ImagineBlog

Five Concepts for Creating a Culture of Success

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:54:00 GMT

Lately my colleagues and I have been talking about the most critical factor for an organization’s success. I am a follower of Shirley Sagawa and Deborah Jospin’s book: The Charismatic Organization – 8 Ways to Grow a Nonprofit. I believe that most of what they discuss can be adopted by ANY organization in any sector.

One of the eight ways to grow an organization (and the one I find most important) involves creating a “can do culture”. When doing workshops with teams and people, I have modified this to “building a culture of success” or “creating a culture of philanthropy” (love of humankind).I believe a large part of this work is about living the personality of the organization and being clear about the character of the organization. Below are some concepts to focus on if you want to shift your organization’s culture.

Openness and courage to build trust. This is all about setting aside ego and who is right or wrong; each person involved must have the true desire to ask, “What is the highest good for the organization and what are the steps to get there?”
Consciousness, will, and integrity to act sustainably. Especially now, in a challenged environment for resources, think about how you create the safety for people to say, “Is this the most efficient way for us to work? Or is there a smarter organization in this space that we can partner with or give this idea to? Or are we treating ourselves well so we can be vibrant ambassadors for this work?”
Prepare for and promote success. So often there is a focus on what more there is to do or what is missing from the current work. Challenge your culture to carve out the places and spaces to stop and say, “It is so inspiring and wonderful that we were able to accomplish…” Having celebration moments at the beginning of meetings forces people to acknowledge what is working, learn from it, and deepen the pride in their work.
Showcase the values of the organization and its work. Over and over we hear about how difficult it is to understand and talk about the organization’s mission and programs with new audiences. Once people embrace the values of the organization and state out loud their respective reasons for being part of the leadership as Board, staff, funders, etc., there is a shift in consciousness about the ease in showcasing one’s association with the organization.
Use the language of invitation. There is more intentionality in saying “May I invite you to be a lifelong partner in our work.” Evaluate your messages and materials to determine if you are comfortable with how much grace, respect, and gratitude is present when you are engaging people (at all levels) in the work you are doing.

Benefits of "Playing Team"

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:01:00 GMT

Being an athlete and part of a team has been an integral part of my entire life. I sometimes walk through the world thinking that everyone knows what “team” means and how it manifests in our lives. As many people may not have had the honor of being part of an orchestra, dramatic performance troupe, or been a member of a sports team, I am sharing a few team concepts I believe can be adopted for any group that works toward a common goal.

1. Define your legacy and go after it! Any team or troupe is clear on what success means to them as a group and in their work. They take pride in and value their contribution to their school, their community, and people who watch them in action. They agree on a goal and a process for getting there (win the conference championship and do it with dignity, class, and respect for the opponents) and hold each other accountable to the team values and process.

2. Trust that your teammates are there for you! The camaraderie and support from being part of a team is wonderful when it works and people play to each other’s strengths. When each player has been given a role or defined their contribution as a ‘player’, then the fun begins. A highly functioning team exchanges messages of encouragement and feedback which are easy to receive as they have the team’s highest good in mind. Put an emphasis on “positive” and “encouraging”; teammates who challenge each other to rise to new heights rather than pulling teammates down.

3. Everyone is part of team success AND team failure and every team member understands that practice does make perfect! People understand the concept of repetition of a task over and over again leads to success. At least, in theory they do! I often work with groups and ask people what their idea of “practice” when it comes to speaking your vision or sharing your connection to the work you believe in. Ninety percent of the time people think that if they say or write their story once, that is the ‘practice’ they need. Teammates know that repeating the effort to tell your story many times is the difference between good and great. Any good athlete or team member knows that together everyone achieves more so they encourage each other to practice. And, we all know that there is something to learn from every loss; it is just how you use and share those lessons that matters. Being good is not about not making mistakes, it’s about never making the same mistake twice.

Partnership for Fundraising Success

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:02:00 GMT

Top fundraising CEOs with whom we have had the honor of working have the ability to endear themselves to those who have capacity to make their institution’s dreams come true, are capable of articulating the vision for the institution to a variety of audiences, and spend a majority of their time doing these two things. Read on to see if these essential CEO characteristics are present at your organization or as a frame for a potential new hire in the “number two” position for your organization.

