In 2023, the Women’s Fund launched a strategic plan developed over FY 2023 to redefine organizational identity and establish a roadmap for the future. Out of that time of reflection, the Women’s Fund has refreshed our mission:
We champion issues important to women and mobilize all women to give, engage, connect, and support one another.
Since the launch, the Women’s Fund has hosted a series of events aimed at creating closer connections with the community we serve. The SPARK! Conversation breakfast in June served to generate robust discussion on the state of Portage County women from the perspective of trusted local organizations centering support for women. Behavioral health, childcare, and financial security were the priority needs in terms of access for all women. The United Way LIFE report published a few months later confirmed what was shared in those conversations. The Women’s Fund awarded small grants to participating organizations to honor their dedicated work in empowering women. We are grateful for our FY2023 organizational partners and grantees.
- UWSP Center for Women’s Equity, Development, and Leadership
- Aging and Disability Resource Center
- Portage County Literacy Council
- Opportunity Development Centers
- CREATE Portage County
- North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board
- Operation Bootstrap
- UWSP Diversity and College Access
- Childcaring
- Child Learning and Care Center, UWSP
- CAP Services
- Stevens Point Area YMCA
- Aspirus Health Foundation
- UWSP Women’s and Gender Studies
SPARK! Conversations: Understanding for Impact event at MidState Technical College. Photo by Marlee Samuels.
Check presentation to CREATE Portage County at SPARK! Photo by Marlee Samuels
Founding members celebrated
In August, the Women’s Fund invited its founding members to introduce the renewed focus of the fund, meet the new director and advisory board members, and celebrate continued impact in Portage County.
Photos by Ann+Lee Photography.
Celebrating Leadership: Sue Shulfer
Later in the year, founding member and current co-chair, Sue Shulfer, was recognized at the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin Gala of Gratitude for her outstanding commitment and service to our community. The Women’s Fund is grateful to Delta Dental for contributing to the celebration of Sue by sponsoring our granting events set for next spring.
Sue Shulfer (far left) with past and present members of the Women’s Fund of Portage County at the CFCWI Gala. Photo by Ann+Lee Photography
Sue Shulfer, Emeritus Board Member. Photo by Ann+Lee Photography.
New staff position
There are other big changes to celebrate as the Women’s Fund implements pathways for growth. For 26 years the fund has been entirely managed by exceptional volunteers utilizing back office support from the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin. Now, the Women’s Fund has a part-time staff director to advance the mission and generate greater community impact with the extraordinary advisory board and long-time supporters. Sarah E. Ross has been working in the new role since April 2023.
Women’s Fund of Portage County Advisory Board:
- Katie Jacobs
- Charity Jirschele
- Meg Kolb
- Mary Lane
- Beth McBride
- Lindsay Meyer, Advisory Board co-chair and SPA YMCA representative
- Samantha Klebe*
- Mikayla Kleifgen
- Heather Huebner
- Kara Mrozek*, Aspirus representative
- Sally Page-Olson*
- Mary Patoka
- Sue Shulfer, Advisory Board co-chair
- Erin Trzebiatowski*
- Cindy Weber, CFCWI representative
- Cindy Yang
New Funds
The Women’s Fund is the culmination of three organizations working together to encourage philanthropic focus to champion issues important to Portage County women. In 1996, Ann Shannon led the creation of the fund through a cooperation between the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin, Stevens Point Area YMCA Foundation, and St. Michael’s Foundation (now Aspirus Health Foundation). Over a hundred founding members contributed to establishing the fund. In 2020, the fund celebrated reaching $1 million. This secured the Women’s Fund’s ability to grant over $40,000 each year to programs focused on serving women. The total is split among the founding organizations.
But there is still more to do to close equity gaps women experience in employment, earnings, health care access, leadership opportunities, childcare access, and other areas. The Women’s Fund created two new funds this year. We have a new endowment to broaden our grant-making and be more reactive to community needs, and we have established an operational fund to ensure the Women’s Fund has the capacity to reach more donors to fulfill the mission. These new funds will help the Women’s Fund grow, offering more opportunities for women to support women through philanthropy and encouraging allyship to benefit our whole community.
Visit https://cfcwi.org/womensfundpc/ to learn more and contribute to the Women’s Fund of Portage County.
The Women’s Fund Advisory Board, CFCWI staff, and Portage County Historical Society members enjoy the Women in Athletics exhibit produced by PCHS. December 2023. Photo by John Harry