Summer Greetings

Summer greetings from your CWIP Co-chairs. This newsletter finds the sector, the nation, and the CWIP leadership at points of transition. While we create spaces for this community to seek support and comfort in the months ahead amidst external distress and change, fortunately for CWIP, as we reach the end of our two-year turn as co-chairs of an organization we both love, and from which we’ve drawn great support in the development of our own careers, we are filled with tremendous pride and hope. It’s been a true privilege and joy to serve as your Co-chairs. We took the reins from two strong and dynamic women (Debra Walker Johnson and Jacki Davidoff) and in a couple of months we will hand over the reins to two strong and dynamic women, whom we look forward to introducing you to at our August Annual Meeting.

We happen to have been the Co-chairs during the return from pandemic restrictions, so we’ve gotten to experience the return to in-person activities with pent-up demand to be together. The luncheons of the last two years have broken all previous records (thank you to the Luncheon Committee) and they have been memorable and meaningful events which have delved deeply into the lived experiences of leaders of color in our sector, who are helping to show us the work that we still have before us. The new website is live and fresh, the board and committee pipeline keeps producing strong and committed leadership, and CWIP programming is better than ever.

At the same time the need for strength in our sector is real. Efforts to redress historic wrongs are under very direct threat, rights that all of us in CWIP grew up with have been severely curtailed and continue to be pushed backwards. Our CWIP vision of an equitable, connected, and inclusive social sector has never meant more, and it’s never looked shakier at any time in our professional lives. We have work to do to uphold human dignity and autonomy. Enthusiasm for our programs and events tells us that CWIP members and friends are ready for the challenge.

It’s been a sincere honor for us to serve together in the unbroken chain of strong CWIP leadership since its founding more than 40 years ago. We thank you for the opportunity.

Clare Butterfield + Lindsey Moorman, CWIP Board Co-Chairs

Upcoming Events

CWIP Summer Social

Thursday, July 25 | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

The Summer Social is coming back by popular demand! The CWIP Membership Committee invites you to join us on Thursday, July 25, 5-7 pm at Taste 222 for our annual Summer Social! Join us for a casual, community-building, networking event. You’ll have the opportunity to meet longstanding and new members while learning about how to be more involved with CWIP’s committees and mission.

Registration Now Open!

CWIP Annual Meeting

Tuesday, August 20 | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 20th for the CWIP Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, with a networking breakfast at Maggiano’s Little Italy. Members will vote on our incoming board leadership and new board members, hear from our committees, and learn more about CWIP’s key priorities for the coming year.

Registration Now Open!

"To be affirmed, and to affirm in return" — Honoree Sharon Bush basically summed up all of CWIP in that one phrase. If you couldn't make it to the annual luncheon, take a peek at what you missed — and add it to your "must- attend" list for next year! Thanks to Comcast for creating this video.

If you have been to past CWIP Annual Luncheons, you know that it's always a chance to connect with old friends and meet new colleagues — but there isn’t always an impromptu dance party at the opening reception! This year’s luncheon was one to remember! It was not only our largest ever — with over 500 guests — but it was also the most successful fundraising event in CWIP’s history. The luncheon featured an intimate fireside chat between our Making a Difference award honoree Sharon Bush, President of Grand Victoria Foundation and honorary co-chair, Kristen Mack, VP of the MacArthur Foundation, as well as heartwarming and compelling testimonials from our WLMP and GIRLS Program participants. Proceeds from this year’s luncheon will enable CWIP to continue to develop and share programming that encourages our members to learn, grow and create change in our sector!

Please take a look at some of the photos from this year’s event!

2024 Annual Luncheon Photos

If you are interested in joining the Annual Luncheon Committee to be a part of next year’s planning — or want to learn more about other CWIP Committees — be sure to join us for our Annual Meeting on Tuesday, August 20th at Maggiano’s Little Italy. More details to come soon!

New CWIP Website!

Did you know that the redesigned CWIP website is now live?

Check It Out!

Check Out CWIP's Career Center!

Search for job opportunities and submit available openings on CWIP's Career Center!

View Now!

Mentorship is a core component of CWIP’s goal to help women advance in society. One of CWIP’s long-standing programs is the Women’s Leadership Mentoring Program (WLMP) which pairs nonprofit mentors and mentees through two cohorts: Emerging Leaders (for those early in their careers) and Mid-Career Leaders. Applications for both mentors and mentees will go live in late summer, and the program takes place from October to June. You can learn more about the program and the committee that supports WLMP here.

2024 Mentors, girls, and GIRLS Committee Members during the Lifting as They Climbed walking tour last month.

CWIP’s newer mentorship program is Girls Igniting Real Leadership & Service (GIRLS) which pairs CWIP members with 4th - 6th grade girls attending Holy Family School in North Lawndale. The girls meet individually with their mentors and participate in educational sessions with topics including social-emotional

well-being, social media usage, and financial literacy. The program launches in January and ends in May with a Lifting as They Climbed walking tour in South Chicago, where girls and their mentors visit famous landmarks and learn about Black women who shaped Chicago into the city it is today. You can learn more about the GIRLS Committee, this program, and plans for a new High School Career Fair here.

On Thursday, March 20, we welcomed over 50 professionals to our signature “Face to Face with Funders” event.

Hosted at the beautiful Aba in West Loop, attendees had the opportunity to meet with professional grant makers and philanthropic leaders to connect and get advice on professional questions related to fundraising. Both the grant seekers and grant makers enjoyed learning from one another!

Interested in learning more about our upcoming events?

View Our Event Calendar!

The mission of CWIP is to build an inclusive community educating and empowering professional women to grow personally and professionally, speak up, and advocate boldly for themselves and their communities. Driven by our vision of an equitable, inclusive, and connected social sector, the CWIP board sets organizational priorities to advance our work. In our 2023-2025 strategic plan, one of our identified priorities is to better understand and articulate the CWIP Voice. How do we use our influence in the field, and ensure that CWIP stands for its organizational vision both internally and externally?

As we continue to explore these questions, we want to hear from you! Now through July 3rd, please complete this survey on what — and when — you want to hear from CWIP!

Take Our Survey!

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.