Judy Patrick in the Huffington Post

Here’s a new op-ed that Judy wrote post San Jose Merc News comments. Please share. And feel free to comment too.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/judy-patrick/we-are-each-others-keeper_b_884168.html

Collaborating with our community partners to advocate for women and girls

By Sasha Clines

The Women Give Advocacy Committee gathered on June 28^th for a special conversation with Rebecca Smith the Vice President at San Diego Workforce Partnership.

To open the meeting, our committee chair, Jennifer Dryer, engaged us in a special activity that connected the commonalities in the group and identified the unique characteristics. There were many commonalities and it became clear: where there is wine, women will gather.

Our guest speaker, Rebecca Smith has worked as a career coach at organizations such as Qualcomm and the University of San Diego as well as speaking on Career Advantage, a TV show that helps people prepare to enter the workforce.

Rebecca spoke about one of her mentors, Dr. Tina Nova, one of a few female CEO’s at a biotech company, Genoptix. Rebecca recalls working with her on a project where she met with a group of low-income girls. Not only would Dr. Nova put together gift bags filled with goodies from Nordstrom to give to the girls but she would share fun insights with them engaging them in what their futures could look like. Once, Dr. Nova showed up in jeans, a leopard shirt and leather boots. She shared with the girls that once you have built your credibility in business you could where whatever you want. Dr. Nova’s advice isn’t just about fashion, she and Rebecca both speak to the importance of working hard.

“You have to do what it takes and then some.”

Rebecca’s time at San Diego Workforce Partnership has been challenging and offers her the opportunity to work hard at overcoming obstacles like shifting industry words to a more feminine way of doing business. She also spoke to the importance of picking your battles as a woman in business -- knowing which ones you can fight, which ones are worth fighting for and which ones to let go of.

San Diego Workforce Partnership funds job training programs that enable eligible adults to develop the skills and knowledge needed for emerging career opportunities within such fields as green jobs, healthcare, and clean technology. The organization is federally funded from the Department of Labor and then disperses the funds to County and City organizations that are striving to aid the workforce and its employees.

Currently they have three main divisions to allocate funds to:

1. Adult Funding

2. Youth Funding

3. Research

Since the Partnership serves mostly males, there was quite a bit of discussion about how we can close the gap to get women and children access to these programs. Rebecca suggested ways that we could continue to advocate for a bill that is being sent to legislation called the Workforce Investment Act; an act to consolidate, coordinate, and improve employment, training, literacy, and vocational rehabilitation programs in the United States, and for other purposes. Another suggestion Rebecca had was to consider Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a context for looking at our outlets of giving.

Does Women Give San Diego give on all levels?

This topic became the focus of our conversation and spurred an overwhelming amount of ideas and insights to a new perspective of giving. The group began to think about what the different levels of this pyramid are and which levels we currently serve and those we do not. The idea of not only serving these various populations but then also how to bring them together began to turn the wheels in all of our minds. I tapped into this notion by sharing that often we look at women in groups or categories and focus our efforts on serving the individual needs, which is vital but also causes segregation in giving and of the groups in general. What about having an unemployed female that has aged out of foster care connect with a girl who is going through a development program at the Jenna Druck Center? The thought of WGSD being a connector, an organization that unifies the levels of giving and support by not just funding all levels but then by bringing the groups together for mutual support seems profound. I think all of the women in the room were convinced that we were on to something, that we have a lot of work ahead of us and most important that we are all excited to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

As the meeting came to an end we realized the conversation could have continued for hours but wrapped things up with a promise to keep in touch and to find ways that we as WGSD could continue to advocate for women and girls in all areas of life, especially in the workforce.

References:

www.sandiegoatwork.com

www.genoptix.com

www.secondchangeprogram.org

www.jennadruckcenter.org

www.womengivesd.org

The Family Business of Philanthropy: Meet WGSD member Kelly Weaver

I had the pleasure of speaking with one of our newest members, Kelly Weaver. After hearing her story, it is not surprising that she ended up joining Women Give San Diego. She grew up working in her family’s insurance business and giving back through her family’s philanthropy.

