The Power of One ... Multiplied by Many
In This Issue: Leadership Letter | Grantee Spotlight: Tahirih Justice Center | Grantee Spotlight: Organization of Hispanic/Latin Americans | Upcoming Event: Spring Open House
Leadership LetterRevising the original version of this letter on March 13 requires acknowledgement of the health crisis sweeping through communities across the world. In a time of monumental changes for many, the first order of business for us has been to postpone events: the April 15 Open House for members and guests and the April 25 Field Trip for members. We have responded to the need to limit any potential harm to those we would meet even while working to fulfill our mission. The topic of the original letter remains valid. I went back for some needed inspiration to Sue Pitchford’s March 2019 letter where she wrote that “Philanthropy is one way to get past the partisan divide” and encouraged us to acknowledge that we all can work together for good so that we all become better. It is difficult for me to think of a more appropriate message for now and the future. Two recent experiences reaffirm this belief. First is the Catalist conference where Bronwyn Belling and I joined over 350 representatives of giving circles from across the country and spent three days honoring and yet dissecting the roles and responsibilities of both philanthropists and collective giving organizations in increasing equity and inclusion in our communities. I am happy to report that AAWGT is asking the right questions and working toward possible answers. Second, our March 4 program “The Cost of Silence: Census 2020” brought out a large and enthusiastic audience who heard about the importance of counting everyone in every location to ensure equitable and accurate distribution of funding for critical programs for the next ten years. The health crisis makes this even more critical. Working together to solve problems is the hallmark of our organization and as we move toward May when we will collectively vote to award grants funds, we can be sure that our efforts will bring us closer together. Sincerely yours, Sheila Onuska, President
Barb Van Winkle, Women's Giving Circle of Howard County; Vivian Manekin, Baltimore Women's Giving Circle; Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, Women's Giving Circle of Howard County; Bronwyn Belling and Sheila Onuska, AAWGT.
| Upcoming events our members are engaged in. We invite others to join AAWGT to participate with us.In consideration of our members and guests, the AAWGT Annual Spring Open House has been postponed. Also, the April 25 Field Trip open only to members has been postponed. We will send out information on the event once we reschedule.
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