The CEO is the voice, the visionary, the leader and the face of the institution and thrives in this role. They are the ones in whom major donors/funders give their trust. The CEO is who a donor considers before making a significant gift. A top notch Chief Development Officer* (CDO) knows when and how to use the CEO’s time for the greatest return. The CEO motivates the Board members to be personally involved in fundraising and acts as a negotiator between Board and staff.

The CDO spends considerable time working with development staff, CEO assistant or Board assistant, volunteers, Board members and donor connectors to do the following tasks as they relate to major gifts work: planning and organizing, strategizing about prospects and calendar, setting goals and priorities, and learning about new and current donors through conversations and reviewing background information. The CDO is seeking always to put the President/Chair, the CEO, and key leadership in positions and conversations with donors for a win. The CDO's goal is to be so well prepared that the best suited leadership member (CEO, CDO, volunteer, Chair or combination) makes the right ask of the right person for the right project at the right time. The CDO and CEO work in close partnership to raise funds.

A successful fundraising organization has the CEO and CDO spending a lot of time together building a strong and respected partnership. Both parties share a joint commitment to the relentless pursuit of people who can help the institution. The CEO and CDO share a joint ownership of problems and goals, a joint ownership of relationships, and a joint ownership of success. This can only successfully occur through trust and constant honest communication. The CDO is always lobbying and fighting for the priority share of the CEO time and knows that when she gets it that she can't blow it! A good CDO has familiarity with the strengths, comforts, and places a CEO ‘shines’ and plays to these settings. The CDO demonstrates loyalty, dedication, and confidentiality and offers ongoing relationship building and learning opportunities for volunteers.

There should be a disciplined schedule where the CDO and CEO meet each week to talk about the past, present, and future of relationships with donors and funders. Time is spent reviewing meetings, stewardship plans, and discussing updates on donors. Calendars are reviewed and a “top 25” visit schedule of recommendations are discussed. Challenges for re-engaging donors or funders are discussed. From there the CDO reviews the calendar daily and ensures the CEO’s assistant feels comfortable with all the meeting and conversation details to serve the donor and provide success for the CEO. The CDO also works throughout the organization and with volunteers to ‘stop and celebrate’ the wins and keeps the team motivated between wins. As issues come up with donors a good CDO is quick on her feet to present solutions and/or knows how to ask the right questions to move the relationship forward. The CDO is also responsible for ongoing communication to the CEO and Chair/President including sending reports via e-mail of gifts that come in and suggesting donors to thank or call with scripts that make it easy for the leadership to act and say just the right thing.

*Chief Development Officer refers to the top development person in the organization who may or may not have this title

This article was written in collaboration with the smart fundraising expert Debra Minton, Founder of Philanthropia Partners and is a salute to one of the best fundraising CEO’s, Dr. Donna Lopiano and the successful partnership we had at the Women's Sports Foundation

Grace and Gratitude

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 02:36:00 GMT

I was walking on Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos, the same beach where we had put some of Mom’s ashes, and had an ‘aha’ moment. Reading Wayne Dyer’s book on the Tao has made me more aware of paradoxes. The Tao is a 5,000+ year old philosophy that Dr. Dyer has ‘translated’ for today’s audience. There is a place in the second verse of the Tao where the duality of desire and desireless is raised and likened to wanting and allowing. To realize there is beauty only because we have defined ugly, or to conceptualize tall only because we have named short is one thing. However, to truly practice allowing the good alongside the bad or accepting the bad along with the good is something a good leader must do to succeed.

While it has been 10 years since Mom passed, this past summer was a challenging relapse into the memory of her passing. I was diagnosed with breast cancer which was one of the cancers that took my Mom’s life. My family and I had already planned on doing something in October to salute her 10 years in spirit. We had done lots of rituals in the years since she passed – having ‘art’ days where we made items with her beads, feathers, shells, doing regular sister, sister, sister (I have three!) outings to places Mom loved, and sending Mother’s Day cards to other mothers we knew who were full of heart and creativity like she was. For the 10 year mark, we had a plan to read some of the letters we had stored away as a treasure until this time.

