include:

proof of your nonprofit status (IRS determination letter);
current listing of the board of directors;
current year operating budget;
audit report from the most recent fiscal year.

Annual Due Date
Complete requests in hard copy are due March 1.

Requests should be sent to:

Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County
Waukesha County Community Foundation
2727 N. Grandview Boulevard, Suite 122
Waukesha WI 53188

(Board of Directors) (Founding Circle Members) (Mission) (Types of Funds) (Women and Girls Fund) (Women of Distinction) (Setting Up A Fund) (Grant Awarded) (For Grant Seekers) (Making a Donation) (Annual Report) (Links) (Contact WCCF)