Women Give to a deserving few

Support women and girls, support the world

by Dena Miller

THE UNPRECEDENTED IMPACT of the COVID-19 pandemic on our everyday lives has shone a spotlight on the underlying vulnerability of traditional female roles. Last year, women did three times more unpaid care work than men, world-wide – according to UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women (un.women.org). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics alone reported last September that unlike previous downturns which hit working men the hardest, researchers said more women in the U.S. have lost their jobs during the pandemic (bls.gov/opub/ mlr/2020/beyond-bls/covid-19-recession-is-tougher-onwomen.htm). Thankfully, Women Give Taos is a major player in reversing some of these daunting circumstances here in Northern New Mexico. Women Give Taos was founded several years ago as a giving circle, providing grants to local organizations that assist and encourage women and girls to flourish and succeed. Operating under the umbrella of the Taos Community Foundation, Women Give Taos is a regional acknowledgment of countless studies showing that when women and girls thrive, so do communities, countries and the world as a whole.

THRIVE VS. SURVIVE 2020

And 2020 was a year during which the need to support women and girls to help them thrive could not have been more acute. Even in stable homes the demands on women – caregiving while maintaining work and households – have been critically exacerbated by coronavirus safety practices prohibiting established childcare services, on top of the necessity for home schooling. Many families also face other equally challenging and dangerous situations: increased vulnerability in isolation; food insecurity; and threats of domestic violence or homelessness. Women who find themselves in these circumstances are unable to care for their children or themselves. The donor advisors who comprise Women Give Taos cast their 2020 gifting vote to the DreamTree Project, which received $30,000 in support of its endeavor to create a case manager position focusing on childhood advocacy. “This award was so appreciated,” said DreamTree Deputy Director Stacey McGuire. “It’s amazing how helpful such a gift can be, and how many lives will continue to be positively affected by it.” Upon receiving the grant, an acknowledgement from the organization noted, “the new position will address unmet needs and will support young parents in building parenting life skills, promoting their emotional and physical health and escaping violence. “The Early Childhood Advocate will facilitate young parents and their children in accessing needed services and meeting their developmentally appropriate goals … [and] will bring early childhood expertise to DreamTree Project and connect families to other early childhood specialists in Taos.”

Irrefutable genderpoverty gap

UNPRECENDENTED NEEDS ADDRESSED

Although Women Give Taos typically awards one annual grant, the unprecedented needs of the year prompted the donor advisors to expand their grant-giving to include other local nonprofits. HEART of Taos and Community Against Violence received awards of $10,000 and $5,000, respectively, enabling each organization to provide hotel shelter and support services to survivors fleeing devastating domestic violence. Taos Whole Community Health received $5,000 to support their low or no-cost primary and integrative care for families in need. The University of New Mexico-Taos was granted $3,000 for a social/emotion support project benefitting parenting skills through the Education and Career Center. Each year, Women Give Taos grants are made possible by the ongoing commitment of the donor advisors, who pledge an annual $1,000 investment in the fund. Pooled with the contributions of the other donor advisors, the giving of one individual becomes significantly magnified and can make an enormous difference in the lives of women and girls in the community. To date, Women Give Taos has awarded over $180,000 in assistance.

IMPACTFUL AND TRANSFORMATIVE

“This year we are returning to the protocol of granting one award, and will begin accepting applications later

Right: Lisa O'Brien, Taos Community Foundtion Director, presenitng $30,000 grant to Catherine Hummel, executive director of DreamTree Project at the 2020 Taoseña Awards presentaion. in March,” said Taos Community Foundation Director of Community Outreach Helen Forte. “As always, the giving circle is hoping to hear from applicants whose proposals are impactful and transformative, two criteria that we use in assessing the probability of positive outcomes for women and girls.” “The pandemic has caused all of us to think outside of the box,” Forte continued, “and it’s actually been a silver lining. We see more innovation, and we’re excited to see how this plays out in the nonprofit community. We hope organizations are encouraged to think large, to stretch their boundaries and envision big things for the region’s women and girls.” Women Give Taos asks women with power in all its forms – financial, social, leadership, voice, influence and access to networks – to step forward and join in this strategic gifting movement. “Being part of a group of like-minded philanthropic women is, in itself, gratifying,” Forte further noted. “You have a say in how grants are disbursed and then see your donations go to work locally in real and substantive ways. It’s a great feeling.”

Taos Community Foundation is located at 115 La Posta Road, Suite A, Taos, NM 87571. To learn more about the foundation, Women Give Taos and other waays you may give, please visit taoscf.org, or call (575) 737-9300.