But here it was June and I had a health crisis that shook me and my family. As the ‘rock’ of our family, this realization that the cancer had come again brought about quite an array of emotions. I am the doer, the leader, the provider, the captain, the giver – for my family and many others. What a challenge for me to now hold ‘receiving’ in the same way and with the same value as ‘giving’; truly a test in “allowing” for this feisty independent redhead. For several months I was an “Olympic” receiver of healing, loving thoughts, friendship, tenderness, and more. A double mastectomy is a high speed lesson in learning to receive!

My Mom Susan had a gift of being able to give and receive with such grace. There was a sense of wonderment with which she approached life with that was quite magical to be around. One year she wrapped special rocks in yarn as holiday presents and bestowed them to us with a story about why the rock reminded her of our qualities.

Fast forward to October when I was now without cancer having removed all of the ‘bad energy cells’ as one friend called them. My sisters both came to visit me and we connected with our Mom’s relatives. The box of letters came out and we learned more about our heritage. The correspondence was to our father’s parents from 1957-1964. During this time our parents moved five times, birthed five children, got three degrees – all while making our clothes, growing our food, and renovating an old cape farm house in New Hampshire.

Needless to say, we learned even more about the receiving Mom did to raise all of us during such a challenging time. She was always the model of giving to all of us and I am not sure until I read those letters how much ‘charity’ she received from relatives and others. Her gratitude and humility poured out in her writing.

Without a recipient, there can be no giver. No giver of love, caring, nurturing, or philanthropic dollars. What an interesting time of year to accomplish much by not trying; by just being open to receiving. I invite you to allow the light and love in…today and always….with grace and gratitude.

Gifts with Impact and Heart

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:06:00 GMT

I love this time of year for the magic it produces. There is a sense of hope and possibility abounding. At Imagine Philanthropy, I think of all the worthy nonprofits that are coming to their year end and awaiting donor’s gifts which will bring joy to their clients, their team, their Board and you, the donor! One of my fun tasks next week is to process some yearend gifts and I encourage you to join me.

Kudos to Tracy Gary and her team at Inspired Legacies for creating a list of deserving groups that are doing transformational work. I invite you to spend some time reviewing Tracy’s list and making a gift that matters to you – that moves you and inspires you. I am adding to her list three groups that make my heart sing as I feel strongly about their leadership, and their important work in transforming cultures, systems, and policies for women. Know that either as an advisor or Board member to these groups, I have been immersed in their planning and feel strongly about the impact they are making in shifting humanity. As well, any and all of the clients that Imagine Philanthropy works with on this list are doing incredible work and are deserving of your support.

Tides is a values based, social change platform that leverages individual and institutional leadership and investment to positively impact local and global communities.

Women Win is recognized as a leading global organization using sport as a strategy to advance women's rights. Women Win envisions a world where women and girls are strong leaders and agents of change in their communities.

Women Effect Investments is a field-building initiative that seeks to mobilize more investment dollars toward improving the condition of women and girls worldwide.

Five Tips for Women's Advancement

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:42:00 GMT

A wise expert on management coaching, John Keyser, asked me to pen some thoughts that might be helpful to women seeking leadership positions in business. John is one of the guys who gets it; he knows that men are promoted because of their potential while women must prove themselves
over and over to be promoted. The research group Catalyst has confirmed this in their studies.

