Women’s Giving Circle of Bartholomew County

Mission

Our mission is to educate, connect and inspire women to practice strategic philanthropy; using our collective strengths and financial resources to create positive change in Bartholomew County

Vision

Women’s Giving Circle is a powerful philanthropic force transforming lives in Bartholomew County.

We value

  • High Impact Grants
  • Developing Women’s Leadership
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • An Educated & Engaged Network
  • Connection & Collaboration
  • Collective Giving

2020 marked the 10th year of the Women’s Giving Circle of Bartholomew County, and as a reminder, our mission is to educate, connect and inspire women to practice strategic philanthropy; using our intellectual and financial resources to create positive change in Bartholomew County. We hope that you will join us as we celebrate the great work of the past and move into the future. We know that when we come together as women – anything is possible.

The video of our 2020 Annual Meeting can be seen at this link.

2021 Initiatives

  • Women in Crisis Micro-Loan Program – In partnership with Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center, WGC will provide$5,000 in grant funds to assist women in crisis. LCFNC will identify women in need and work to make small dollar, high impact loans with reasonable payment terms. Women will be assisted with support for items such as: unexpected emergency expenses, monthly bill assistance due to extenuating circumstances, job preparedness etc.
  • Bartholomew Co. Report Card for Women  – In order to better assess the needs of women in our community, WGC will work with strategic partners to collect key data on the status of women locally. Data will be shared with the community and used to define future initiatives and grant making from the WGC.
  • Women Rising Leadership Grant – In 2020, we created a $1,000 grant to support women seeking training in order to better prepare local women for leadership opportunities.
  • Strategic Grant Making – With your help, the WGC will fund a $10,000 high impact grant for an organization in our community.

Women of all ages and means are invited to join in this important work with a gift to the Women’s Giving Circle Philanthropic Fund as you are able and inspired to give. The donation form is below.  Gifts from women across the community will be pooled together for greater impact in grant-making and programs.

Your support makes these initiatives possible. Thank you.

2020 High Impact Grant Information  

The Women’s Giving Circle (WGC) of Bartholomew County, annually raises funds to award grants benefiting women, children, and families throughout Bartholomew County. The 2020 $10,000 grant in unrestricted operating funds was awarded to Su Casa.  Su Casa’s mission is to increase Latino self-sufficiency, economic independence and community building through advocacy, educational attainment and greater access to community resources. Su Casa works to bring people together in ways that benefit both Latino and non-Latino residents.

Members of the Women’s Giving Circle members selected their top priority grant initiative for 2020 to be COVID-19 relief.  Su Casa will use the funds for staff payroll which accounts for 85% of their expenses so that they can continue the important work of uplifting families through stability, better employment, financial literacy, wellness, and education.

The WGC received eight grant applications from area not-for-profits. Thank you to all organizations that applied.

2020 Women’s Leadership Pipeline Study & White Paper

In recent years, Heritage Fund’s Women’s Giving Circle has taken steps to broaden our definition of philanthropy and increase our impact in the community. We believe that to create real positive change requires more than just proving financial resources. Effective philanthropy is bringing all resources to the table including the investment of time, skill, talent, finances, intellect and leadership. We know that the unique perspective and diverse skill set that women possess add value at every level of an organization and that women’s voices deserve, and need, to be heard. Our goal through this project was to better understand and document how women are represented in leadership positions throughout our community.

In 2019 women represented 49.7% of the population in Bartholomew County – and as such, we should expect that women constitute 50% of community leadership positions. We want to see women equally represented across all sectors of leadership and not limited to those roles that have been traditionally considered “female” – children/youth serving, caregiving, etc. We believe increasing women’s access to leadership roles is core to the mission of the Women’s Giving Circle and integral to the continued advancement of the community.

For more information and the complete study findings, please read the Women’s Leadership Pipeline White Paper:  WGC Leadership Pipeline Paper

2020 Women Rising Leadership Grant Application & Criteria

The Women Rising Leadership Grant was established in 2020 by the Women’s Giving Circle of Bartholomew County to invest in the leadership growth of women and increase the number of women in leadership positions throughout our community. We know that the unique perspective and diverse skill set that women possess add value at every level of an organization and that women’s voices deserve, and need, to be heard. The scholarship is administered by Heritage Fund – the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County.

Grants are available to women passionate about community leadership, to assist in the costs of obtaining and/or providing leadership training. The grant may be used to cover items such as, but not limited to, leadership training program tuition, leadership seminar registration fees, book materials and other resources, childcare, and travel expenses. Applicants will be asked to submit a proposed budget with their grant application. Applications for The Women Rising Leadership Grant will be available beginning Nov. 2, 2020, and will be awarded on a rolling basis until funding is gone.

Recipients will be chosen on the basis of personal circumstances and potential, and the likely impact of the scholarship on improving women’s representation in community leadership.

Criteria:

  • Applicant must be a woman living or working in Bartholomew County.
  • Applicant must demonstrate need and the proposed budget must alignment with the WGC goals of investing in the leadership growth of women and increasing the number of women in leadership positions.
  • Applicant must be currently serving in, or possess the desire to serve in, a community leadership position.
  • Applicant must demonstrate leadership potential, as documented in a recommendation letter from a local community member.

Applications are due to Kelly Geckler, at Heritage Fund, 538 Franklin Street, or emailed to kgeckler@heritagefundbc.org.

Application: WGC Women Rising Leadership Grant

Want to get involved? 

  • Join the mailing list by sending an email to: kgeckler@heritagefundbc.org – put “Join WGC Mailing List” in the subject line
  • Follow us on our new Facebook page
  • Women of all ages and means are invited to join in this important work with a gift to the Women’s Giving Circle Philanthropic Fund as they are able and inspired to give.  Gifts from women across the community will be pooled together for greater impact in grant-making and programs.

Questions?  Contact Kelly Geckler at (812) 376-7772 or kgeckler@heritagefundbc.org