We Celebrate Us


The year 2023 is not winding down quietly, as we might have hoped it would. In the preceding months we’ve experienced heartbreak as we witnessed our city unable to extend a proper welcome to its newest neighbors. Families displaced from their homes and arriving here with little more than the hope of a better future. We have struggled to reckon with the destruction in the present caused by our collective decisions in the past. The climate is out of order, violence rages, children suffer.


Our work may feel too small for the moment we’re in. But it matters.


In our CWIP community, women get up each day and address themselves to the bit of good they can do. Through our members' efforts, hungry people are fed, people are housed, the sick are made well, or at least made comfortable. It matters that we do these things, and that we continue to understand that they have value in themselves and also in the way that they address the world. They are a light in the darkest time of the year.


As your Co-Chairs, we are honored to serve an organization that increases our ability to turn things in a better direction, individually and as a sector. We celebrate another year of accomplishments with our members and friends. We are grateful for each of you and for all of you. And we wish us all peace in a difficult season, blessed rest and time with those we love, and the chance to do things better in the new year.


Clare Butterfield + Lindsey Moorman, CWIP Board Co-Chairs

Quick Links


Want to navigate this newsletter quickly? Here's a list of the content included:


-Upcoming Events

-A Year in Review: 2023 Impact

-GIRLS Leadership Mentoring Program Highlight

-CWIP Updates

-Five Ways to Engage with CWIP Before the End of the Year!

Upcoming Events

LGBTQIA+ Inclusion in the Social Sector Workplace: Moving to Action 

Thursday, January 11 | 8:00 - 10:00 AM

CHICAT: 1701 W. 13th St, Chicago, IL 60608


Join CWIP for our next session dedicated to learning how to harness accountability, power and grace to create change for LGBTQIA+ inclusion and belonging in the social sector workplace. This session features dynamic speakers and an interactive activity aimed at creating and sustaining change at interpersonal, organizational and field levels.

Register Here To Attend!

Save the Date: 2024 CWIP Luncheon

Thursday, May 2 | 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Marriott Hotel Downtown: 540 Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611


Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 2, 2024! Held at the Marriott Hotel Downtown, the CWIP Luncheon will honor Sharon Bush, President of the Grand Victoria Foundation, and is the perfect networking opportunity to celebrate women making a difference in Chicago philanthropy. Ticket proceeds support CWIP’s programs to empower women and girls in Chicago. Keep your eyes on your inbox; tickets will go on sale in early 2024. We look forward to seeing you there! Please contact info@cwip.org or visit the link below to learn more about the luncheon and sponsorship opportunities.

Learn More About the Luncheon!

What happens when you pair fifth and sixth grade girls with committed professional women eager to coach and mentor? You get an impactful, meaningful experience for all participants!


2023 marked the third year of the GIRLS Leadership Mentoring Program (GLMP) managed by the GIRLS (Girls Igniting Real Leadership and Service) Committee. Sixteen girls and their mentors met from January to May to talk and learn from each other on topics like goal setting, sisterhood, self-esteem, civic awareness, financial literacy and much more. The program culminated with the annual Lifting as They Climbed in-person walking tour which takes place on the south side of Chicago! 


The 2024 Mentoring program will run from January - May 2024. If you are interested in learning more about GLMP or the GIRLS Committee, please contact info@cwip.org.

Hear from Makenzie Wells about her experience last year with her mentor Emma Walsh. Makenzie talks about the strong successful women she has met and how they inspire her because: “if they can do it, then I know I can do it.

CWIP Updates

Website Redesign Coming Soon!

The new CWIP website will be launching soon! The website redesign offers a refreshed, more welcoming and user-friendly experience for members. Our new website will provide more ways for the committees to feature their work, and for members to connect and update content more easily. Check out a sneak peek of our new look on the right and be sure to stay tuned for the new website in 2024!

Defining the CWIP Voice

Anyone who has attended a CWIP event or spoken with another CWIP member knows that we are about more than just a professional networking organization. It's central to our mission that CWIP strives to empower our members to speak up and advocate boldly for themselves and their communities. In order to pursue this vision, the CWIP board has included defining “the CWIP Voice'' as a priority area for the organization’s strategic plan over the next three years.



As we embark on this important work of Defining the CWIP Voice, we want to hear from you! What do you think the CWIP voice sounds like, and when should we be using it? Stay tuned for a survey on the CWIP Voice that will be shared with members early in the new year. If you'd like to learn more, please email info@cwip.org and mention that you would like to get more involved in this work!

Five Ways You Can Support CWIP (and YOU!) Before the End of the Year

  1. Make a donation to CWIP and be sure to check to see if your company has a matching gift program so that your donation can be doubled!
  2. Mark your calendars with the CWIP program dates in January and the annual luncheon in May. Bring a friend to the next event you attend!
  3. Join a committee and get more involved in the new year.
  4. Update your member profile (with the new website launching soon we want to be sure everyone’s information is up-to-date!).
  5. Do something fun or relaxing for yourself and enjoy the holiday season!

Want to join a CWIP Committee?

We have leadership and development opportunities available!


CWIP Committees help our organization thrive and we are looking for new members. Contact us at info@cwiponline.org for an introduction to one of our amazing committee co-chairs, who can tell you more about how to build your skills and make an impact by joining a CWIP Committee.

Visit our Website

Our Mission:

To build an inclusive community that educates and empowers

Chicagoland women to grow personally and professionally

and to advocate boldly for themselves and their communities.


Our Vision:

An equitable, inclusive, and connected social sector.


For more information or to join CWIP, contact:

Chicago Women in Philanthropy

312.414.1277 

info@cwiponline.org

www.cwiponline.org 


Chicago Women in Philanthropy

CWIP is a volunteer-driven membership 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.


Chicago Women in Philanthropy | info@cwiponline.org | 312.414.1277 | cwiponline.org

STAY CONNECTED

Facebook  Twitter  Linkedin