Our History
In the fall of 2002, Marsha Wallace, founder of DFW, saw an article in the magazine Real Simple about a group of friends who were also social workers. These friends met for pot luck dinners and collected donations for needy families using the money they would have spent if they had eaten at a restaurant. Marsha was struck by the idea of using “dining out dollars” to help others and the idea of DFW was born.
The first DFW dinner was Jan. 20, 2003. About 20 people attended, and $750 was raised. Since that first dinner, the group has achieved tax exempt status, been included in a national study on giving circles published by New Ventures in Philanthropy, and been featured in the New York Times, Woman's Day magazine and on Good Morning America and the Today Show.
Dining for Women from the beginning has focused on improving the lives of women and girls worldwide, who often live on less than $1 a day. By focusing on women and girls, DFW empowers women to find solutions to the problems they face through education, healthcare, and economic development.
After New Ventures in Philanthropy published an article in the fall of 2004 on the growing popularity of giving circles, highlighting Dining for Women as one example, our visibility broadened. Since then, hundreds of chapters and thousands of women have joined DFW, making a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of disadvantaged women and girls worldwide.
Please join us in making a difference.
Founding Values
- All women deserve to be self-sufficient
- Education transforms the giver and the receiver
- Connections are the engine that power giving
- Transparency and integrity will mark our work
- To reach all, we must believe we can
DFW the Story Behind the Inspiration
In this 4- minute video Founder Marsha Wallace describes the original inspiration for DFW and how it grew.