Much has been studied and shared about women’s leadership and the lessons that must be embraced for success. Here are some helpful ideas for women to consider for advancement in the work place:

Get ‘investors’ behind you. Find people who will go to bat for you and ask them to think of you for projects, committees, speaking opportunities, etc. Ideally this would be a senior ranking male in your firm who knows your skills and will comfortably recommend you for projects and promotions. Men will often say to a CEO; “I want to work for you”. Women need to be bold and say the same.
Share your wins. As a general rule, women are averse to ‘bragging’ yet this often means they are overlooked for promotions as their accomplishments are not showcased or not known by the leadership. After leading your team to completion of a successful project, write a thank you to all members of your team, with a cc to the CEO, that details these accomplishments. Then the CEO will have clear data on your work and efforts.
Raise your hand. Find out what associations are applicable for your industry or sector -- where the leaders you admire are involved. Join these groups and volunteer for committees. The chairs of these committees are well respected and connected individuals and will notice the work of a good committee member. Their recommendation of you for a position will be well received.
Be your best friend… and saleswoman. I am often in awe of how men introduce themselves compared to a woman’s modesty. Humility works for sure but women must make sure they don’t discount what they have accomplished. Try an introduction that truly summarizes the breadth of your work; “I am an entrepreneur who has built four successful businesses including a real estate company, a health care practice, a consulting practice, and a national nonprofit organization. All of my work incorporates women’s empowerment around their bodies, leadership, money, and the true ownership of power.”
Report to a Board that looks like you. If you hear the leadership say, we can’t find any women for our Board, refer them to this smart list of resources.

Jennifer Buffett - 10 Concepts Worth Sharing

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:04:00 GMT

Jennifer Buffett will change the world. You may not know her now, but when all is said and done I believe she will own the title, The First Lady of Women’s Social Change Philanthropy. Jennifer is the life size symbol of NoVo – to alter, invent. The NoVo Foundation she created with her husband Peter is based on the premise that if you give a girl an opportunity, she will become a successful woman who will in turn create successful communities, businesses, and families. Jennifer’s story is just that.

After deep examination of the focus of their philanthropy and a personal examination of her own expression of her values and influence, Jennifer is speaking around the world sharing her personal story and experiences. She and her husband Peter spent years examining the interrelation between systems, culture, and relationships to determine place of impact and opportunity for change before launching the largest foundation serving women and girls, the NoVo Foundation. Jennifer has incredible perspective to offer activists, social change drivers, and philanthropists and after hearing her recently, I distilled these ten concepts that are worth sharing;

Look at the roots of the problems, examine patterns and themes and find the programs and the stories that rule the world and which ones make sense.
Acknowledge two conflicting truths: 1. Girls and women are the primary drivers of change. 2. Cultural attitudes and systems put girls in a vicious cycle; blaming them and affirming that they are not valued. The girl effect demonstrates that if you invest in a girl, her family thrives, she contributes to her community, and eventually her country succeeds.
Invest in places where value is held and not yet recognized. Note: there are 600 million adolescent girls living in the developing world who are currently ‘undervalued assets’.
Value balance and partnership and affirm feminine values.
Encourage women to use their voice, say what is want and needed, take credit, and invite men to join as equal partners and co-creators.
As a woman, choose to be seen and heard and work to change the course of the boat named Earth Community.
Improve gender dynamics by recognizing that the qualities in the masculine ‘toolbox’ - force, hierarchy, punitive, and a focus on head not heart - are learned, normalized, and internalized.
Honor and showcase the characteristics found in the feminine toolbox; listening, connectedness, experiential learning, honoring innate cycles and rhythms, and wholeness.
Establish learning environments that allow for inquiry and participation.
As conduits of feminine energies, allow the most precious qualities of clarity, strength, knowing and vulnerability of yourself to come into full light.

Coming Out for Campaign Success

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 04:36:00 GMT

I had a brave moment where I asked a group of Board members to "come out". The context was different than one might think. In this environment, I was working with volunteer leaders of a women’s group on an issue that they were struggling with - ‘visibility’ of their organization. One of the tenents for nonprofit success is a group of leaders who share their stories, engage with people, and find a way to make the exchange fun, informative, and/or energizing.

My idea of "coming out" is feeling safe enough to fully express yourself no matter what the environment or the context. This is an ongoing choice we make repeatedly in various settings. Every day we need to check in with our voice and our intent and decide in many situations, do I have the courage, confidence, energy, etc to put my questions / my ideas / my story into this conversation?