Raised in the Los Angeles area, Kelly was born into an insurance family. Her grandfather founded a privately owned insurance brokerage in 1959, and her parents have since taken over ownership. Kelly grew up working part time for the family business until moving to San Diego to complete her education. In 2007, Kelly joined Cavignac & Associates where she now specializes in risk management and insurance for nonprofits and companies in the sports industry.

Growing up, Ms. Weaver began her philanthropic work as a freshman in high school when she traveled to Thailand on her first short-term mission trip with her church. In partnership with the Integrated Tribal Development Program the group built water filtration systems in order to provide clean, running water to people who were living in the most remote parts of the country.

“It puts things in perspective when you get to see how other people live. Before we built these systems, it would take individuals a full day walk to obtain water that was dirty. And despite the overwhelming poverty, the people are so positive.”

Two years later, Kelly returned to Thailand with her father and sister. Shortly thereafter, her family started a foundation, Next Level Missions, to support this work in Thailand. Kelly has been giving back ever since and travels to Thailand on mission trips every couple of years.

I had the personal pleasure of introducing Kelly to WGSD at the BY3 Membership Recruitment event.

“Attending the event, I was pinching myself because everyone was so genuine and willing to help a great cause locally. You could feel the energy in the room. The founders inspired me because they have already done so much and now they have started Women Give.”

She became a member that night and has quickly become involved by joining the education and membership committees. Every meeting she goes to, she learns more on ways to give back. She admitted to me that her friends have nicknamed her “K-Vite” in reference to E-vite because she loves getting groups of people together. I imagine that we are going to see great things from this new member and Women Give will be able to tap into her skills and passion for philanthropy.

BY3 Membership Recruitment Event: May 11, 2011

On May 11, Women Give San Diego hosted a Membership Recruitment Reception at the beautiful home of co-founder, Jan Tuttleman. The theme was “BY3”:

• Bring 3 friends
• Bring 3 items of clothing/accessories to donate to our grant partner, Dress for Success San Diego.

After guests had a chance to network and sample some appetizers and wine, the program began. Gayle Tauber and Jan Tuttleman spoke of Women Give’s successes to-date and why there was a need for support to elevate the economic status of women and girls in San Diego.

Sylvia McKinney, Executive Director, from Dress for Success San Diego shared her personal story of escaping an abusive relationship and finding support to become a successful business woman. She also spoke about the women who are being served through Dress for Success San Diego and how Women Give’s grant has made a positive impact.

Next on the program was the “Take it Off” portion.

Our lovely models Gayle Tauber, Sasha Clines, and Jennifer Levitt stepped forward modeling a business outfit that they would “take off” and donate at the end of the evening.

Members stepped forward to finish dressing the “models” with jackets, shoes, purses and accessories to complete the business outfit.

This activity really demonstrated how Women Give comes together with each member giving a piece that forms a whole.

Thank you to everyone who brought guests! Our success was great!! 9 new members joined WGSD, bringing our membership total to 89 members!!

As we grow our membership, the positive impact on the lives of women and girls grows too, and one can only imagine what is possible when we mobilize amazing women.

Check out the photos from the event on our facebook page and while you are there, don't forget to "like" us.

Next week, you will meet one of our 9 new members, Kelly Weaver, and hear her incredible philanthropic journey.

Meet the Membership Committee

The Membership Working Committee is responsible to develop and implement the plan for recruiting and stewarding WGSD prospects and members. Strategies include: Network outreach (via member connections), arm and cold outreach (referrals, proactive identification) and high touch. Ongoing dialogue/suggestions with the other committees for member engagement, the goal being member retention.

Gayle Tauber. Gayle is the Chair of the Membership Committee. Since 1971, she has been a founder of startups concentrating in health and wellness, social responsibility and the preservation of capital. Her most recent past business, Kashi Company, was sold to the Kellogg Company in 2000. Today, she is involved with many nonprofit organizations serving in leadership roles.

