resource library

What will you do to help ensure that women and girls have a central voice in the conversation?

Women in Public Life Elected Officials: The Alverno Report 2020-2023 | March 14, 2023

The Women’s Fund is proud of our grant partner: Alverno College. The research published as Women in Public Life, Elected Officials, The Alverno Report 2020-2022 celebrates the anniversary of the 19th Amendment. This updated version builds on the original report and it is intended to better understand women’s pathways to office in Wisconsin.

 

The 50th Anniversary Party That Wasn’t

Inside Philanthropy | January 20, 2023

“Data shows that on average, women’s funds move money nine months faster than traditional philanthropic channels,” wrote guest contributor Elizabeth Barajas-Román.

 

“I want to be respected in all of my femaleness because I deserve to be.”
~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, We Should All Be Feminists

An important part of our work is creating social change, which means shifting attitude, behavior, and culture.

At the conclusion of our 35th anniversary, in 2022, we read and discussed 35 books about disruptors who are changing the power dynamics. We invite you to continue these discussions by reading all 35 or skimming just one!

The Critical Need to Invest in Women’s Leadership

“Data has shown that women are more likely to be resilient, solution-oriented leaders, and whether they are leading startups, state legislatures, national governments, or on the frontlines of COVID-19 response, the impacts have been shown time and time again. When we invest in women, economies grow, and societies become stronger, safer, healthier, more educated, and inclusive,” wrote Gabrielle Fitzgerald, founder and CEO of Panorama.

“Despite this, the path to gender parity in the US is much longer than many realize,” she continues.

To help accelerate the pace of change, Panorama and the National Center for Family Philanthropy have partnered to lead a cohort of donors committed to increasing women’s power in all sectors, starting in January 2023.

Since 2019, the Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) has measured giving to women and girls through its Women & Girls Index (WGI), thanks to funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

While issues affecting women and girls have received increased attention in recent years, and nearly 50,000 organizations are currently dedicated to women and girls, the share of total philanthropic support has remained low. In fact, research from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) consistently shows that less than 2% of total charitable giving goes to women’s and girls’ organizations.

Today, we are thrilled to share the launch of the inaugural Give to Women and Girls Day, a national awareness campaign to increase funding for women’s and girls’ organizations that will take place on October 11, 2022.

We welcome you to join us in celebrating this action by donating to the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee — and rallying your community to do the same.

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization…The Reversal of Roe v. Wade Actions, 10 Suggestions!

The SCOTUS ruling dropped…Friday, June 24, 2022 at 5:19 PM.

General Statement Regarding Healthcare

We believe women must control their own destiny and be safe at home, at work, or wherever they are. Women must hold positions of power and authority in public and private sectors and have economic equality.

Therefore, we support all birthing and pregnant people in our community: We see you, we see your humanity, and we advocate for your rights and dignity. We support access to the full range of reproductive healthcare, including abortion care.

Taking Action, Engaging, and Creating Social Change…Shifting Attitudes, Behavior, and Culture

  • Think of abortion as a human right. Help others do the same.
  • Educate yourself and others about safe, self-managed abortion.
  • Talk about abortion. Use the word; share experiences. Eliminate the stigma and help normalize the procedure as healthcare.
  • Learn the history. The reversal of Roe is part of a broader attack on bodily autonomy, civil and human rights that includes anti-transgender legislative efforts, threats to marriage equality, and voter disenfranchisement. Also acknowledge the past and present harms in the reproductive rights movement, where white women’s concerns and leadership were – and still are – centered.
  • Know and contact your Wisconsin Congressional representatives. Understand their beliefs and voting history. Contact them to demand permanent access to and funding for abortion care.
  • Research candidates running for office, especially at the local and state levels. Consider running for office yourself.
  • Attend political gatherings to learn more and get acquainted with others. Support others (beyond just voting) that have values that align with yours. Help ensure their election into office.
  • Listen to Movement Leadership. Recognize that Roe was a floor rather than a ceiling. Understand this SCOTUS ruling has enormous impact on Black and Brown people and increases the risk of criminalization for pregnancy outcomes.
  • Stand together. Equity for women remains elusive, so it’s more important than ever to avoid divisiveness in actions and language.
  • Invest your philanthropy with purpose and trust and in alignment with your values. Consider becoming a monthly donor to the Women’s Fund or include the Fund in your estate plans. As the Women’s Fund Endowment grows, more can be invested in support of women and girls in OUR community. You can help ensure there are always resources available for this work – no matter the issues and political landscape. Special until August 31, 2022…a Matching Challenge Grant by Annette Jacobson. This is an opportunity to support women today, and for years to come. It leverages our collective investment.

Marsha Morgan on How Collective Giving Can Uplift Women and GirLS

 

Embracing Feminism Can Change Philanthropy and Create a More Equitable World

Ukraine Donations Go Further and Faster with Women’s Funds

Inside Philanthropy • March 16, 2022 

As we watch the war rage in Ukraine with families separated and more than 2 million women and children forced to flee their homes to escape bombings, air raids and violence, we stand in solidarity with all those in Ukraine and elsewhere around the world where there are wars and devastating refugee crises. History shows us that women, children and LGBT+ people face a particularly high threat of violence during armed conflicts, and it’s critical to get emergency humanitarian aid as well as long-term rebuilding efforts into communities.

 

 

Is It 2157 Yet? How Businesses and Policymakers Can Accelerate the Timeline for Equal Pay

Ms. • March 15, 2022 

At our current pace, we won’t close the wage gap between men and women until the year 2157. We must speed up the process—we can’t hand off this same injustice to our great-great granddaughters.

