About WFC
17th February, 2009 - Posted by admin - No Comments
Why WFC?
Women Founders Collective (WFC) was created to maximize the effectiveness and experience of women founders of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) globally by connecting them, their ideas and their resources. These connections are made primarily on the internet through a website dedicated to provide a support network devoted to women founders everywhere. Regional face-to-face connections among women founders are also encouraged.
No matter how connections among women founders are made, WFC is there as an important resource to women founders as they birth, grow and finally let go of their NGO.
When did WFC begin?
The idea of WFC lived for several years in our founder, Sallie Gratch’s, head. Already the founder of another NGO, Project Kesher, www.projectkesher.org, the need for starting another NGO did not feel pressing. However, checking out her new concept with other women founders, Sallie recognized the time for founding this particular NGO was NOW.
To include more women founders in the formation of the concept, Sallie called together a Founders Meeting at the Alma Mathews House in New York City the weekend of February 25, 26, 2006. The following women participated on the Founding Committee:
Rabbi Phyllis Berman, Stacy Berrin, Betsy Chandler, Dr. Juliette Engel, Sallie Gratch (founding chair), Blu Greenberg, Rita Henley Jensen, Rabbi Goldie Milgram, Rekha Mody, Gail Reimer, Ronit Sherwin, Cora Weiss, Joan Whitacre, Svetlana Yakimenko with Joan Roth as the photographer.
Through the combined wisdom, passion and energy of these women, WFC was launched!
What are WFC’s mission and values?
As defined by the WFC Founding Committee:
Women Founders Collective is a global movement of women founders of nonprofit organizations – connecting for the purposes of:
- Learning from and supporting each other
- Collecting, documenting and giving voice to experiences and practices of women founders
- Mentoring current and future women founders.
Our core organizational values include:
- Personal, interpersonal and global awareness and responsibility
- Respectful and compassionate interaction
- Authenticity
- Equality
- Risk-taking
- Growth
- Joy
Who is involved with WFC today?
The following women represent the brain and the heart of WFC:
Board of Directors
| Sallie E. Gratch, chair | Founder: Project Kesher Women Founders Collective |
| Deepa Chatrath | Regional Managing Director, Corum Singapore Pte Ltd. |
| Rabbi Goldie Milgram | Founder: Reclaiming Judaism |
| Rekha Mody | Founder: Divya Chaya Trust Habiart Foundation Stree Shakti–The Parallel Force |
| Chigozie Udemezue | Founder: The Healing Hearts Widows Foundation, Nigeria |
Networking Committee
| Stacy Berrin Manisha Gupte Nancy Handwerger |
Rose Oby Nwosu Shulamit Reinharz Lily Thapa |
How can other women get involved?
As a Collective, WFC welcomes women and women founders of NGOs from around the world to join us on one of our committees. As we continue to be a work in progress, we welcome suggestions to our development. More important, we welcome women to step forward and join us in our work.
Please use the CONTACT US button to share your interest in becoming involved with WFC through joining one of our committees or our Board of Directors. Meetings are held through email, teleconferencing (using Skype or LD carriers) and, when possible, face-to-face meetings.
What other ways can women get involved?
Easy! Spread the word about WFC. We need help to grow in numbers. Inform your network of women and women founders about WFC. Link them to our website, www.womenfounders.org
You are also encouraged to make a contribution to WFC. All contributions to WFC are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.