Fall was nipping the air when 40+ members and guests of Greenwood Women Care gathered at the Burton Center for the final Quarterly Meeting of 2021: “Focusing on the Future – Our Children.” The lively group congregated in Jimmy B’s Café for fellowship and delicious refreshments including sandwich wraps, a Greek-themed hors d’oeuvres tray, fruit, lemon flavored water, warm wassail-flavored punch, and other delights provided by the Social Committee.

At the appropriate time, all moved to a presentation area where Edris Louise Robinson, Chair of the Programs & Education Committee and Burton Center Day Program Director, welcomed everyone and gave a clear introduction to the work of the Burton Center. All services are provided at no cost to individuals who have disabilities and special needs and their families and are designed to help these individuals discover opportunities to mature, grow, and reach their full potential.

Mary Woodiwiss, GWC Advisory Board Chair, offered a warm greeting to all members and guests. She shared a story of how one 2021 GWC grant is already being put to use and noted that each grantee will have stories to share about how their GWC Grant helps them to fulfill their mission in our community in significant ways. Mary reminded everyone that their membership renewal packets were delivered last week and urged us to let our annual “renewal in GWC become a given”. She also spoke about how we must rebuild our Granting Fund every year and asked us to consider making an additional contribution to the Granting Fund, in any amount, with our renewal or at a later time. Such contributions may be made in memory or honor of someone. Our grants are possible only due to the commitment and generosity of GWC members.

The introduction of our program theme, “Focusing on the Future – Our Children”, was given by Lisa Smith. Mamie Nicholson graciously introduced our speakers. Our first presenter, Jerry Rentz, board member of Emerald City Rotary Foundation, informed us about the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL). He reminded us that literacy does not start when children begin school. He also shared statistics about why childhood literacy is so important, including the fact that 85% of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally low literate. DPIL provides registered children with high-quality, age-appropriate books by mail every month from birth until they reach their fifth birthday. Jerry was thrilled to share that the 2020 GWC Grant awarded to Emerald City Foundation provided one year of books to 200 children. To date, 1,286 children in Greenwood have signed up to participate in the program and 35,000 books have been sent to children in our county. At the end of Jerry’s presentation, Laura Padgett, Programs & Education Committee member, presented the book Little People, Big Dreams: Evonne Goolagong in his honor on behalf of GWC. This title will be added to the Children’s Collection at Greenwood County Library.

Teresa Goodman, GWC member and Executive Director of Community Initiatives, began her presentation by thanking GWC for the grant awarded to fund their prenatal care clinic which will provide countless low-income mothers with the quality care all women deserve. She discussed the new Toddler Learning Center (TLC), slated to open its doors in 2022. This program is designed to provide quality care for toddlers ages 2 to 4 from low-income families while teaching parents developmental milestones and activities to be sure their child develops at their highest potential and are ready for school. Children who take part in early childhood education programs have improved social skills and perform better in school. They also learn essential life skills. Most importantly, preschool is a place where children have fun in a safe and loving environment. Additionally, the center will assist with providing transportation to job sites for parents and facilitate connection with other necessary services to aid families in developing self-sufficiency. Laura Padgett presented the charming children’s book, Mae Among the Stars, to be donated to Greenwood County Library in Teresa’s honor.

The evening continued with an announcement from Laura Stowe, Co-Chair of the Communications Committee, about the GWC History Project. Laura stated that in January 2022, this committee will begin a project that will comprise the five-year history of Greenwood Women Care. She requested that members submit pictures, comments, or memories they might have of GWC to her or any member of the Communications Committee.

Laura Bachinski, GWC Advisory Board Vice Chair, made closing remarks asking members to consider contributing a gift membership. She noted that 8-10% of our members benefit from partial or full gift memberships and that most of these have been contributed by supporters from outside our membership. Laura reiterated the importance of growing our membership so that substantial grants may be awarded to continue the mission of GWC. Laura ended the meeting with a challenge: she pledged to contribute a gift membership in 2022 year and encouraged others to consider doing the same!

