Our Impact100 DC Vision Statement:

1. To address unmet needs in our community, prioritizing those that result from systemic racism and structural inequity. 

2. To create and sustain a diverse community of dynamic women committed to building bridges across the wide demographic divides in the Washington DC area.

3. To empower women as philanthropists and leaders.

Because we are committed to improving lives in our community in partnership with nonprofit organizations, local, state, and national decisions are sometimes painfully relevant to our work. It is indisputable that the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will have a huge impact on the lives of women and families, nationally and in our own communities. It will have a huge impact with regard to demands on many of the nonprofit organizations we strive to support.

We need to be concerned about the implications of the Dobbs decision on not just family health and wellbeing but for all aspects of life, particularly for families of color and economically disadvantaged families, who are most likely to be disproportionately affected. The United States has the highest rate of pregnancy-related deaths of any developed country in the world. The maternal mortality rate for Black women is 3-4 times higher than for White women. Meanwhile, access to reproductive healthcare improves labor force participation and educational opportunity. Without guaranteed parental leave, affordable childcare, and other critical postpartum resources, the unmet needs in our community are now poised to increase. 

We also acknowledge that this decision takes away a civil right that many women have had for their lifetimes, turning it over to the will of state legislatures. Geography will indeed be destiny for many women, exacerbating inequalities. As an organization that wants to empower women as leaders, we know any loss of civil rights is a setback. We are also deeply concerned about the Court’s dismissal of a right to privacy, which has protected so many facets of our lives—from access to contraception to the right to same-sex marriage.

Indeed, at a time when the country is finally beginning a long overdue reckoning about racial equity and systemic racism, the Court’s heavy reliance on laws and values “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition” and “implicit in the concept of ordered liberty,” should give us all pause.

As a diverse organization that values differences in opinion, we welcome constructive disagreement. We respect our members from all walks of life, who are all critical to our vision. In the spirit and purpose of our vision, we will stay informed, foster dialogue with nonprofits on the front lines, and remain vigilant about the ripple effects of this decision. 

We invite our membership to speak their minds on this issue, both amongst ourselves and within their communities. We welcome your thoughts and feedback. Please feel free to send any comments to editor@impact100dc.org.