2018 ANNUAL REPORT
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR For much of this year, members of our Board, Committee and staff dedicated themselves to extensive research, analysis and discussion so that we could come together around our new Strategic Plan. We began this process by asking ourselves “How can we do more to affect change for the women and girls we fund?� We engaged in a nine-month process that involved inputs from various stakeholders including current Board/Committee Members, staff, donors, former Board Members/Committee Members, foundations and grantees. A number of like-minded organizations in the international philanthropic space also offered feedback. In total, we spoke to almost 60 people. We looked at our own strengths and weaknesses but also at the opportunities to build on our experience and especially to meet the needs of our grassroots grantees to whom we are committed. Everyone involved worked incredibly hard to prepare and digest detailed materials allowing us to make decisions based on thoughtful analysis. We are very grateful to all those who gave generously of their time and talent over this past year. Our new name and grant model represents a new direction and further reinforces our focus on female empowerment. As one of our grantees, ZACHEDO, from Uganda said, "the support Women First has provided over the years has helped us adapt to create more sustainable local solutions to the immense challenges facing women and girls in my community". Fostering real partnerships and thoughtful interactions will lie at the core of what we do. We are tremendously energized about this new direction for Women First. It will be transformative as we place new emphasis on the impact our grantees are making on the ground and our own impact as a funder. We hope you are excited about our new direction. We will be asking a lot of our small staff and of ourselves to execute on this vision. We look forward to earning your continuing support and are eager to share the results of our work in the communities of women and girls we support.
Mary McGovern President
Emily Forhman Executive Director
OUR NEW STRATEGIC PLAN After 50 years of grantmaking, the Women First (formerly VGIF) team was excited about what had been accomplished, proud of our history, and ready to embrace a new strategic direction using what we had learned to empower more women and girls to create local solutions for their communities. It took a coordinated and collective effort to develop this Strategic Plan. It was an inspiring experience to have so many individuals focus on a new array of ideas and generate deep insight, creative strategy, and high resolve. Now, Women First has a new name, a new vision, mission, and values that better reflect a bold new direction. We are embracing a new program model, providing flexible funding in 3 stages over a 6-year partnership that will increase our impact as a funder. We have identified five pilot cycle grantees that will partner with us over the next several years to refine this new grant model. This will include developing various capacity-building tools and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms tailored to our grantees that will provide data and feedback so we understand their and our impact. In 2019, we will award the first grants in the new model to 20 new grantees for their first of three phases of funding. Thereafter, we will add a new cohort of grantees each year to grow our grant portfolio. The new Plan commits us to bringing the shared beliefs, norms, and values reflected in our new mission statement to our internal operations, empowering both Board and staff to move the organization forward in transformative ways. The Board will be more strategic and will shift away from its historical focus on the day-to-day operations. We will also ask members to shift from a voting membership model to a best practices board-directed model with donors, enabling us to be flexible and responsive to our environment. Finally, the new grant model sets ambitious targets for us to provide increased grant amounts to an increasing number of grantees each year over a six-year period, while also adding capacity-building resources and support to our grantee partners and increased site visits. Our new Plan recognizes that, to succeed, fund development is critical. To that end, we will be expanding our fundraising efforts to target new audiences and we have updated our brand to communicate our story powerfully and clearly to all stakeholders. We look forward to implementing this Plan in 2019 and beyond with passionate people and new and trusted resources, so that we can empower incredible women leaders for another half century to come.
OUR NEW GRANT MODEL
YEARS OF FLEXIBLE FUNDING Our partnership and funding of up to $95,000 allow organizations time to plan and deliver local solutions, with expenses directed to develop their core, capacity and programmatic needs
STAGED APPROACH
Funding for the opportunity (1 year), investment (3 years) and leverage stages (2 years) allows us and our grantees to benchmark milestones, re-commit to or adjust intended outcomes
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT Our funding focus is directed towards organizations governed by women, girls and/or trans people working on economic empowerment
EMERGING ORGANIZATIONS We prioritize small and grassroots organizations in five countries where gender inequities remain pervasive - Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and India
GRANTEE NETWORKS Our commitment to develop grantee networks enables us to implement a targeted evaluation strategy, robust site-visit program and build strong relationships with and among grantees
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Through programmatic, financial and operational partnerships, we will enhance our impact
2018 FINAL SINGLE YEAR GRANTS AT A GLANCE
46
Project grants
19
Countries
$324,640 Funds disbursed
20,093
Women directly impacted
9,742 Girls directly impacted
128,368
Individual lives indirectly impacted
2018 FINAL SINGLE YEAR GRANT SUMMARIES In 2018-2019, we made our final single year grants. Women First funded 46 grassroots organizations identified through an open application process. Driven by a strong sense of purpose, our grantee partners implemented impact driven programs, addressing issues faced by women and girls.
