Women's Fund - Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin

In case you missed it, this story captures the 150th anniversary event, the excitement and the inspiring story of Lavinia Goodell, one of our own leaders of women's rights.

Honoring Janesville’s Lavinia Goodell Story and Interviews by Teresa NguyenJune, 2024June 17th, 2024 marked the 150th Anniversary of Janesville’s Lavinia Goodell’s admission to practice law in Wisconsin. Rhoda Lavinia Goodell was born in 1839 in Utica, New York to prominent abolitionist William Goodell. As a young adult, Lavinia wor...

Today we commemorate the 150th anniversary of Janesville’s Lavinia Goodell becoming the first woman admitted to practice law in the state of Wisconsin!

Learn more on a local page dedicated to the work and legacy of Lavinia Goodell:

https://www.facebook.com/LaviniaGoodell

Lavinia Goodell (b. 1839; d. 1880). First woman lawyer in Wisconsin, 1874. First woman admitted to practice before Wi

We hope to see you on the 17th! For more information, click on the event link: https://www.facebook.com/share/WFr4JzwXKjmjDC4m/

The City Council has declared June 17 as Lavinia Goodell Day, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Janesville resident becoming the first woman lawyer in Wisconsin. Following her momentous accomplishment in 1874, Goodell would spend the next five years fighting for the right to argue before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. After helping to draft landmark state legislation, she was admitted to practice before the court and won her first case shortly before her premature death from cancer. The Council was joined on Monday evening by Carolyn Brandeen, who invited the community to help celebrate Lavinia's legacy on Monday, June 17, at 5 p.m. during a Commemoration at the Rock County Courthouse.

Too often the lives of servicewomen are not recognized, the deathtoll of women in war not a topic of the news or discussion. Since 9/11, the deathtoll of women in the military has grown exponentially.

Each of these courageous women gave their lives for our democracy and, as Memorial Day approaches, we want to honor them all. This link lists those women from each of the wars, from the Civil War to Iraq, who made the ultimate sacrifice:

http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/lives.html

Photo of the The Vietnam Women's Memorial created by Glenna Goodacre is a memorial dedicated to the nurses and women of the United States who served in the Vietnam War. It is located in Washington DC. Photo taken by Teresa Nguyen

Have a safe and meaningful Memorial Day. 🇺🇸

We are so thankful to our amazing sponsors, our talented author guests, to the Janesville Performing Arts Center, to the hard working Women's Fund Advisory Board, to the The Circle Arts Collective and of course, to our terrific audience members who came out in the pouring rain for this fabulous event - The Ultimate Book Club; Chapter 2! What a wonderful night of women supporting women! 👏👏👏💓

Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, Inc

Here's Tess and Camilla of the Women's Fund on WMTV 15 News promoting our big event, The Ultimate Book Club; Chapter 2! We hope to see you tomorrow evening at the Janesville Performing Arts Center. The doors open at 5:30 and the show starts at 6 pm!

Tickets available at the box office or online at: https://janesvillepac.org/box-office/?eid=111770&edid=0

Women’s Fund to host the Ultimate Book Club Tickets for the event are $15.

Women's Fund board members, Camilla Owen and Teresa Nguyen had fun promoting the The Ultimate Book Club; Chapter 2 in a brief interview with Tim Elliott this morning on the WMTV 15 News Morning Show! We'll share a link when the episode is available.

Get your tickets to this wonderful event featuring a panel of 6 diverse women authors connected to Wisconsin!

https://janesvillepac.org/box-office/?eid=111770&edid=0

This morning, two of the Women's Fund - Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin board members, Teresa Nguyen and Camilla Owen, were guests on WCLO's Your Talk Show with Tim Bremel, sharing information about The Ultimate Book Club; Chapter 2 and about the Women's Fund.

This is a link. Tune in at the 29:00 minute mark to hear the podcast!
https://www.wclo.com/episode/3-8-24-alice-in-dairyland-followed-by-tess-nguyen-and-camilla-owens/

Congratulations to this year's Women's Fund grant recipients: Rock River Charter School, The Circle Arts Collective, and the Janesville Community Center, Inc.!

Thanks to those who have supported and who continue to support The Women's Fund, to those who attend our events and to those who are interested in actively taking part in making a difference for women and girls in Rock County!

Today is Giving Tuesday ~ If you are able to make a donation, your gift will go toward our grant fund. This is the link to our website: https://cfsw.org/misc-funds/womens-fund/

Thank you kindly!

November is Native American Heritage Month. Do you know about the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, or MMIW?

We'd like to take a moment to help educate the public on this ongoing atrocity, to raise awareness in hopes that more action can be taken to combat this troubling issue in our country.