Bunmi Esho left the corporate world over 8 years ago to pursue a career in nonprofit education and has never looked back! She is currently Director of Education at Junior Achievement's San Diego office where she oversees the implementation of JA programs across San Diego and Imperial Counties. In addition to Women Give, Bunmi is on the board of the Mission Valley Sunset Rotary Club, the Urban League of San Diego County and Clairemont High School's AOBT Foundation.

Katy Goshtasbi, Founder, Puris Image. In a nutshell- I own a personal branding company where I work with business owners on refining their personal brands so they can stand out and increase revenues and self-confidence. I used to be a lawyer!

Amy Harmon is the Director of Development for the College of Education at San Diego State University. She loves being on the Membership Committee because she knows how important each member's financial contribution is towards creating positive change for women and girls in San Diego.

Megan Lim. I'm involved in several organizations concerning education, women's issues, politics and the environment. Without fail, the unique diversity of the members of Women Give San Diego regularly result in insightful and educational conversations. The discussions and women involved are inspiring and it's the joy that I find in being part of this community that made me join the Membership Committee. Megan Lim is the Development Director at the San Diego Public Library Foundation.

Anita Broughton, REA, EIT, CIH. So far, I’ve had a 28-year career in the environmental engineering and consulting field, and am a scientist, manager, and part-owner of Haley & Aldrich, Inc., mostly focused on the redevelopment of contaminated industrial properties. In my spare time, I manage a local volunteer resource website, angelbeing.com, and joined the WGSD Membership Committee to meet like-minded women and to learn more about our non-profit community.

Sheona Richardson

Catherine Broadhead

Courtney Brodie. I’m from San Diego, recently graduated from the University of Arizona Eller School of Management, I work for Centro Properties Group doing Commercial Real Estate Retail Leasing. I joined Women Give less than a year ago.

Women's Policy Institute Accepting Applications

The Women's Foundation of California is Now Accepting Applications for the 2011-2012 Women's Policy Institute!

Are you interested in creating and shaping laws that reflect the needs of women and girls in California?

Apply for the WFC's Women's Policy Institute!!

Leadership. Inspiration. Advocacy.

These are the qualities Women Give San Diego is looking for in candidates for the Women’s Foundation of California Women’s Policy Institute for the 2011-2012 year. Applications are due June 27, 2011.

And . . . We Need Your Help

We are reaching out to our membership to identify women leaders who have a fierce determination to create an equitable and just future for women, families, and our San Diego community. Think. Who are the women activists poised to play a greater role in advocating for public policy that advances an agenda for women and girls? Think. Who are colleagues invested in women’s health, safety, and economic security? Think. Who are the women visionaries determined to be a force for change here in San Diego?

About the Women’s Foundation of California

Women’s Policy Institute Fellowship

Former Institute fellows helped pass 12 new laws and one resolution that positively impact the lives of all communities throughout California.

The WPI provides intensive advocacy and leadership training for women who are actively involved in the public policy process. Fellows are proven leaders from multiple sectors who have experience in women’s issues and deep connections to the grassroots San Diego community. Applications are accepted from individuals working in nonprofit community-based organizations, academia, philanthropy, labor unions and media. The financial costs to participate in the Institute are fully subsidized.

WPI Fellows . . .

· attend four multi-day training retreats in Sacramento

· participate in weekly teleconferences

· collaborate to develop and implement a policy advocacy project

· graduate from the Institute with an ability to navigate the public policy process with ingenuity and confidence

· apply what they’ve learned to their communities where they continue to engage in policy advocacy work

Contact Women Give San Diego

· Applications now available online. All applications are submitted on-line. Go directly to The Women’s Foundation of California, www.womensfoundca.org to access the application.

· WGSD will guide candidates through the application process. Please contact Jennifer Dreyer, Jennifer@tamayoconsulting.com or 760-479-1352, or Jan Tuttleman, jtuttleman@gmail.com for any assistance or questions.

