University of Arkansas Women's Giving Circle

The 2023 University of Arkansas Women's Giving Circle Grant Recipients!

Women's Giving Circle members awarded $110,000 in grant funding to nine outstanding programs! When we combine our resources, the impact is huge!

Women's Giving Circle Awards $110,000 in Funding to U of A Programs Nine university programs were awarded a combined $110,000 from the Women’s Giving Circle.

Thank you, Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame! What an honor to be included in the 2023 class of inductees.

We are honored to be included in the 2023 class of the Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame!

We are very excited to announce the 2023 class of extraordinary women! Congratulations to each of you! Please join us to honor and celebrate the 2023 class on Thursday, August 24th at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. For ticket information, visit www.arwomenshalloffame.com.

Congratulations, Billye! We know you are an amazing leader!

Billye Veteto, our current CFO, will transition to interim Executive Director on April 17 at which point our current leader Scott Varady assumes his new role as Vice Chancellor of Advancement for the University of Arkansas. We’re glad he’ll be just up the road! Go Hogs!

These students make us proud!

Women's Giving Circle Grant Empowers ART/Works! Internship Program This weekend, there will be more hands on deck for the U of A Department of Music's SHE Festival, a celebration and concert series being held at The Faulkner Performing Arts Center.

The WGC is now accepting grant applications from U of A faculty and staff!

Apply Now for a Women's Giving Circle Grant The U of A Women's Giving Circle is now accepting grant applications from faculty and staff for programs and initiatives supporting the campus and communities across the state. Apply by April 3.

Women's Giving Circle 20th Anniversary Celebration
Celebrating 20 Years of Giving!
2002 - 2022

We gave away $100k!

Women's Giving Circle Celebrates 20th Year of Funding Nine university programs and two endowed scholarships were awarded a combined $100,000 from the Women’s Giving Circle, which has funde more than $1.7 million worth of programs since 2002.

Women's Giving Circle grant funding continues to make a difference! Check out this article in CitiScapes Magazine highlighting the Tiny Tusks Breastfeeding Support program.

HEALTH | Tiny Tusks Program U of A Makes Game Days More Family-Friendly with Tiny Tusks Program

We are so happy to be a part of this project! 📚👶

A grant from the University of Arkansas Women's Giving Circle has enabled the University Libraries to designate Room 464 in Mullins Library as a Family Study Space. Caregivers can now keep an eye on little ones (future Razorbacks?) while doing their own reading, research or work. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3AedDUt

We are grateful and excited to announce the establishment of the Alice R. and Joe A. Griffin Women’s Giving Circle Endowment.

Thank you, Alice, for your commitment to helping students and advancing the research of talented and innovative faculty and staff. Your gift helps create positive change – on campus and beyond!

Griffin Gift Broadens Women's Giving Circle of Impact A gift from Alice Griffin will support innovative programs and research at the U of A through the Women’s Giving Circle.

Spotted one of our WGC members in the news! 👀 Congratulations Dean Needy! https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/may/08/kim-lascola-needy-working-for-diversity-and/

Kim LaScola Needy: Working for diversity and equality in engineering It happened on a carrier airplane. Kim LaScola was a high school student seated in a hammock on a plane ordinarily for paratroopers the first time that she really thought she could be an engineer.

The WGC was selected as the 2022 recipient of the Ark-AHEAD Social Justice Award for our support of projects and research focused on people with disabilities!

We are honored by this recognition and grateful to our WGC members who make it all possible!

We hope you enjoy these pictures from the 2022 International Women’s Day Celebration on March 8! The program featured Dr. Laura Jacobs as our guest speaker and an update from grant recipient Dr. Lia Uribe.

The WGC is now accepting applications for the 2022 grant cycle! For more information visit https://womens-giving-circle.uark.edu/.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Look at these amazing students! Excited to see what the future holds for each of them!

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Women’s Giving Circle has given students from each of the six student media outlets a chance to look the part. The organization raises funds from members, alumni, and friends of the university to annually award grants to various organizations.

In 2019, the Women’s Giving Circle celebrated its 17th year of funding, presenting $100,000 at their annual event. Director of Student Media, Robyn Ledbetter, introduced the Student Media Professional Attire Project Pilot Program to the organization the same year. Out of 27 grant proposals, Ledbetter made it as one of the top 12 finalists.

This past fall, Ledbetter, awarded 13 students the opportunity to shop for a professional outfit. From job interviews to anchoring at the desk, those awarded now have a professional outfit waiting for them in their closet. However, Ledbetter says the pandemic caused delays for the project.

