We Heard You! Insights and Updates from Our Member Survey

Thank you for your incredible response to our recent member survey! With an impressive 96 responses from a membership of 180, your thoughtful and honest feedback is invaluable in helping us shape the future of Women in Philanthropy (WIP) and better serve our Lowcountry community. Your insights are already playing a pivotal role in our ongoing strategic planning process.

Membership Demographics: A Diverse and Growing Community

Our membership reflects a vibrant mix of ages and experiences. The largest group of survey respondents is 75 or older (54 members), followed by members aged 65-74 (27 members), and 55-64 (11 members). While we recognize that many of our members have been with WIP for a long time, we’re also thrilled to see newer faces joining our ranks. The largest group of members has been with WIP for 1-4 years (43 members), while 12 members are founding members, and others have been with us for over 10 years. We also heard a strong desire to engage younger members and develop strategies to attract a more diverse membership. We're excited to work on initiatives that will expand our reach and create opportunities for members of all ages to thrive.

Mission and Vision: A Clear Path Forward

It’s heartening to see that our vision, “Making a difference in the Lowcountry through the power of collective giving,” resonates with so many of you. A full 72 members rated it as clear and effective. Likewise, 73 members found our mission statement to be equally impactful and clear, validating that we are all aligned in our commitment to collective giving and community impact.

Engagement and Participation: Building Stronger Connections

Your feedback revealed a deep desire for increased engagement. Here’s what we learned: 23 members are very engaged, while 51 members are somewhat engaged and 22 members are not engaged at all. Despite varying levels of engagement, 80 members are satisfied with their involvement, and 16 members are not. A few recurring themes emerged, and we’re committed to addressing them as part of our strategic planning: Many of you expressed interest in joining committees, especially the Grants Committee, and are seeking clearer pathways for involvement. There’s also a call for more diverse activities, including events in Bluffton, and more opportunities for meaningful networking. And flexibility is key— members are asking for more events that cater to different schedules, including evenings and weekends.

Money Matters

As we look to grow the funds available for grants, your feedback about fundraising was essential. Many of you expressed support for silent auctions (46 members), raffles (48 members), and sponsoring events (27 members). However, 27 members believe WIP should avoid fundraising efforts entirely.

Regarding the allocation of annual contributions, 58 members prefer maintaining the current 50/50 split between endowment and grants, while other members suggested variations like 35% endowment/65% grants or 25% endowment/75% grants. We also learned about the threshold for membership contributions: 73 members would remain if the contribution were raised to $500, while 20 members would discontinue. At $1000, 40 members would continue, and 53 would discontinue.

Satisfaction with the Grants Process: A Core Priority

Your satisfaction with our grants process is a top priority. 91 members are happy with the grant themes from the past year. However, many of you requested increased communication about the process, more opportunities for input on selecting grant themes, and more information about the recipients. We’re committed to addressing these suggestions to enhance the transparency and impact of our grants.

Events and Communication: Staying Connected

WIP’s annual events provide a unique opportunity to celebrate and connect, but we also know there’s room for growth. 79 members are satisfied with our three main events: the fall luncheon, holiday cocktail party, and spring luncheon, though 15 members feel there is room for improvement. We’ve heard your suggestions for making these events more dynamic, incorporating fundraisers, and increasing opportunities for member interaction. You also have varied preferences for event pricing, with 16 members willing to pay $45, 39 willing to pay $55, and 40 members open to paying $60+. Our monthly electronic newsletter remains a favorite, with 92 members finding it informative. However, we received suggestions to add fun features like “Did you know?” and more detailed event calendars to keep everyone in the loop. When it comes to social media, 54 members use Facebook, 32 use Instagram, and 17 use LinkedIn. However, fewer are following the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry on these platforms, and we’re exploring ways to increase engagement.

Growing Our Community: Attracting New Members

WIP thrives because of members like you. We’re committed to growing our community, and we’ve received some fantastic suggestions on how to bring in new faces. 68 members found new member events effective, while 23 members didn’t. Recommendations include better highlighting the role of committees and expanding our recruitment efforts. We’re also exploring ways to encourage members to invite friends and promote WIP’s impact through social events and referral programs.

National Philanthropy Engagement: A Bigger Picture

We’re excited to announce that WIP has recently joined Philanos, a national network of women’s giving circles. Many of you expressed interest in learning more about national philanthropy issues, and 58 members are eager to participate in monthly webinars on these topics. This connection will help us learn from the best practices of other giving circles across the country.

Looking Ahead: Together We Thrive

We’re deeply grateful for your participation in this survey. Your feedback is helping to shape a brighter future for WIP. As we finalize our strategic plan—created in collaboration with the University of South Carolina Beaufort Center for Strategic Planning—we will incorporate these insights into our goals and strategies for the year ahead. We’ll be sharing the strategic plan in an upcoming webinar, and you’ll receive an email with the details on how to participate. Your passion and commitment are what make WIP such a special organization, and we’re excited to continue growing and thriving together. Thank you for being an essential part of our WIP family!

