The Women & Girls Fund of The Community Foundation of Southeastern Connecticut began in September 1999 with a group of twelve women from the community. They networked with a group of 800 friends and colleagues to ask for their support of a fund that would be used to make grants to local non-profits who were working to assist and empower area women and girls.

For the first round of grants, the Community Foundation allocated $10,000 which was matched by Pfizer,Inc. The company would become a major funding partner over the next several years.  A total of $22,825 in grants was awarded at May 2000 at a party featuring playwright Wendy Wasserstein.

By the end of 2000 the Fund had raised $250,000 to benefit the women and girls in Southeastern Connecticut!  The Steering Committee felt confident enough to establish a longer range goal of raising $1 million by the end of 2004.

The next major event was held on March 7, 2001, a luncheon for 120 guests featuring Coline Jenkins-Sahlin, great-great- grand-daughter of suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Follow up to this event emphasized giving in honor or memory of a girl or woman who makes/made a difference and inspired a new wave of support. 

With great interest and encouragement from Pfizer, we held a gala event on November 1, 2001, featuring Brown University President, Ruth Simmons.  Dr. Simmons, the twelfth child of a Texas sharecropper, had recently become the first African American president of an Ivy League Institution.  Another highlight of the evening was the announcement of $28,650 in grants which were accepted by representatives of the recipient organizations in attendance. They were among 300 people who listened intently to Dr. Simmons , giving her an emotional standing ovation at the conclusion of the event.

Conversations, a series of five small events, were presented in early summer ‘02.These gatherings showcased accomplished local women and lively discussion around the topics of Women of Wisdom, Women in Politics, Women Pioneers, Women Adventurers, and Women in the Arts. 

Conversations culminated in a $100,000 Challenge from four lead donors who wanted to inspire previous donors to increase their giving and to attract new donors by matching new gifts dollar for dollar. Around the same time, the third round of grants was announced with $28,163 distributed. By the end of 2002, just under $68,000 of the challenge had been earned.  And, the grand total of all gifts and pledges to the Women & Girls Fund since its inception reached $585,022!
      
On May 7, 2003 we held an event entitled Women’s Journeys: An Evening with Diane Rehm featuring the nationally acclaimed public radio host and author, preceded by a set of three small workshops on movement, writing and Native women leaders. Approximately 140 people attended this engaging event at The Mashantucket Pequot Museum. 

In early fall 2003, we set about closing out the $100,000 Challenge by December 31st of that year. We needed $18,000. The response was strong and by December 3rd, we had earned the challenge in full.  We also received a bequest of $370,000 which established a named fund under the umbrella of the Women & Girls Fund. This fund would fund programs that combat domestic violence and provide treatment and assistance for its victims.

At the end of 2003, the Fund stood at $870,000. The goal? To bring this endowment to $1,000,000 by the end of 2004. At the Fund’s 5th Anniversary Party on September 9, 2004, a $60,000 Challenge was announced. Four committee members offered to match the next twelve commitments of $5,000 or more dollar for dollar.  Through the generosity of a dozen leadership donors and many others, we exceeded the $1 million mark shortly before the close of 2004. 

2004 also marked the launch of the Lewis Century Society,  a donor recognition society that recognizes people who include the W&G Fund in their wills, we  formally agreed to collaborate with the Community Foundation of Northeast Connecticut as they successfully launched their own chapter of the Fund. 

In 2005, we began focusing on attracting membership in the Lewis Century Society.  On October 2, 2005, 40 women attended “Taking Care of Ourselves and Those We Love,” an  event designed to provide local women with information on how a good plan will help them take care of their financial, estate and charitable goals for themselves, their families and the causes they care about. The Fund’s endowment climbed to $1.1 million and we added one member of the Lewis Century Society (for a total of five). 

For  more information about the Women & Girls Fund, contact Alison Woods,  director of development.