Leaders

Spring 2014

Recognizing special women and girls

The Women’s Fund of Omaha is proud to recognize more than 220 outstanding women and girls as part of our inaugural “Leading the Change” tribute campaign. (See the ad on page 16-17). Each of these special women and girls inspired or influenced others who honored them with a donation to the Women’s Fund. Maybe the honoree is a mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, aunt, friend, colleague, spouse, teacher or mentor. Whatever their role, these women and girls can take pride in knowing that they are making an impact in the lives of others.

The campaign not only recognizes exceptional women and girls; it also helps build a community where every woman and girl has the opportunity to reach her full potential. Donations support the Women’s Fund work of identifying critical issues, funding innovative solutions and leading dynamic change. Here’s how we do that:

Identifying Issues

Over the years, we’ve self-published nearly 20 research studies on topics including leadership, domestic violence, what women want at work and the economic conditions of women. We also keep tabs on the number of women in leadership positions. All of these reports are available on the Women’s Fund website at www.omahawomensfund.org.

We’ve gained a reputation as a credible resource on issues facing women and girls in our community, and we have assembled a working collection of national and local research to inform our community.

Funding Solutions

Since our beginning in 1990, the Women’s Fund has supported 100-plus local agencies with more than $1.6 million in grants for programs that address the most pressing issues as identified by our research, and we have established our own programs to meet unaddressed needs.

This year, the Women’s Fund will award grants in three categories: The Excellence in Service to Women grant, Community Impact Grants and the new Emerging Issues Grants. A record total of grant funds will be awarded at our Fall Luncheon on October 23.

Leading Change

We lead change through a variety of programs and initiatives, including:

Ready to Run™ – a nonpartisan program for women who want to run for office, seek higher office, work on campaigns, get appointed to local boards or commissions, or learn more about the political system. Monthly sessions continue through the end of June.

Talk of the Town – a quarterly event that provides opportunities for nonprofit agency professionals to network with each other, while also learning about issues affecting their organizations.

Women’s Fund Circles – designed to introduce young female leaders to the Women’s Fund’s work, while also offering opportunities for members to network, interact with established professional women and learn about philanthropy.

Today’s Omaha Woman magazine – a Women’s Fund publication that educates readers about issues our research has identified as being important to local women. Since its debut in 1997, the magazine has covered a wide array of topics, including child care, pay equity, domestic partner violence, caring for aging parents, women-owned businesses, women’s health issues and more.

We invite you to join us in helping lead change for women and girls right here in our community:

Visit our website and learn more about the Women’s Fund and how you can support our programs.
Attend our Annual Fall Luncheon on Oct. 23 at the CenturyLink Center. Watch for an announcement of the speaker and details on how to register.
Keep up with us on social media and lend your voice to the discussions. Signup on our website to receive the monthly e-mail newsletter at omahawomensfund.org.