6
Thematic focus
5
areas
Geographic focus areas
Economic development and empowerment
South Asia
Education
Sub-Saharan Africa
Environment, food and water security
Latin America & The Caribbean
Health, wellness and bodily integrity
The Middle East & North Africa
Human rights and legal status
Southeast Asia and The Pacific
Leadership and movement building
Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Funding of up to $7,500 for each organization 32.6% of organizations were established between 2013-17 Average operating expense of $28,900
We are grateful for the support received from [Women First] to implement the project. It is the first time such sensitive topics are evoked in the communities and that women can even sit in a forum with traditional authorities to discuss their rights. STAFF, AFRICAN YOUTH ALLIANCE COMMON INTEGRATIVE GROUP
I took the hope to live with dignity and to improve my living condition thanks to [Women First] which supported me during the unforgettable moment of my life.
[Women First] is a force to reckon with. The high level of friendliness of organization especially. [Women First] is open to grantees for assistance in areas of challenges and difficulties.
JULIE, PILLAR TO VULNERABLE
NNEKA UDENSI, YALUCARE
WOMEN ACTIVE IN DR CONGO
FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN AND YOUTHS
2018 PILOT CYCLE GRANTEES Women First on-boarded five grantees to make up the 'Pilot Cycle'. These organizations were selected after thorough evaluation and deliberation. As they entered their second year of their three-year ($45,000) grant, our grantees have deepened their impact, adapted their strategies and are creating lasting change among their communities.
1
Rural Women Development Trust,
4
India
Preventive programs for gender-based violence and bonded labor The income-generating programs train women in coir-rope making, business and financial literacy Our funding has allowed them to invest in human resources to build and strengthen their financial literacy program
2
Eldoret Women for Development, Kenya
Their income generating programs supports women as they exit prison Training programs in innovative sack gardening and business skills allowing their reintegration into society Our flexible funding has enabled them to invest in core infrastructure
3
Women in Action for Community Empowerment, Uganda
Focusing on women's empowerment, they provide knowledge, skills and economic resources for community development Training program for women in mushroom cultivation and marketing Women First funding has enabled them to invest in mushroom farming infrastructure, and strengthen their staff in key positions of finance and M&E
5
Nafisika Trust, Kenya
With a mission of transforming the prison system, the organization aims at reducing recidivism through economic empowerment The program provides essential business and vocational skills to female inmates for positive integration back into society Their work at Thika prison, the program supported by Women First, is setting them up as experts on women in the prison system Zaam Community Health and Development Organization, Uganda
ZACHEDO empowers women and girls in urban slums using people-centered approaches, integrating health promotion, education and financial inclusion to fight poverty Their program equips women entrepreneurs in Katwe with business skills, capital and financial literacy to grow their business and profits Our funding has enabled them to invest in capacity building programs, in areas of programmatic strategy and financial management "Knowing that we are on a six-year journey with Women First as an equal partner who values our ideas and care about us is truly amazing" -Ziyada Zalwango, ZACHEDO
SITE VISIT: KENYA AND MALAWI In September of 2018, our Program Director, Jenna Wallace, conducted a site visit to seven grantee partners in Kenya and Malawi. The three-week trip provided Women First an invaluable learning experience and built stronger relationships with grantees, several of whom will now be considered for ongoing funding. "In our village, most of the girls did not do well in school. But we know that they can. I am proud to be someone who can make girls believe that they are important - that they can do well and achieve their vision." NAOMI, PROJECT OFFICER AT
TEEN
MOTHERS INITIATIVE
In many Malawi communities, as in so many other countries, girls are taught to be quiet, modest and focused on finding a husband. Teams Advancing Women in Agriculture empowers young females to ignite change through education and leadership development.