For example, if you are a Board member of an organization that is working on women having equal access and opportunity and you witness women partners in your law office being treated differently than men, do you feel safe enough to “come out” and say or do something as an advocate? If not, what might you do to ‘come out’ as a social change activist or a supporter of humanity? It should not be nearly as hard to share with colleagues your ideas than it is for people who 'come out' about their sexuality in a country or state where people have been killed because of this.

My friend Jacki is a collector of Wonder Woman items and I love her ability and desire to own that archetype to address challenging topics. For me, I use any of the suffragettes to get energy to come out about women’s rights. I can get a lot of chi and energy thinking about Alice Paul’s hunger strike or the National Women’s Party members picketing outside the White House in the winter during wartime. Not that their model of advocacy needs to be mimicked – just their bravery and courage. As well, the 90 years it took for women to get the vote is a good reminder of the endurance that some social change takes.

The session focus was campaign readiness and what I and the organization leadership thought were key next steps for success. The topic of branding and marketing is always near the top of campaign readiness list for people. With little or no dollars in the budget for marketing, it is imperative that Board members share the vision and values of an organization and “live the brand” with their presence and story. Once they come out and repeatedly share their personal authentic story of their connection to the mission and work, people will be more likely to inquire about how they can help.

So - with the energy and passion that hopefully pervades the work of the organization and its leadership, come on out and tell your stories - then true Fun Raising can happen and campaigns can be launched. Feel free to read another blog I wrote on this from a philanthropist's perspective.

Vote with your Voice

Tue, 03 May 2011 02:27:00 GMT

I got three ballots to vote for Board members for companies that I own stock in. Normally they would go in the trash but why not take action? I know that Linda Tarr Whalen in her book has spoken about the 30% rule of needing at least 3 out of 10 underrepresented individuals in a decision making body to make an impact. I found this sample letter that seems easy enough to produce for each company and as soon as my executive assistant gets hired, she and I will tackle this!

Joe Keefe and Jacki Zehner have written and spoken about the impact a letter can make on institutional investors and how we can use our voice to shift the dynamic of Board rooms. Feel free to read more about why this might matter according to Catalyst and others.

I remember in the early days of advocating for more sports media and a coach or athlete would write the network or paper directly. The producers and editors would show us the letters with a sense of awe – that people actually cared about the lack or quality of coverage and took action! Your voice does matter.

So I will be taking a sample letter from PAX to my good friends at Northwest Mutual and also TIAA CREF to see where and how they see the use of this. Keep speaking your truth - they will listen if we all commit to taking action.

“If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of the revolution”

Sun, 15 May 2011 00:18:00 GMT

Seriously, how fun is it to celebrate and dance and how often do we do either of these things? I love Emma Goldman’s statement – “If I can’t dance I don’t want to be part of the revolution.” At the Women Moving Millions session we heard from the co-chairs, donors and leaders – all who danced as they came on stage to share their stories and ideas.

One of many highlights for me was the dancing! Chris Grumm, Helen LaKelly Hunt and I dancing with the audience as we all took ‘back’ the word REVOLUTION moving to Tracy Chapman. Next session we will be moving to Miriam Makemba’s Pata Pata.

After hearing updates and perspectives on the campaign from the leadership and a distinguished panel of women, including Dobkin Family Foundation founder Barbara Dobkin, Mama Cash Executive Director Nicky McIntyre, Women Moving Millions Co-Chair Jacki Zehner, ACCION USA's Elizabeth Bueno, and Women's Foundation of Greater Kansas City President Dawn Oliver, I encouraged people to check in with our own individual experience of philanthropy and “moving millions” in our own lives.

I believe that a key aspect of a good leadership is the practice of consistently looking at our own motivations and experiences around giving and receiving. Spending time to reflect on what it is that keeps us open to receiving and to giving and understanding the conditions or environments that help us feel more generous is a good growth opportunity.

Feel free to take some time to look at an exercise that I created that examines – “What is it that allows me to give time, talent or treasure with joy and ease? And how can we move towards this?”

Women on the Front Lines and the Back Lines

Sun, 29 May 2011 16:30:00 GMT

I had the honor of being part of the Women’s Funding Network Worldwide Conference where women from Serbia, Mexico, Australia, Scotland, Nigeria, Canada, and every place in between, descended upon Brooklyn, New York for three days of convening and learning. We spent time together skills sharing, relationship building, and listening to impassioned speeches from some of the world’s most dynamic female thought leaders.

