In 1995, when the Womens Foundation for a Greater Memphis was officially established, a relatively small group of women gathered to set in motion their vision of making a positive difference in the Memphis community. The group hoped to achieve their vision by encouraging philanthropy and leadership among women, and supporting programs that enable women and children to reach their full potential.

Almost 13 years later, it seems reasonable to ask if WFGM has, in fact, made a difference in increasing philanthropic activity, influenced response and advocacy, and helped to improve the economy among women.

WFGM serves as Memphis only united fund focused on women and philanthropy. As such, it has raised the profile of women as agents of change. Since its founding, the organizations annual support has grown from $60,000 in 1995-1996 to over $1 million in 2007-2008; the number of donors and volunteers has expanded to more than 1,000.

WFGM has awarded more than $4.1 million in grants to local agencies by targeting five key areas: job readiness, career development, non-traditional job training, economic literacy and entrepreneurship. According to the Womens Funding Network, WFGM ranks in the top 20 nationally for revenues raised by womens funds and in the top 10 for level of grant support going back into the community. In an exciting new development for the community, WFGM is partnering with the Memphis Housing Authority and other leaders to transform The Lamar Terrace public housing area, one of the citys most devastated neighborhoods, into a model urban community known as University Place. The Hope VI project will provide a unique opportunity to make a dramatic difference in the lives of 145 low-income Memphis women and their children by linking housing opportunity with job training and job placement, access to health resources, childcare, youth programming, financial management and asset accumulation. In addition, the Memphis Housing Authority, Urban Strategies and WFGM recently broke ground on the latest Hope VI project at the newly named Legends Park in the 900 block of Poplar. Formerly known as the Dixie Homes Public Housing Development, this collaborative between community leaders symbolizes the rebirth and the renewal happening in the heart of Memphis.

The future holds so much more. Women now comprise 1.3 million of the top wealth holders in the U.S., with a combined net worth of almost $1.8 trillion. Over the last 20 years, the number of womens funds like WFGM has grown from 5 to more than 100, and yet less than 7% of all foundation grants in the U.S. are targeted towards women and girls.

At the heart of all of these efforts is women helping other women toward sustainable self-sufficiency. A great deal has been accomplished, but much still remains to be done. Financial contributions and volunteer involvement all play an important role in realizing WFGMs goals. To find out more about the range of possibilities, call the Womens Foundation office at 901-578-9346 or continue exploring the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis website.