WGSD Grantee: Just In Time for Foster Youth

I had the opportunity to speak with Don Wells, Executive Director of Just in Time for Foster Youth, an organization that provides emancipated foster youth with opportunities for self-sufficiency through emergency support, essential resources, and caring personal guidance at critical junctures on their path to independence. In December 2010, Women Give awarded $26,000 for the development of the Career Horizons for Young Women program, which supports young women in their transition from foster care to independent adulthood.

Career Horizons is a new program for the organization with the purpose of exposing young women to different career choices. In the foster care system, individuals have only been exposed to a few careers in their life: criminal justice, social work or teaching. JIT wanted to give these young women a greater exposure to different careers when they heard about the WGSD grant. According to Wells, “it was serendipity!”

The program is currently serving 20 young women who are just graduating high school, in the workforce, in college or a vocational school and are trying to decide on a career to pursue or are looking for a job. Personal and professional networks help us get connected in the community, but these young women didn’t have a network. Wells comments, “They lack things we take for granted.” Career Horizons provides the beginnings of a network.

Previous to taking on the Executive Director position a little more than a year ago, Don Wells was a Board member for Just in Time. He has dedicated himself to helping foster youth for the past 12 years. In 1999, he was the promotions director at Channel 10 when the station had a goal to recruit 1,000 male mentors before Father’s Day in response to the Columbine shootings (April 20, 1999). Don had been reading and looking at reports about how these young men were in these states and acting out because they didn’t have males in their lives to be mentors: “So, of course, I had to join too since it was my initiative.”

He started to mentor a young man, Victor, (age 9 at the time) and then met his sister, Belen (age 8). Shortly after he met these young people, they were placed into foster care because their mother was not capable of taking care of them. In an act of serendipity, their lawyer was Jeanette Day, who ultimately became the founder of Just in Time.

In 2002, Jeanette Day founded Just in Time to serve foster youth who were aging out of the system. She enlisted the help of a friend, Diane Cox, to create gift baskets of household items for youth who had emancipated from foster care with little or no family to count on. By 2003, Just in Time was born as an auxiliary of the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation (now known as Promises2Kids) with help from Louarn Sorkin, and in 2006, gained its own nonprofit tax exempt status through the efforts of Kathryn Vaughn and Tony Hsu. Along the way, Jeanette and Don formed a partnership, to gain visibility for this cause through TV appearances and later as occasional volunteer for the organization.

Through his mentoring experience, Don began to see some weaknesses in the foster care system. For example, Belen never started or ended the school year at the same school for five years in a row because she was constantly moving around. And every time she moved, she had a different social worker. Two years into their unique friendship, Belen asked Don: Why are you still here? Her experience had been that people come and go, but nobody stays. There was no continuity in her life – except for Don: “It was clear to me that there needed to be a steady constant in her life.”

The gaps in care become more magnified once foster youth turn 18 years old and age out of the foster care system. There is misconception that foster youth are successfully reunited with their biological family or they have a foster family that becomes their family. According to Wells, this is rare occurrence. The reality is that at 18, they leave the system and, while they do receive some resources, support is limited. JIT was founded on efforts to deal with those limitations.

Just in Time for Foster Youth exists to fill the gaps. Foster youth will receive transitional housing, but don’t have any funds to purchase furniture so they would be sleeping on the floor. Students, who graduated from high school and headed to college, didn’t have a laptop. They would start classes without their books because they were waiting on financial aid to come through. These young people do not have a family helping them out with the cost of living on their own. JIT steps in as that extended family.

Career Horizons is one more way that JIT is “filling the gap” by providing networks and mentors for young women pursuing their education and careers.

How can you help?

Just in Time is looking for women mentors for these young women. If you have time to share, Just in Time invites you to join them at their next Career Horizons Mixer on Saturday, June 25 from 2-4 p.m. at the Just in Time offices at 3878 Old Town Avenue, Second Floor). If you can attend, please RSVP to Don at 858-663-2081 or dwells@jitfosteryouth.org.

Blog post written by Women Give San Diego member, Renee Herrell, M.A., CFRE who writes a popular profit on nonprofit topics: reneeherrell.wordpress.com.