Blogs

Leadership Summit, Friday, September 24th 5:00 PM

As the day progresses into this afternoon, our 5:00 PM session introduces us to an amazing partnership between the Acumen Fund and Dining for Women. The Acumen Fund is a non-profit whose main purpose is to eradicate poverty. Founder and CEO Jacqueline Novogratz shares the story of her book, The Blue Sweater, via a You Tube presentation.

Leadership Summit, Friday, September 24th 3:30 PM

Leadership Summit, Friday, September 24th 2:30 PM

BIG Announcement on Leadership Training: There will be a new Chapter Leadership Training program set in place, which will be offered in many forms: on the website, by zip file or on DVD. This training program has been devised by evaluating many surveys and discussions on what make DFW work and how to get started with a new chapter. Please watch for it in the coming months! This training will include everything you need to know to start up your own chapter!

-Melissa Cowett

Leadership Summit, Friday, September 24th 1:45 PM

Ever wondered how the heck we pick the organizations that we help? Well let me tell you, there is one small group of very dedicated and very busy ladies that make it happen. From the application process to the chapter meetings, organizations hopeful of receiving funds must follow strict guidelines and meet stringent criteria. It’s a Herculean task but each year the process becomes more streamlined and efficient.

Leadership Summit, Friday, September 24th 12:15 PM

Leadership Summit, Friday, September 24th 11:45 AM

Cari Class, the Santa Cruz chapter leader, shared with us the challenges that the Fundraising Committee faced to create the Annual Appeal materials. I know I was clueless as to exactly what purpose the Annual Appeal served and Cari did an amazing job explaining its purpose. Simply put, the Annual Appeal was created to raise funds to pay for the operating expenses of DFW. Operating funds are used for things like:

• paying salaries to two part time employees,
• creating the program materials that inspire us every month,
• developing the resource tools that answer our every question, and

Leadership Summit, Friday, September 24th 9:45 AM

Leadership Summit, Friday, September 24th at 8:30 AM.

We started Friday morning at the Leadership Summit addressing the organizational layout of DFW and recognizing all the many wonderful individuals that make this organization work. DFW was founded by Marsha Wallace, but DFW exists as it is today because of many amazing people that put in endless hours of volunteer time. In fact, the national committees have already volunteered almost 3000 hours in 2010 alone! (And that doesn’t include the Chapters’ volunteer time!) How amazing is that! So thanks to all the incredible, compassionate people that are working hard to see DFW to grow to its potential!

Leadership Summit, Thursday, September 24th at 8:00 PM.

Come take the journey with us!

Tonight’s kick off dinner was about getting to know one another. There was a room full of amazing women from all over the United States: from Oregon to New York, California to Florida and many places in-between.

Join us in November for an exciting partnership with Acumen Fund, an organization working to fight poverty by building businesses that serve the poor.

In early 2007, friends and Air Force Academy graduates Jared Greenberg and Nicholas Lumpp became aware of a growing international crisis: sex trafficking. They were disturbed more people weren't outraged. Jared and Nicholas decided it to take action. But with an industry that generates $12 billion a year, enslaves millions of women and children, and is protected by corrupt governments and law enforcement, they felt overwhelmed.

Children of Vietnam, an organization featured by DFW in April 2009,  has been recognized as providing one of the ten top programs in Vietnam for serving people with disabilities.

Sex trafficking is truly the 21st century’s version of slavery. One of the differences from 19th-century slavery is that many of these modern slaves will die of AIDS by their late 20s.
--Nicholas Kristof, NYT Columnist,  “The Evil Behind the Smiles”

Amy Schiek, chapter leader in Skaneateles, NY, reports the chapter's BeadforLife party on Wednesday, August 18th, drew a record crowd, generous media coverage, and raised over $5,000. Here, she shares how the chapter spread the word:

Longitude, featured program in May, is already seeing results from DFW's donation, as this thank you letter attests: