Message from the Board Chair PDF Print E-mail

Dear Friends:

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Anita Vaughn, Board Chair
As president and CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women, I see great potential in women every day. We are caregivers, leaders, educators and much more. However, for women to reach their full potential, they must have the appropriate support and resources. Thats why the work of the womens foundation is so vital. I got involved with the Womens Foundation because the Mission and Vision were congruent with my Hospitals goals and my personal goals and values in my life.

Since 1995, the Womens Foundation has been empowering women to better their lives.

The Womens Foundation for a Greater Memphis (WFGM) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit grantmaking organization. WFGM is one of the fastest growing womens funds in the country that is dedicated to securing funds and granting funds to programs that primarily enable women and their families to become economically stableDuring our 2008-2009 fiscal year, over $623,000 was allocated and awarded to 32 programs serving over 10,000 women and childrenSince our inception, we have awarded more than $4.1 million to 268 programs in the areas of job readiness, economic and financial literacy, career development and non-traditional job training.

The Womens Foundation builds better communities by delivering hope in a tangible and measurable form. The Memphis HOPE project goes beyond renovation to transformation; moving; families from multi-generational reliance on public housing to empowerment and self sufficiency in revitalized communities. The Womens Foundation has committed to secure an additional $7.3 million to be raised for comprehensive community supportive services as a partner in this dynamic project. The supportive services component is necessary to ensure the Memphis HOPE program provided viable means to neighborhood revitalizations, while improving the standards of living for community residents.

The Womens Foundation for a Greater Memphis (WFGM) is the first womens foundation in the United States to lead a fundraising effort for a Hope VI program. The Womens Foundation has secured over $5.9 million of the $7.3 million fundraising goal for Comprehensive Supportive Services (CSS) programs. Transforming a neighborhood means more than a coat of paint or a series of home repairs, and we are helping residents develop a life plan by giving them access to mentors and ways to track and record their progress and successes

My goals and pledge to WFGM as Board Chair for these next two years are as follows:

  1. To exceed our fundraising targets each year through proactive measures.
  2. To increase our Brand Recognition in our community so that we are the Go To Organization for womens issues.
  3. To increase engagement of Board Members in the various initiatives of the Foundation
  4. To seek Leadership Initiatives and educational opportunities for Women in our Community

I hope you will join me in celebrating the success of the Womens Foundation. I look forward to serving you. Please also join me in committing your time, talents and treasures to further the mission of the foundation by bettering Memphis one family at a time.