Our Kick Off the Vote! event for our 2021 Grants voting was a celebration of giving! We gathered in the lovely Harley Family Center, hospitably provided by Carol Harley. Thanks to our Social Committee (with special thanks to Martha Ann Davis!), this informational social started with food, drink, and fellowship that gave us a chance to reconnect.

Jan Puzar greeted us with a smile and “rousing rounds of applause” as she led us through the meeting. We rewatched a wonderful 2020 Grants video that took us back to what was accomplished with GWC’s funding to our 10 grant recipients last year. Through seeing and listening to these recipients’ grateful words, we could once again feel and grasp the importance of our mission to assist our local nonprofits to achieve their worthy goals to enrich our whole community. Mary Woodiwiss addressed FAQs about funding sources for nonprofit organizations and emphasized nonprofits’ variations in scale, scope, and mission. We realized that although our local nonprofits differ, they all are important and in need of support to carry out their good work.

Then we turned to GWC’s voting process. Mary Ann Dula capably led us through the logistics of our online voting. This year we are excited to consider a wide range of proposals for funding. We were encouraged to rank all applicants in our voting so that the Grants Review and Awards Committee can make funding determinations that clearly and accurately reflect the will of our Members. Margaret Conrad described “What Happens After You Vote?”. She outlined the next steps that the Grants Review and Awards Committee will take to tally our votes and assess the data that will direct how many grant awards will be made, and in what amounts. If you have ever wondered whether your vote counts, rest assured your GWC VOTE COUNTS!

We ended the evening with time for questions. Thoughtful questions were asked by a number of Members and addressed by the Grants Review and Awards Committee. GWC attempts to be good stewards in our giving and this time together inspired us to continue to give generously. We are very proud of the nonprofits, their leaders and staff and are grateful that we can have a part in supporting their daily efforts. We left as a band of sisters who do indeed care and give to express that care in our home community.

Recap by Sally Kauffmann; photos by Catherine DiBenedetto, Debra Coleman, and Denise Waldrep

After a rain cancellation and a second date that threatened wet weather, a small but fun and determined group of Greenwood Women Care members braved the clouds and were greatly rewarded with a festive “Autumn Skies and Apple Pies” social. The DiBenedetto Farm was absolutely gorgeous, and all enjoyed meeting and greeting under the lights and stars.

The tables were festooned with wildflowers while trays of chicken salad croissants, pinwheel sandwiches, fruit and cheese, and more were enjoyed by all. Seasonal apple pie topped off the delicious buffet along with apple cider punch, water, and wine.  The hint of imminent fall was evident everywhere and the natural setting provided both places for quiet conversation and room for larger groups to gather. The time flew by and all too soon friends, both old and new, were saying good night and looking forward to GWC’s next gathering.

In our continued commitment to learning, giving, and growing, GWC hosted our annual workshop, “Grant Writing 101”, at no charge on Wednesday, July 28. The workshop was attended by 20 Executive Directors, Staff, Board Members, and volunteers of local nonprofit organizations. Church of the Resurrection provided the meeting space.

Our own Kathy Emily, Donna Foster, and Jan Puzar provided guidance on successful grant writing. These included the importance of relating grant requests to organizational mission, producing a sound program or project budget, and developing collaborative partnerships. With decades of pertinent experience, Donna, Kathy, and Jan were able to break down the fundamentals of presenting a compelling story though clear goals, concrete outcome measures, and effective language.  As one participant noted: “We were so fortunate receive such a wealth of knowledge, insight, and advice based on so much experience.”

Following the workshop sessions and a break for coffee and bagels, Funders’ Forum representatives spoke about the specific funding priorities and processes of their organizations. They were:

Mary Woodiwiss— Greenwood County Community Foundation and Greenwood Women Care

Mamie Nicholson—Self Family Foundation

Marisel Losa—United Way

The training provided attendees with the tools and fundamentals needed for improving their grant application practices. More importantly, every attendee left with a greater understanding of how to strengthen their organization’s communication, evaluation, budgeting, and partnerships. It was truly a gift to our Greenwood nonprofits.