From the opening keynote featuring Marjora Carter, eco-entrepreneur, MacArthur Genius and founder of Sustainable South Bronx, to the closing keynote featuring Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile and first Under Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women, we all were in the presence of the power and resiliency of women leaders and the global women’s movement. Being part of this ‘movement’ to me means that we choose to reassert feminine perspectives (also known as ‘a gender lens’) wherever it can heal cultures and communities.

One of the panel discussions was hosted by filmmaker, scholar and founder of the Daphne Foundation, Abigail Disney. Abby spoke about the ways in which the feminine perspective has been erased from the media coverage of war across the world. Her documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell and her four part series called Women, War and Peace, which documents war through the eyes of women in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Columbia and the Congo, shows women’s contributions to war efforts on both the front lines and back lines.

When we think about war, we think about combat. We think about the front line. Abby’s work showcases the role that women play from the back lines in conflict and the impact that these conflicts have on women’s lives. The work shows how women are targeted with systematic violence in wartime and how, with incredible fortitude and strength and little support, they hold their families and communities together. Abby and her team are successful in bringing visibility to the tragedy of their invisibility and dismissal from their solutions and peace building work.

After showing the series trailer, Abby talked about how rape is being used as a strategic tactic of wartime violence. She recounted stories of deliberations by the United Nations Assembly about whether or not to try rapists as war criminals when the acts are being perpetrated as a tactic of war. Abby’s series, Women, War and Peace is scheduled to debut on PBS this fall. I hope you’ll all find some time to watch it and extend your role in the movement in any way that works for you.

(Photo credited to Pray the Devil Back to Hell.)

Donor Activism

Sun, 15 May 2011 00:16:00 GMT

During a recent gathering of 600 dynamic women working for social and economic justice (2011 Women’s Funding Network Annual Conference), I facilitated a discussion with my friend and frequent co-pilot, Ellen Landis, founder of Sharevision. The discussion was on donor activism (which later turned into a great conversation on power!) with the goal to create a safe space for women to vocalize their engagement and feel more confident and empowered to be the social change leaders they are. As well, we had an intentional sharing of donor activism work from a mind, body, and spirit focus which helps people enter the “activist” conversation from different perspectives.

For that hour and a half these 40 women were able to share their successes, their challenges, their personal and professional triumphs and tragedies with each other. And, when it was over, almost all of the women remained to engage with each other like old friends with so much to learn from each other.

The format of the donor activism work session was exercises that could be done with staff, donors, community leaders, Board members, etc. One of the fun tools we used, that I am sharing, was the attached Donor Activist Bingo game. We had the attendees go around and inquire of each other whether they were associated with or had used one of the action items (i.e. been a vocal advocate for an issue or has donated time to a campaign or made a bequest to an organization and told someone about this). After this exercise, attendees were directed to find and listen to one other person talk about their proudest successful activism activity. Finally, attendees were asked to move to another person in the room and imagine that she/he was a mentor in their life, describe what the mentor represented for them in their activist life, and then tell their success story again to their ‘mentor’. This is a good ‘get to know the people in the group’ exercise.

I hope you found this helpful and feel free to let me know how it went!

"March Madness" All Year Round!

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:02:00 GMT

March Madness – I call it 'March Moving Mountains!' After playing basketball every day for more than a third of my life, the sounds and feel of the game is in my ‘bones’. And yes, I was recently in the gym, shooting around and contemplating getting in a pick up game with men three times my size.

As the President of the Point Guard Club of the Americas, I was excited to see the touted freshman point guards from Louisville, Tennessee, and Baylor. When these women were seven years old they were given an extraordinary gift. Their childhood was spent watching role models in the WNBA. They had ample opportunity to play and be coached as future ‘pro’ athletes thanks to Title IX, and they have the desire and heart to play through ‘no matter what’… including the size of their opponent!