Girls Arise for Change participants and staff outside their girls hub training centre in Phalombe, Malawi
2018 FINANCIAL OVERVIEW Revenue and Support 2018 Contributions and Grants.................... $188,091 Bequests............................................... $210,000 Dividends and Interest........................ $547,637 Realized Gain (loss) -Sale of Investments........................ $170,220 Foreign Taxes....................................... $ (10,490) Investment Management Fee...............$ (90,608) Total Revenue and Support
,
Management and General 16%
Fundraising
$1,014,850
Expenses 2018 Program Services......................... $973,499 Management and General........... $206,342 Fundraising.................................. $ 84,709
7%
Total Expenses
Program Services 77%
Change in Net Assets Before unrealized Loss on Investment........................................... $ (249,700) Unrealized Loss on Investments......................................... $ (2,908,712) Change in Net Assets.......................... $ (3,158,412) NET ASSETS Beginning of the Year....................... $18,611,143 End of the Year................................. $15,452,731
$1,264,550
THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS! Gifts of $10,000+ Emma Gray Revocable Trust Louise McLeod
RBC Foundation USA Hope S Miller Trust
Mary McGovern
Diane Trombetta Margery Sullivan
Eileen Menton Dagmar McGill
Lisa Fleming Carolyn Donovan Bonnie Lincoln Katherine Landon
Sarada Krishnan Anonymous Elena Byrd Katherine D'Urso
Patricia Behenna Jane Schukoske Gerlinde Sarkar Harsh Bansal Kathleen Magill Maggie Ford Sema Faigen
Hester Brooks Helen Dunsmore Barbara Carey Jacqueline Shahzadi Linda Hiebert Sekiguchi Margaret George Suzanne Kavetas
SparkFun Electronics Anita Thomas Kelli Monahan Catherina McDonnell Ella & Howard Iams PMT Dance Studio INC
Marcia Goffin Janet Rochester Jeri Rhodes Dana Wright Mary Sherman Sachin Bansal
John McInerney Lynn and Neville Ostrick Thomas Wellems Janet Crampton Martha Joyce F. Graf Bonnie Eisenberg AAUW Fort Myers/Lee County Emily Onorato Mary Mostaghim Marcia McKenzie
JAUW Board Michaela Walsh Mary Mathews Janet Moses Pauline Fuus Andrea Torrico Filippelli Barbara Fischlowitz-Leong Jeanie Page Randall Nina Thayer Alice W. Leeds
Gifts of $5,000+ Abby Meiselman Alice Bartelt Virginia Maynard
Gifts of $2,000+ Betsy Kavetas Johanna Sterbin Susannah Dhamdhere Elizabeth Parker
Gifts of $1,000+ Edith Allison Karen Cullen Karen McKee Carolyn Cowgill Joyce Prudden Lynn Hapchuk Nancy Vang & Fay Kittelson
Gifts of $500+ Leslie Wright Nancy Scheer Florine Swanson Margaret Ellis Dr Fay C. Weber Maureen O'Leary Yvonne Condell
Gifts of $200+ Esther Ngumbi Linda Engberg Patricia Ehret Gabriel Da Silva Lori Cross Raime Leeby Muhle AAUW Birmingham (MI) Claire Stein Katherine Rothschild Teresa Starr
2018 DONORS Andrea Freshman Barbara Hempill Elizabeth W. Murphy Jeanne & Tom Ottoson Lara Kreyenhagen Marianne Selph Richard Worsham Shirley Muney
Anne S. Watt Chigurupati Rani Eloise Mayo Jeanne Cassell Marchettah Schneider Marion Kilson Roberta London Stephanie Hanna
Arlene Inglis Christine Taxier Jane & Stanley Pace Kathryn Podwall Margene Ridout Patricia Kennedy Sarah Lee
Samantha Hoyt Antonia Wigbers Joan Morrison Margaret Coe Pamela Daves Vanessa Otto Andrea Compton Susan S.G. Wierman Canadian Fed. of University Women AAUW San Diego Allen and Claire Jensen Ardis Noonan Barbara Neubert Carolyn Macrae Christie Hastings Dhevi Kumar Broecker Dianne Blais Erin Silvoy Gloria Blackwell Hazel Rice Joan Borders Julie Ollila Katherine Harkness Lisa Medina Lynn Eisenhart Maria Solis-Martinez Marilyn Zook Marjorie Smith Nicola Levine Parma Tuten Holt Paula Winne Rose Nichols Sally Simmons & Charles Thrall Sophie Godward Tecla Tesnau Vinh Nyugen
CFUW Beth Rosenberg Judith Jaggard Nann Hilyard Phoebe Pierce Dorothy Joslin Mary Eleanor Wall Virginia Shelley Perette Manz-Hendrich Adel Wortman Ana Maria Scott Ayse Aytaman Carole Farina Carrie Gallagher Claire D'Antonio Diane Haney Don & Joan Pettit Gayle Gilmore Grace & Adam Ortman Jacqeuline Shapiro Joyce Baker Julie Pennington Lauren Lerch Liz Bathgate Marcie McDevitt Marie Murphy Marion Isidoro Mary Kersbergen Pamela Lemon Patricia Missman Phyllis Driver Rowena Hardinger Sandra Featherman Starbucks Coffee Company Teri Woodward Yvonne Higgins