There is widespread anger and sadness in First Nations communities. Sisters, wives, mothers, and daughters are gone from their families without clear answers. There are families whose loved ones are missing—babies growing up without mothers, mothers without daughters, and grandmothers without granddaughters.

For Native Americans, this adds one more layer of trauma upon existing wounds that cannot heal. Communities are pleading for justice.

The Bare Facts...

The National Crime Information Center reports that in 2016 there were 5,712 reports of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, though the US Department of Justice’s federal missing person database, NamUs, only logged 116 cases.

This discrepancy is not okay.

The MMIW Red Hand...

A red hand over the mouth has become the symbol of a growing movement, the MMIW movement. It stands for all the missing sisters whose voices are not heard. It stands for the silence of the media and law enforcement in the midst of this crisis.

It stands for the oppression and subjugation of Native women who are now rising up to say



Photos by Kim Hoholek Photography

Advisory board members of The Women's Fund - Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin are "making the rounds" presenting to a variety of service clubs in the Rock County area!

If you would like us to present to your organization so that you can learn more about The Women's Fund, feel free to contact us via messenger and leave us your email. We're happy to spread the word about our fund, our mission, grants and events!

All are welcome, men and women, to come see and hear the creative works of several Rock County Women! Theater is often a male-dominated world, but this entire production is written, directed and performed by local women. Please come show your support for women creatives! 👏👏👏

Tickets are on sale for the original production of Women of Rock County! Seating is limited for each performance, so don't wait to reserve your spot!

📅 >> September 7-10th
🎟 >> https://janesvillepac.org/box-office/?eid=96528&edid=0

GRANTS AVAILABLE FROM THE WOMEN’S FUND

The Women’s Fund is now accepting grant applications for its annual grant cycle. The application deadline is September 15, 2023.

The Women’s Fund seeks to fund projects or programs that serve the needs of women and girls in Rock County. Charitable non-profit organizations serving Women and Girls of Rock County are eligible to apply. Proposals of $500 to $10,000 will be considered. Requests from individuals are not eligible.

Grants are awarded in October 2023.

Since 2007, the Women’s Fund has given back over $ 150,000 to the community in the form of grants.

Application forms are available online at

https://cfsw.org/misc-funds/womens-fund/

Please go to the Open Grant Applications page. All applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on September 15, 2023. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

The Women’s Fund is a component of the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin. The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin serves to match charitable donors with the needs of communities in the following counties: Rock, Walworth, Crawford, Iowa, Lafayette, Green, Grant, and Vernon. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with assets in excess of $70 million.

For more information on the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin or the Women’s Fund, call (608) 758-0883 ext. 7005 or visit www.cfsw.org

“Conservation, caretaking, and the nourishment of our body and souls are inextricably linked. These events celebrate the amazing work of conservation educators in empowering Wisconsin’s women land stewards, and gives them all a chance to network with others working nearby.” ~ Kriss Marion, Communications Specialist for WiWiC (Wisconsin Women in Conservation)

Wisconsin Women in Conservation Week is July 10-16: Celebrate at a WiWiC Happy Hour near You! Governor Tony Evers has proclaimed July 10-16 Wisconsin Women in Conservation Week, citing the growing influence of women owning and managing land in Wisconsin, as well as the historic contributions of women conservation professionals and educators. For the third year in a row, a coalition of agricu...

Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women who have her back.

The stories of great women in our history too often go unnoticed. Today we feature Patsy Mink! Patsy Mink’s commitment to fighting for the underdog and her legislation in support of girls and woman was impressive.

Along with Title IX, Mink introduced the nation's first comprehensive Early Childhood Education Act in 1971, and authored Hawaii’s “equal pay for equal work” law in 1957. The national law was passed six years later.

Patsy stated, "I have been guided by a single principle: That everyone - rich or poor, powerful or weak - should get fair and equal treatment from government."

She was a true public servant!

Wow, we've come a long way, for sure!

Still...there's no time for complacency. The Women's Fund - Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin continues to work to help women & girls in our community.

Over 60 years later, Boston Marathon runner Bobbi Gibb wants us to celebrate life Gibb crashed the 1966 Boston Marathon, making her the first woman to ever complete the race.

For Women’s History Month we hope to inspire you with a bit about these courageous and notable Rock County women in history. They are…Top row left to right:

Mary Ewing (Evansville) - Mary Ewing was Evansville’s first woman physician arriving in 1894, who organized a professional women’s organization. She also served as County Physician, a rare post for women in those years!

Velma Bell (Beloit) – Among her many accomplishments, she graduated Magna Cum Laude graduate of Beloit College in 1930, Velma earned her Master’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1933 and served as a member of the first Governor's Commission on Human Rights.

