My Friends at the WAWF doing what they do best--- helping organizations help women and children in their area. My friend, Lisa, sent me the details on their latest 2009 Leadership Award Winners --- each of which got $10,000 to help them do good work in their areas of passion and expertise.
Washington Area Women's Foundation is the only donor-supported public foundation focused solely on improving the lives of low-income women and girls in the region and on increasing philanthropy by all women.
A committee of
nearly 60 volunteers selected the Leadership Award winners through a
hands-on grant-making process. The volunteers, who are donors to The
Women's Foundation, researched 54 nominated nonprofits through phone
interviews and site visits. After narrowing the list to 20
organizations, the volunteers met to select the final 10 recipients.
Staffers from The Women's Foundation oversaw the selection process,
but the volunteers directed it.
Please don't think that $10K is enough to get the job done. No, your help is still needed. Donate, Give a Shout Out, Tell a Friend.
So if you are looking for a well vetted organization that is making a huge difference in their community. Check out the WAWF winners:
- Boat People SOS Inc. Boat People SOS helps Vietnamese refugee women in Maryland address the pressing issues of health and domestic violence and overcome the cultural stigma associated with those problems.http://bpsos.wordpress.com/
-
Calvary
Women's Shelter Calvary Women's
Shelter provides a safe, caring transitional housing program for
homeless women in DC. It offers a comprehensive program of services
to help women make positive steps toward independence.
http://www.calvaryservices.
org/ - Daughter for the
Day, Inc. Daughter for the
Day provides seniors over age 70 with free one-on-one personal
assistance that ensures safe and dependable access to medical care.
http://www.daughterfortheday.
org/ - DC Trafficking
Intervention Program at Polaris Project DC Trafficking
Intervention Program combats human trafficking and modern-day
slavery in the Greater DC region.
http://www.polarisproject.org/
content/view/25/74/ - Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project This organization works to overturn unjust trial court outcomes for domestic violence victims and to advance legal protections for victims and their children through expert advocacy and by training lawyers, psychologists and judges on best practices. It also spearheads domestic violence litigation in the Supreme Court. www.dvleap.org
- Extended Day
Program at Washington Middle School for Girls This program in
Southeast DC recruits girls from underserved communities at risk of
dropping out of school. Once the school day ends, a number of
after-school programs are available, including classes on financial
planning, adolescent health, music, arts and dance.
http://www.
washingtonmiddleschoolforgirls .org/ - Family Preservation and Strengthening Services in Vienna, Va., helps young women and their families in homeless shelters or transitional housing move into stable housing for up to three years, while also providing intensive counseling services that empower women to become self-sufficient. http://familypassfairfax.org
- Friends of Guest
House is a halfway house in Alexandria, Va., that serves 10
nonviolent, female ex-offenders in a group home setting for four
months. There, they find employment, learn life skills (financial
management, fitness, conflict resolution), build support systems,
repair personal relationships, and secure housing -- while working
full time.
http://www.
friendsofguesthouse.org/ - Second Chance Employment Services Second Chance Employment Services in Washington, DC, assists the abused, the elderly, welfare recipients and other financially at-risk women who are looking for long-term employment. http://www.scesnet.org/
- Through the Kitchen Door's WIN WIN in Washington program This organization trains battered women to cook healthy food for their families and to work in a commercial kitchen. The training programs are designed to build self-esteem, self-confidence, knowledge and skills. http://www.kitchendoor.org/
Your Vote Could Help Your Favorite Win Another $5,000
From March 16 to 27, the public will get to vote online for its favorite nonprofit from the 10 award winners. The winner will receive an additional award of $5,000. To cast a vote, go to TheWomensFoundation.org.