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Annual Meeting
New grants, new officers, new inspiration |
 A record 218 members and guests attended the Annual Meeting Oct. 31, where four grants totaling a record $316,656 were ratified, the leadership team for 2013 was presented and founder Delores Barr Weaver closed the meeting with inspiring words about the kind of strategic philanthropy WGA embraces. See photos from the meeting below and online.
2012 Grants
Four two-year grants focusing on mental health services for women and girls were presented and ratified. They are:
- PACE Center for Girls, Jacksonville, $115,000 for a pilot to integrate and expand mental health access throughout PACE programs.
- I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless, $91,656 to provide an intensive mental health case manager for female residents.
- Volunteers in Medicine, $10,000 to increase the number of free complete clinical mental health appointments for women.
- Women’s Center of Jacksonville, $100,000 to double the number of women served by no-cost counseling services.
Click here for more details about each grant.
Grants chair Peggy Schiffers announced that the Steering Committee, recognizing the enormous needs, has voted to continue the focus on mental health for 2013 grants.
New Officers
Election results for 2013 were announced: Julia Taylor, president, and Mary Pietan, vice president; Jan Healy, Ashley Smith Juarez, Jean Ludlow, Audrey Moran, Lisa Page and Helen Short, at-large members of the Steering Committee. See below for 2013 committee chairs and your opportunity to join a committee.
A Founder’s Reflections
 In closing the program that marked the end of a year-long 10th anniversary celebration, Delores Barr Weaver, one of WGA’s five founders, spoke. She said that while the most important reason she wanted to be a part of WGA at the outset was its mission, “I also thought it was a good way for women to step into a role of independence in charitable giving.”
She said that giving away money “thoughtfully and strategically is really hard work.” She described her philosophy this way: “Our strategy should be philanthropic whenever possible. We must look to building for tomorrow through prevention, research, specific program support and all the while seeking opportunities and value.”
She also talked about the importance of involving donors of all sizes. “I remember the many years when I had little or nothing to contribute that no one ever told me that whatever I could give would help make a difference. Focusing on that reality, I often require that a portion of a challenge grant be met by small contributions.” She said you never know when someone will become a large donor because they were asked to help earlier and learned “the joy of giving back.”
Here are links to press coverage of the Annual Meeting:
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| Renew, Recruit |
The membership campaign for 2013 kicked off at the Annual Meeting and continues. At the meeting, Network Central co-chairs Jo Hoskins and Suzanne Perritt encouraged members to build on the record 2012 membership of 274. They asked members not only to renew but to commit to recruiting at least one new member each, reminding us that the more members, the more dollars available for grantmaking.
Their mantra, “Renew, Recruit,” paid off on the spot with 18 new members signing up that day. That’s in addition to four who had joined earlier. So far, 95 existing members have renewed.
If you have not yet renewed, you have lots of options to make it easy. You should have received a commitment form in the mail recently. Or click here to download the form to print. Then send it in. With your signed pledge, the Grants Committee knows how much will be available for next year’s grants, and you may choose when to make your contribution before the April 30 deadline. You will receive a reminder a couple of weeks in advance of the date you specify.
Or, of course, you may send in your check now with that form and not be bothered with further mailings. Or click here to renew and make your contribution on our website now.
However you choose to follow through, remember the mantra: Renew, Recruit. Renew, Recruit.
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Prez Sez
Passing the gavel |
 Among my emotions as my term ends are these:
Deep gratitude for the privilege of serving as your president;
Immense admiration, appreciation and affection for the uncommonly bright, creative and committed women who served on the 2011 and 2012 leadership teams;
Great pride in the work we are doing together: the leadership WGA is providing around issues affecting women and girls in our community and the growing impact we are having on individual lives touched by our grantmaking;
Great excitement about the new ideas and energy the new leadership team will bring under incoming president Julia Taylor.
I said this at the annual meeting, but it bears repeating: Nothing could hold more promise for WGA than to have Julia at its helm. I know each of you will give her the support you have given me—support that I have valued beyond words. Our circle’s strength is a result of the multiple gifts each member brings to our work together -- in addition to her annual financial donation -- that make WGA far more than the sum of its parts.
Congratulations to Julia and her team -- and to each of you for the critical difference you are making in our community.
Susan Schantz
President, 2011-2012
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| New leadership, volunteer opportunities |
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The Steering Committee, which functions as WGA’s leadership group, includes officers and at-large representatives elected by the membership as well as committee chairs appointed by the president. Additionally, The Community Foundation provides a board and a staff representative.
In addition to the newly elected positions named above, these are continuing terms: Veronica Maybury, secretary; Marcy Moody, treasurer, and at-large members Dale Clifford, Sally Baker Lee and Marsha Oliver. Cindy Edelman is the new board representative; Nina Waters continues as the staff representative; and Joanne Cohen will be staff liaison (ex officio).
The committee co-chairs are already at work preparing for next year. They welcome volunteers to work with their committees. For descriptions of the work of each committee, click here. To learn more or volunteer, email the co-chairs of the committee that interests you:
- Advocacy: Lis’e Everly, lise.everly@gmail.com, and Jeanne Ward, jeanne_ward@comcast.net.
- Communications: Terry Hallihan, 99gwhfth@comcast.net, and Cathleen Murphy, cathleen.murphy@gmail.com.
- Education: Susan Greene, bsusangreene@gmail.com, and Melody Shacter, mdshacter@comcast.net.
- Finance: Marcy Moody, marcymoody@gmail.com.
- Grants: Karen Mayfield, karen.mayfield@suntrust.com, and Peggy Schiffers, pegschiffers@comcast.net.
- Network Central: Jo Hoskins, jshbeach@comcast.net, and Suzanne Perritt, scperritt@aol.com.
These two committees do not need volunteers:
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The Women’s Endowment
A gift that truly keeps on giving |
One aspect of WGA that sets it apart from most of its peer giving circles is the Women’s Endowment. While $350 of your annual gift automatically goes to the endowment, please consider an additional gift of any size as the perfect way to remember someone during the holidays or as you make your year-end contributions. And you might let others know that’s the item on your own wish list that would especially please you.
The endowment has grown to almost $1.3 million. It provides nearly $30,000 to the annual grants pool. As the total grows, that annual payout grows, too.
As an endowment, of course, the funds are there in perpetuity to support women and girls in Northeast Florida – giving and giving and giving.
Click here to make a gift online, or send your contribution to The Community Foundation, 245 Riverside Ave., Suite 310, Jacksonville, FL 32202, indicating it is for the Women’s Endowment and, if appropriate, the person in whose name you make the gift.
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An invitation
Help set priorities for public schools |
WGA members are invited to apply to be delegates at a one-day event Jan. 5 to reach consensus on a Community Agreement that culminates a year-long conversation about public school priorities. Many members attended The Community Foundation’s and Jacksonville Public Education Fund’s ONE by ONE luncheon for WGA last December at the Cummer Museum. Some of those and others have been among the 1,700 people participating in 169 community conversations.
The Jacksonville Public Education Fund is seeking 100 diverse delegates for the Jan. 5 all-day event to distill the data into five or six key priorities for public schools. Apply to be a delegate – or nominate someone – at www.onebyonejax.org . Applications are due December 1. Find a policy brief outlining the full results of the conversations online at www.jaxpef.org, or pick up a paper copy at The Community Foundation office.
Upcoming Events
Member Forum: March 6, 2013
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Annual Meeting Photos
See more pictures from the October 30th event here.
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