Gifts of $100+ Meg Chappell Amanda Lauer Erica Campisi Karline Tierney Newcomers Club of Toronto Shelley & Mark Livingston Carol Graves Ruth Middleman Arlene Sturm AAUW Carlsbad-Oceanside-Vista Alan Frampton Anne Creveling Barbara Link Carolyn Gross Cheryl & Ward Heneveld Claudia Gray Diane Roca Dorothy Sutter Geirlaug Thorvaldsdottir Hannah Cline Jane Frymire Judith Whitelock Karen De Vore Linda L Thompson Lois Margaret Drake Maria Deftereos Marilyn Minshall Marion Pickens Michelle Rossbach Papillong Starr Patsy Abell Rebecca Fairchild Ryan & Erica Williams Shila Marek Susan Stein Victoria Sung
2018 DONORS Gifts up to $100 Patricia Miller Kristin Anderson CFUW Portage La Prairie Katie Kaku Lois Whealey AAUW La Palma-Cerritos AAUW Virginia Paulette Hammond Margaret Schweitzer Aashish Dhamdhere Adrian Richardson Alexis Kahn Ali Quillen Alice Page Allen Spiro Andrea Proctor Anne Hoiberg Anne Stilwill Ashlyn Marquez Asia Rodgers Audrey Kuehler-Oostra Barbara Bonsignore Barbara Edwards Barbara Hagen Ben Weiss Brandon Bartosz Brenda Mills Caitlynn Fortner Candace C. Minner Carol Davis-McDonald Loretta James A. Lee Battershell Carol Leimas Carol Todd Otto Carol Woodworth Carolyn Jo Glen Kaye Catherine Jones Cathy Stevulak Charlene Eberwine Colleen Cameron Cyndi Slacum Cynthia Snell Debbie Geisenkotter
Deborah Reece Delores Flynn Dian Belanger Donald Stein Donna Gerson Dorothy Fraquelli Eileen Sue Grossman Farah Ibrahim Frances Cressman Geraldine Wing Grace Clark Gretchen Ilgenfritz Hanne Schulten Heather Reichardt Jack & Paula Young Jacqueline Evangelista Jacqueline Grinnell Jane Costanzi Jane Seibel Janet MacDonald Jeanne Bridgman Jennifer Johnson Joanne Brown John Wills Karen Kirkwood Karen L. Mercer Katherine Eaton Kathleen & Van Gardner Kathleen Devlin Keith Elliott Kimberly Edgar Lee Winocur Field Linda Broyd Lori J. Spicer Lorraine Isaacs Magda Vonderheydt Marilyn Forsstrom Mary Duval Mary Gibson Mary O'Connor Matt Garvert Matt Goss Merrie McLaughlin
Michele See Michelle Martin Michelle Muldoon Nancy Jaeger Pamela Bone Pamela Wrenn Phyllis Belcher Rachel Ostrow Robert Makarovich Salli J. Ward Sally Chamberlain Sally Little Shirley Randell Shubanjali Dhawan-Gray Sonya Hostman Susan Chaffinch Swaran Dhawan Tammie Chi Terry Oudraad Terry Sayler Kazuko Umeda Yukiko Watanabe Elaine Burgess Kate Dreher Izumi Yamashita Amanda Misiti Claire Mahany Holly Atkinson Janet Smith Molly Lieber Muneeza Iqbal Muriel McNeely Natasha McCabe Shannon Rzeznikiewicz Maura Fleming Carolyn Gutmann Rochelle Johnson Shirley DeFries Michiko Kondo Yuko Okazaki Alice Huang Barbara Bettencourt Betsy Brown
Bridget Chappell Frances Clarke Frank T. Caprino, Sr. Janet Westcott Joan Smalto Joyce Ann Luckfield Kimberly Reynolds Liana Engie Linda Schnorbus Marcia Posner Martha DiCicco Miriam Chatinover Nicole Santee Patricia Crane Priscilla Weber Sharyn Stein William Hart, Jr. Barbara Lewis Isabel Ashourizadegan Joanne Pavia Judith Beck Karen Gianninoto Lois Pulliam Walter Burgess Fusako Kitamura Anne Kern Dorothy Jacobs Janice Chung Regenboog Advies Sandra Keist-Wilson Virginia M. Dunstan Brigitte Jaensch Emma Flemmig Chiharu Washizaki Nobuko Akita Takako Ando Delores Faison Matthew Ellis Meredith Bruster Caroline Pickens Denise Decker
2018 LEADERSHIP BOARD OFFICERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
STAFF
President
Meghan Chappell
Executive Director
Jeri Rhodes (Jan-Apr) Mary McGovern
Katherine D’Urso Lisa Fleming
Executive Vice President
Leslie Wright Vice President, Project Grants
Maggie Ford (Jan-Sep) Dr. Sarada Krishnan
Kate Landon Raime Leeby Muhle Dr. Esther Ngumbi Dr. Eleanor Ann Nwadinobi Dr. Gerlinde Sarkar Jane Schukoske
Vice President, Development
Susannah Dhamdhere Treasurer
Christine Schmitz
Dr. Jacqueline Buckman
Abby Meiselman
Program Director
Jenna Wallace Program Associate
Evaline Franks Development Associate
Kelsey Ottoson Executive Assistant and Marketing
Shahzadi Johanna Sterbin Margery Sullivan Anita Thomas
Secretary
Emily Forhman
Andrea Filippelli
Associate
Annie Garau