Whenever people ask about my size and being a point guard, I gently remind them - quickness, smarts and speed can come in any size. That said, the physical size and power displayed by 10 women on a basketball court is an expression of strength and feminism like no other! Where else but during a women’s basketball game do you see women taking up space with such spirit, force, and courage?

Early in March, a collegiate ski jumping championship took place in the U.S. for the first time in 31 years, but this time, the competition included women. In February, the U.S. Senate, passed a resolution in honor of the 25th National Girls and Women in Sports Day. It states, among other proclamations on the importance of sport in girls’ and women’s lives, that “women’s athletics are one of the most effective avenues available for the women of the United States to develop self-discipline, initiative, confidence, and leadership skills.” I would also add to this resolution - the confidence to display their power, voice, and strength in all settings.

Stay up to date on the women of the NCAA, WNBA, boxing, hockey, rugby and every other sport you’re interested in by checking out Women Talk Sports and the Women’s Sports Foundation now and throughout the year.

Roots to Resistance -- 12 Women Activists Changing the World

Fri, 06 May 2011 03:27:00 GMT

When we think of human rights activists, we are often challenged to name five women across the globe who have fought for those in their community, state, or nation. Roots to Resistance is bringing forth the images and stories of 12 remarkable women activists, bringing their stories to life via a web based platform, postcard distribution to schools and organizations, and a four city touring exhibit with Denise Beaudet, the award winning visual artist and creative activist. An art and activism project featuring the portraits of 12 women doing activist work in the world, the project is a political postcard campaign that will link people around the globe.

These incredible 4x9 foot portraits are done on recycled wood, wrapped in and connected to plants and nature. Denise portrays these women in their true activist flame and spirit; sharing the stories of their communities, their hearts and the extraordinary effect that their powerful life forces have had on the planet.

Featured Activists include:

Natalia Estemirova-Chechnya-Murdered Human Rights Journalist
Malalai Joya-Afghanistan-Woman's Rights Activist
Chouchou Namegabe – Congo – Journalist/Women’s Rights Activist
Zapatista Woman-Mexico Environmentalist/Indigenous Rights Activist
Vandana Shiva-India-Eco Feminist/Environmental Activist
Rebecca Gomperts-Netherlands-Environmentalist/Reproductive Rights Activist
Dita Indah Sari-Indonesia-Labor Activist
Aung San Suu Kyi-Burma-Human Rights Activist
Wangari Maathai-Kenya-Environmentalist
Marina Silva-Brazil-Environmentalist
Yvonne Margarula-Australia-Civil Rights Activist
Maria Gunnoe - U.S. -Native American Human Rights Activist

Denise and selected installations were presented at this year’s Women’s Funding Network Conference in Brooklyn. To learn more about the Roots To Resistance project and the global political postcard exchange visit: http://www.facebook.com/rootstoresistance.

10 Reasons to Focus on Women’s History for a Month and Longer

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 20:34:00 GMT

“Success has been earned from hard work and sleepless nights. I got my start by giving myself a start - you have to get up and make your own opportunities.” Madame C. Walker

Women to receive recognition for works and contributions
Reminds people that women hold up half the sky
Girls see themselves in the history books and dream of possibilities
Provides forum to change perceptions
Forces the issue
All stories have not been told
Allows us to set the record straight
History is being made every day
If we lose our history, we lose our way
Why not?

Links to key current projects that are telling the story of women’s work in a variety of forums:

International Women’s Day 2011: 100th Anniversary “Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.”

International Museum of Women "I.M.O.W. is a groundbreaking social change museum that inspires global action, connects people across borders and transforms hearts and minds by amplifying the voices of women worldwide through global online exhibitions, history, the arts and cultural programs that educate, create dialogue and build community. With its unique focus on cultural change, I.M.O.W. advances the human right to gender equity worldwide."

The National Women’s History Project, “founded in 1980, is a non-profit educational organization committed to recognizing and celebrating the diverse and significant historical accomplishments of women by providing information and educational materials and programs. To learn more about the organization, click here.”

World Pulse “uses the power of interactive media to build a network connecting the world of women – one voice at a time.”