“The grant could not have come at a tougher time – when the campus turned remote and dressing rooms closed across NWA,” Ledbetter said. “It took almost two years for students to apply and get comfortable with the idea of shopping with someone. In the end, those 13 students were able to purchase business attire that will take them places beyond our newsroom. It has been a very rewarding process.”

Students had the option to shop anywhere in the Northwest Arkansas region, and Ledbetter said those selected have spent about $4,000 total.

Eight total grants were awarded ranging from $1,300 to $19,145. Student media, received $12,735 for student journalists to purchase a professional outfit, submitted by the Division of Student Affairs.
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Melissa won! She was selected as the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser! Congratulations! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 We appreciate all you do!

Melissa McIlroy Hawkins is a finalist in the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser category for National Philanthropy Day Awards hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals - Arkansas Chapter. Melissa is a lifetime member and former president of the WGC. We are grateful for her dedication to the WGC and many other organizations. Congratulations!

Congratulations to Melissa McIlroy Hawkins for being named a finalist for Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser at this year's AFP National Philanthropy Day. She was nominated by the University of Arkansas as a member of the Campaign Arkansas Steering Committee in service of the Central Arkansas Committee, the Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, and the University of Arkansas Women's Giving Circle. She is an also an active alumna of Pi Beta Phi, Arkansas Alpha, past president of Junior League of Little Rock, and member of Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church.

Read her feature in Inviting Arkansas (Photography provide by Dero Sanford): https://www.invitingarkansas.com/featured/outstanding-volunteer-fundraisers/

National Philanthropy Day recognizes individuals and organizations for their philanthropic work throughout Arkansas. Email Ryan Miller at [email protected] for available tickets. Donations to support scholarships for local nonprofits can be made at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-philanthropy-day-celebration-registration-192330725377

We awarded $101,058 to 12 amazing grant projects!
Thank you to our amazing WGC members for making it possible!

Women's Giving Circle Awards Over $100,000 in Grant Funding Members of the Women’s Giving Circle met virtually on Oct. 12 to award $101,058 to 12 university programs. This year’s funding brings the group’s total to more than $1.6 million awarded since 2002.

Happy 150th birthday, U of A! Come see us on Old Main Lawn at 1:30pm!

Projects funded by the WGC continue to make an impact! ❤️🐗

We hope to see you on September 10th! Bring a friend and learn about some of the amazing projects funded by the WGC. We will feature a display by Dr. Jennifer Mortensen and the U of A SOARS project from 1:30 - 3:00pm on Old Main Lawn.

🗓 Friday, Sept. 10: Join the University of Arkansas for a day-long, campus-wide celebration of its 150th anniversary. Come as You Arkansas is open to all who wish to attend – alumni, new visitors, families, students, faculty and staff! 🐗🎉

Learn more at https://150.uark.edu/come-as-you-arkansas.php

Stacia Giese is a member of our Circle-let's show support to a woman who is working hard, reaching for the stars, and doing what she loves! Vote today!

Is Stacia Giese the Greatest Baker? You decide! I would love to be able to move out of my rental townhouse and into a house with a bigger kitchen to expand my skills and opportunities.

WGC leaders enjoyed some "soooiet" fun at Baum stadium! Thanks to Chancellor Joe and Sandy Steinmetz for always supporting the WGC!

What is your favorite recipe?

The Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry is putting together a cookbook for the campus community and they need our recipes!

Please visit https://news.uark.edu/articles/56223/full-circle-food-pantry-needs-your-help-with-cookbook to learn more and submit a recipe. Don’t forget to list Women’s Giving Circle as your department!

Full Circle Food Pantry Needs Your Help With Cookbook The Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry want to make a cookbook for our campus community

Lobat Siahmakoun Bayyari, a WGC member and instructor in the U of A's hospitality management program, is a contestant in a fan voting competition sponsored by Bon Appetit magazine. If she wins, Lobat wants to establish a scholarship with the cash prize! Cast your free, daily vote to support one of our newest members! Voting for this round end on March 18 at 6:00 pm. https://favchef.com/2021/lobat-bayyari

Vote for Lobat Bayyari Winner to take home $50,000 and be featured in a two-page magazine spread!

Exciting news today about the RefleXions Music Series, a wonderful project that the WGC helped to fund in the most recent grant cycle! Congratulations to all!

https://news.uark.edu/articles/56235/-imani-winds-woodwind-quintet-joins-spring-virtual-residency-at-u-of-a

'Imani Winds' Woodwind Quintet Joins Spring Virtual Residency at U of A The RefleXions Music Series continues with student and community events throughout March and April featuring the Imani Woods quintet during the group’s virtual residency.