 

New Report Offers First Multi-year Look at Giving to Women’s and Girls’ Causes

Women’s Philanthropy Institute • December 11, 2020

The Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) released the Women & Girls Index 2020: Measuring Giving to Women’s and Girls’ Causes—their second annual report on the Women & Girls Index (WGI). The WGI is the only systematically generated, comprehensive index of charitable organizations dedicated to women and girls in the United States.

The Index includes nearly 47,000 organizations—3.4 percent of all charitable organizations—that are either: dedicated to serving primarily women and girls or collectives of women and girls that serve general philanthropic purposes.

One Woman, One Vote

Community Talk Back – June 10, 2020

Milwaukee PBS is airing a series titled “Finding Our Voice: Women Trailblazers Series” this summer. The series celebrates the accomplishment of women in the 100 years since the ratification of the 19th amendment. The League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County is partially sponsoring one program in the series: American Experience: The Vote airing on Monday and Tuesday, July 6 and 7th on Milwaukee PBS.

Vote by Mail video (Part 1)

All Voting is Local is working on other videos that show how to upload the photo ID and how to complete the witness signature on the absentee ballot envelope.

Funding Feminism: Monied Women, Philanthropy, and the Women’s Movement, 1870-1967


Women’s Fund Annual Event 2018 – The Power of Philanthropy with Joan Marie Johnson, PhD.

About this Event

Women. Voting. Democracy.
June 6, 2018

A Pink Wave in 2018?

Record numbers of women running

  • U.S. House of Representatives
    • 475 women have filed
    • Up from previous record of 298 in 2012
  • U.S. Senate
    • 42 women filed, perhaps up to 47
    • Up from 40 in 2016
  • Governors
    • 50 filed, perhaps 60+
    • Running in 35 of 36 states electing governor in 2018
    • Up from record of 34 in 1994

Oddities and Realities – House

  • 47 women are challenging male incumbents in a party primary
  • 55 women are challenging women incumbents in a primary
  • 82 primaries have more than one woman running
  • 26 woman v. woman races
  • Four women are running for U.S. Senate in Arizona – two Democrats and two Republicans
Download the PPT Presentation (877KB)
United State Map
Pink Wave is Mostly Blue
Pink Wave is Mostly Blue
Women Still Swamped By Men
Women Still Swamped By Men
Female House Candidates and the Competitiveness of their Districts

Women’s increase is proportional

Women’s increase is proportional

Sexual Harassment and Power , January 30, 2018

Links to Resources…

NPR: Why #MeToo Happened In 2017. We are in the midst of a cultural reckoning in terms of how we respond to sexual harassment and assault. NPR’s Shankar Vedantam wanted to know more about why this change is happening now. –  Click Here

TEMPO Milwaukee – #MeToo MovementTEMPO Milwaukee, a women’s professional networking group composed of approximately 350 women who hold CEO, executive and leadership positions, posted the online survey to its members in December. – Click Here

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Report. This is a report based on the testimony, research, expertise, and guidance we received and reviewed task force members over the past year.Click Here

Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace: The Prevalence of Harassment in the Workplace. During the course of fiscal year 2015, EEOC received approximately 28,000 charges alleging harassment from employees working for private employers or state and local government employers. Here are the details. –  Click Here

Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace: Executive Summary. The first part of this report considers what we know (and do not know) about workplace harassment. The second part turns to potential solutions for responding to, and preventing, workplace harassment. Several sections of the report include recommendations based on the information presented in that section. The recommendations are offered to EEOC, employers and employer associations, employees and employee associations, other government agencies, academic researchers, and foundations. –  Click Here

 

Research Articles…

Correll, Shelley J. 2017. Reducing gender biases in modern workplaces: A small wins approach to organizational change. Gender & Society 31(6).  “In this lecture, I present one such model designed to reduce the negative effects of stereotypic biases on women’s workplace outcomes. After synthesizing the literature on stereotyping and bias and showing the limits of past change efforts, I develop a “small wins” model of change. Key to this model is that researchers work with teams of managers to produce concrete, implementable actions that produce visible results. I argue that small wins motivate further action and are the building blocks to larger organizational transformation.”Open PDF

McLaughlin, Heather, Christopher Uggen, Amy Blackstone. 2017. The economic and career effects of sexual harassment on working women. Gender & Society, 31(3). This mixed-methods study examines whether sexual harassment and subsequent career disruption affect women’s careers. Using in-depth interviews and longitudinal survey data from the Youth Development Study, we examine the effect of sexual harassment for women in the early career.Open PDF

Moen, Phyllis. 2015. An institutional/organizational turn: Getting to work-life quality and gender equality. Work and Occupations, 42(2).  This review essay examines three recent books contributing toward a broader reframing of approaches to and scholarship on the work–family– gender interface. – Open PDF

Stainback, Kevin, Sibyl Kleiner, Sheryl Skaggs. 2015. Women in power: Undoing or redoing the gendered organization? Gender & Society, 30(1). “Is women’s greater representation in leadership positions associated with less gender segregation at lower organizational levels? We explore this question by drawing on Cohen and Huffman’s (2007) conceptual framework of women leaders as either ‘change agents’ or ‘cogs in the machine’ and analyze a unique multilevel data set of workplaces nested within Fortune 1000 firms.”Open PDF

“I would especially recommend What Works for Women at Work: Four Patterns Working Women Need to Know (2014) by Rachel Dempsey and Joan Williams mentioned in the abstract written by Moen.  Williams work has been excellent and this book is meant to be a practice guide.”

Noelle Chesley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee