Fund for Women Newsletter, September 2022 Edition
Summer Spritzer Was a Splash
Thank you to those that attended our Summer Spritzer event hosted at Goldey-Beacom College. We hope you had as much fun as we did! This event was a perfect example of the energy and passion we build by coming together to make our world a better place for everyone in it. We are grateful for your ticket purchase and raffle donations. We had more than 75 attendees and fundraised over $2,300 in raffle and ticket sales. Thank you to Debra Fletcher from CHILD, INC. who spoke to us about the FFW grant impact. Welcome to our new Founders from this event:  Rose Bloom, Elizabeth Dinon, and Allison Oberembt.
10th Annual Fashion Show
Sunday, October 2
Join us on Sunday, October 2 for the 10th Annual Fashion Show at Rehoboth Beach Country Club. There will be fall and winter fashion, merchandise to buy, raffle tickets, food, and fun!
Annual First Founders Breakfast
Wednesday, October 12
Registration is open for the First Founders Breakfast which will be held on October 12 at Riverfront Events, Wilmington, Delaware. We are excited to announce this year's First Founders' Award will be presented to Mariann Kenville-Moore for her Integrity, Dedication, and Advocacy toward ending Domestic Violence, Community Leadership, and Commitment to Delaware Philanthropy. Doors will open at 7:30 AM, with a start at 8: 00 AM. Tickets will be sold at $50 per person with tables of 8 available for $400. We are still actively seeking Sponsors for the First Founders Breakfast - a great opportunity for exposure in New Castle County. The event is expected to sell out and walk-ins cannot be accepted.
More information regarding Breakfast Event Sponsorship can be found on the Fund for Women Advancement Web Page.
Young Founders Meet & Greet
Tuesday, October 27
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Join our Young Founders for an informal Meet and Greet at Wilmington Brew Works in Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday, October 27th from 5:30-7:30 PM. There is no charge to attend and this will be a pay-your-own-way event. Enjoy networking with other women and meet our new Young Founder Chair, Jennie Lowe! Please RSVP to Jennie at the following email: youngfounder@defundforwomen.com.
Strategic Plan Update
Diversity
As part of the Strategic Planning Process, we have set a goal to improve board diversity so that we achieve a minimum of 20% BiPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) representation. The topic of board diversity is one of the most critical issues facing nonprofit organizations today. Diversity is closely related to community perceptions of a nonprofit organization’s equality image and its ideals of fairness. When nonprofit boards do not reflect the diverse communities they serve, it creates a disconnect and can sew mistrust.

What We Have Done
We have taken several key steps to meet our goal by creating a new board director position dedicated to diversity, capably filled by Pamela Sharpe. We have established a more intentional nominating committee process that has been incorporated into our Governing guidelines. Under the leadership of Cynthia Primo-Martin, an ad hoc group consisting of Chanta Wilkerson, Shu-Chien Liang, Noreen Poole, Lourdes Puig, and Pamela Sharpe who began the process of engaging Founders of our BIPOC communities to better understand how we can improve our diversity. During May and June, an online survey and zoom discussion were held for our BiPOC Founders. Data will continue to be collected and recommendations made to the board. One important finding from this work is that improving the diversity of our committees was also identified as an opportunity to increase the diversity and engagement of our BiPOC Founders.

Where We Are
Currently, we are at 16% of our board being BiPOC and we continue to work towards our goal of 20%. Data indicates that as we become more diverse, unified, and inclusive we ensure our credibility with our grantees.
We welcome your feedback and ideas in this important strategic initiative. Please email us at info@defundforwomen.com.
We are Thankful for our Newest Founders...
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