Frances Willard (Janesville) - American educator, temperance reformer, and women's suffragist. Willard became Dean of Women and professor of English and Art at Northwestern. Willard also became the national president of Woman's Christian Temperance Union in 1879.

Bottom row left to right:

Amanda Lee (Milton) – A former slave who worked helping the Union Army, Amanda traveled north to Madison and, eventually, married Milton man, Arthur B. Lee. Amanda became an active member of the community of Milton. She was a charter member with the GAR Women’s Relief Corp.

Carrie Jacobs Bond (Janesville) – Called “America's Gallant Lady of Song”, Jacobs Bond was a prolific composer and singer, publishing 175 pieces of popular music from the 1890s through the early 1940s. Carrie Jacobs-Bond also published books of children's poetry and an autobiography.

Carolyn Bolton (Beloit) – Originally from Tennessee, Carolyn became the first African American teacher in Beloit Public Schools in 1954. She went on to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she completed a master’s degree in Counseling and Guidance.

The Women's Fund continues to work toward helping women and girls of Rock County to have a better life. Join us in our mission!

If you would like to donate to the Women's Fund - Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, you can do so at the following link: https://cfsw.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1963

Happy International Women's Day! We share a meaningful poem for this special day.

"Women Unite!"
By Teresa Nguyen
12/16/21

Women, I say, lift each other up!
“Why?” you ask. Because she is just like you.

She fought for respect, time after time
She has to prove worthy if she is to climb
She has to ignore ongoing judgements
Too thin, too fat, too b***y, too flat
Too short, too skimpy, too frumpy, too gray,
Too, too, too much. Just too much, they all say

She was the girl with her hand raised high
She knew the answer, yet she was passed by
She was left out, her clothes just weren’t cool
Her skin was too dark or she walked far to school
Her heart was once shattered, she felt like a toy
For the “man” that she loved was only a boy

She was the woman who worked twice as much
For the same kind of pay, the benefits and such
She’s carefully chosen the clothes she is wearing
Though that fabric on HER value has no bearing
On the board her ideas they’d just overlook
After working all day, she slaves as she cooks

She deserves the respect, both theirs AND yours
She needs YOUR voice from the treetops and shores
You must have her back when her power scares men
And march for her rights, again and again
To be that embrace when her heart is broken
When she needs a new chance, you hold the door open

Yes, she is just like you.
And when women lift women…

We are stronger, resilient, we’re better, we fight
We achieve even more, so women unite!
Because you are her sister and she is yours
Her first line of defense is your voice in her war
You are her strength and she is your sun
In our likeness, our sameness, we are all one!

Enjoy watching this recap of The Women's Fund 20th Anniversary event, held in January at JPAC, as well as the stories of these dynamic female authors and excerpts from their interesting books!

Thanks to JATV Media Services for providing this wonderfully edited recording of The Ultimate Book Club event!

The Ultimate Book Club – The Next Chapter: Her Story This program commemorated the 20th Anniversary of The Women’s Fund. The event was organized by the Women’s Fund, a component of the Community Foundation of S...

Listen to Sue Conley and Nancy Sonntag talk with Tim Bremel all about The Women's Fund and our upcoming event, The Ultimate Book Club!

If you don't have your tickets for this event on January 19th yet, you can purchase them through the following link: https://janesvillepac.org/box-office/?eid=86752&edid=0

1/4/23 20th Anniversary of the Woman’s Fund The Women’s Fund board chair, Nancy Sonntag and Sue Conley join the show this morning with details on the group’s 20th anniversary. The event will be highlighting five women authors and their recent books.

Exciting! A behind the scenes peek in this feature from Janesville Area Stories!

The Women’s Fund and "The Ultimate Book Club" A fundraising event titled, “The Ultimate Book Club – The Next Chapter: Her Story” will commemorate the 20th Anniversary of The Women’s Fund. The event is being organized by the Women’s Fund, a component of the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin. The mission of the Women’s Fund i...

Make a difference with your generosity - help improve the lives of women and girls in Rock County. Thank you!

Donation link: https://cfsw.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1963

Announcing this year's Women's Fund grant recipients!

* CASA of Rock County, WI for the Lend Your Voice - Outreach Campaign

* Milton United Methodist Church for their Re-Enter Scholarship

* School District of Janesville, WI for the School-aged Parent InSPIRE Team Umbrella Support

* School District of Janesville, WI for the Sisters Inspiring Sisters Program

* Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health for their Rock County ECCHO Program (Engaging Communities to Change Health Outcomes)

Congratulations to all of this year's Women's Fund - Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin grant recipients!

Exciting!
Women's Fund grant recipient announcements coming soon...