As we ready for this March newsletter publication, WIP's grants committee is in the final stages of review and consideration of the 27 local organizations who requested 2025 funding support. We anticipate releasing the exciting news about your latest round of grants in action via the April newsletter.

The eight 2024 grantees you generously supported will soon be submitting their final project reports to WIP. All these organizations will have representatives present at the May WIP Annual Grant Awards Luncheon. We hope you attend this informative event to hear each organization share a brief report on their work achieved with WIP's support. At this year's event, you'll have significant new opportunities to talk directly with these grantee organizations. 

As we're in the ‘twixt and tween’ final stages of two different years of granting, we thought it might be time to check in on a project from 2023 that has basically been two years 'in the making' and is finally materializing!

In 2023 WIP provided the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation with $23,275 to support a new building and new program - the "Mental Health Evaluation and Assessment Unit in the Emergency Department." Within this very large project, WIP's funds were designated specifically for a computer monitoring system to help ensure the safety of both health providers and the emergency patients experiencing a mental health crises. The state of South Carolina's Medicaid/SCDHHS Office and Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation contributed an additional $1.1 M in funds.

This new type of unit, known around the country as an “EmPATH unit” (Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing Unit), provides both voluntary and involuntary mental health services for patients experiencing a psychiatric emergency with the goals of speeding time to treatment, decreasing length of time spent in the ER and improving safety for both patient and staff.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) reports that typically 70-80% of psychiatric emergencies can be stabilized in less than 24 hours. But because ERs often lack the resources an EmPATH unit can provide, psychiatric patients often wait three times longer than other patients to receive emergency care.

The EmPATH unit concept was created by emergency psychiatry expert Dr. Scott Zeller to help patients experiencing serious mental health emergencies receive care in a more streamlined, timely manner. This Beaufort Memorial unit, which aims to provide a more therapeutic environment for these patients, allows them quicker access to the proper mental health care and allows a psychiatric emergency to be stabilized in a manner of hours.

Beaufort Memorial is the only hospital in Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton Counties with an in-patient mental health unit. The unit has 18 beds and serves adults 18 years of age and older. In addition, BMH serves as the psychiatric health care service provider to the Beaufort County Detention Center, providing evaluation and treatment to an average of 60 inmates per day. The new and more secluded unit will include two patient care rooms, one consultation room and a recliner bay. Patients will be able to freely move about in the quiet, calm environment separate from the busy ER atmosphere while monitored by psychiatric-trained nurses, doctors and staff.

“Having this unit will be a game changer both for patients and emergency department staff,” said LeeAnne Smith, MSN, RN, Beaufort Memorial behavior health service line director. “An emergency room is often not the ideal setting for someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis. So, being able to welcome them into a separate, more tranquil area where trained staff can be dedicated to their care will improve outcomes.”

Construction on the facility began in mid-February 2025, and we are thrilled to see its completion on the horizon, thanks in part to the generosity and caring of WIP members.

My husband and I moved to Hilton Head Island in the summer of 2023. For over twenty years, we have been traveling to the island with our two sons, cherishing every moment spent on its beaches and soaking in the island’s spirit. 

We often dreamed of making the island our home, and it has become our reality. We are grateful for the wonderful people we are meeting here, many of whom are now friends.

Upon learning about Women in Philanthropy, I was deeply impressed by the significant work and impact it has on the community. With over 30 years of experience at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), I felt compelled to join WIP. At RWJF where annual awards exceed $500 million, I was involved in the application and review processes, grant selections, and grant management. I hope my experience will be an asset to WIP’s mission and contribute positively to its goals. 

Through WIP, I have had the privilege of meeting a group of smart and caring women who share my dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of others. I’m excited about what we can accomplish together! 

Marion Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), has been an advocate for disadvantaged Americans for her entire professional life. Under her leadership, CDF has become the nation’s strongest voice for children and families. The Children’s Defense Fund’s Leave No Child Behind^® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

Mrs. Edelman, a graduate of Spelman College and Yale Law School, began her career in the mid-60s when, as the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar, she directed the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Mississippi. In l968, she moved to Washington, D.C., as counsel for the Poor People’s Campaign that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. began organizing before his death. She founded the Washington Research Project, a public interest law firm and the parent body of the Children’s Defense Fund. For two years she served as the Director of the Center for Law and Education at Harvard University and in l973 began CDF.

Mrs. Edelman served on the Board of Trustees of Spelman College which she chaired from 1976 to 1987 and was the first woman elected by alumni as a member of the Yale University Corporation on which she served from 1971 to 1977. She has received over a hundred honorary degrees and many awards including the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Prize, the Heinz Award, and a MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship.