Message President from the
DEAR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS,
I hope as Perspectives hits your mailbox or inbox, you are filled with energy from your accomplishments so far this year, and excitement for what is to come in the back half of the League year. We are an organization built on the talent of our members: your knowledge, experience, skills, and passion are what power the work of the Junior League of Cincinnati. Your individual and collective efforts have empowered us to deliver more than 30 volunteer shifts to a key group of community partners who align to our focus area of strengthening women’s and children’s environments, including Family Nurturing Center, Saturday Hoops, Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank, Mentoring Plus, Our Daily Bread, Survivor Cards & Bethany House. As we launched our new strategic plan this year, we have begun efforts towards our goals, including two Board ad hoc committees, researching and recommending how we can ensure the sustainability of our membership, through an assessment of our leadership structure to increase the impact of our project partnership, fundraisers and curriculum; and aligning on a sustainable revenue stream to make meaningful impacts on the community and our mission. The collective experience of our Board of Directors has been incredibly valuable in guiding us through these exercises to deliver plans that will enable us to be set up for success. In September, AJLI (Association of Junior Leagues International) celebrated the inaugural Find the Good Day, to recognize the good we see in our community and one another. The JLC held a CandO volunteer shift at Columbia Center supporting three organizations, and also delivered gifts of appreciation to ten of our current and past project partners to show them how we see and appreciate the good in the work they do in the Cincinnati community; it was a very moving experience to see the joy on the faces of these partners and as they received this recognition!
We appreciate that the work of servant leadership is one of many roles in your busy lives, and that as we are all trying our best, there are times when things just don’t land as we imagined. Therefore, we have followed the guidance of AJLI to adopt a Code of Conduct for our members. This was voted by our membership in the fall, and will be enacted through an Accountability Process. The aim for this is to provide guidance and support to our leaders and members in the rare occasion that any egregious events take place; we hope this will be seen as an effective tool for meditation. In an our continued efforts to meet our members where they are, we have created a play space in the auditorium balcony for our Little Leaguers; feel free to plan meetings in this area to connect while your children have fun and enjoy the space. We also have a private Mother’s Room located in this area, with a rocker, changing table and more to accommodate your needs. Our GMMs have been very well attended, providing training on leadership and overcoming perfectionism with author & speaker, Vitale Buford; insightful information in preparation for Election Day with the League of Women Voters, held at the Urban League’s new Holloman Center for Social Justice, aligning to the goals in our new diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging plan. This will continue with a training on inclusivity at our January GMM. We appreciate how our members show up to learn and connect at these monthly gatherings.
Through the dedicated efforts of our trained volunteers and our office staff, we are thrilled to share that we have already surpassed our annual rental goals for Columbia Center - please share this valuable asset with your friends and colleagues for events, meetings and more. We are also proud of the Fund Development Council for exceeding their goal and securing $31,000+ in revenue for our annual Tour of Kitchens fundraiser! It was a beautiful day exploring gorgeous homes with our members and friends in Anderson Township. We are now focusing on launching our new spring fundraiser, A Night in Monte Carlo, on Saturday, April 13 at the Cincinnati Ballet - please stay tuned for more information and consider supporting the event as a hostess or sponsor, and sharing with your network. It is sure to be a fun evening for members to bring friends, potential New Members and partners to experience the incredible work and charm of the League! This Council has also developed a new donor relations plan, securing sponsorships, including signing an our first Empowerment Lead Sponsor, Renée Grace Bridal, an incredibly talented local wedding dress designer and manufacturer, who is supporting our events throughout the year. Nominating was proud to announce our new slate at the annual holiday party, including a list of brilliant women who are eager to continue serving our members and community. If you or someone you know has interest in launching into leadership, please reach out as we approach Vice Chair applications in the late winter and early spring. Our Program Development Committee has done a tremendous job with our request for proposal process to elect our new community partner. After receiving 27 applications, they are working through determining our finalists, which will be voted on by our membership at the April GMM. Following a community needs assessment in the spring, we are seeking partners who will help us create a positive impact within the areas of affordable housing, mental health or job & life skills training. We are leveraging a hybrid model of support, learning from our experiences of incubating nonprofits, and leaning on the resources of existing organizations, to create a project that the JLC’s time, talent and treasure can bring to life and amplify. As I reflect on the accomplishments of our members in the first half of this year, I am filled with pride, awe and inspiration; the League is such a special place, where the experiences and relationships you build are unmatched to what any other organization offers. We are grateful that you continue to show up, to renew your membership, to see the value in these opportunities. I also ask that you consider making a gift to our Annual Fund, which fuels the work that we do and enables us to continue to deliver on our mission of advancing women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training. Yours in service,
René Robers, JLC President Junior League of Cincinnati 3
