Fall 2018

A Circle of Women Growing Philanthropy

LuncheonEleventh Annual

When I was invited to chair the 10th Annual Power of the Purse Luncheon, it never occurred to me that I would have the honor of chairing the 11th Annual Power of the Purse Luncheon as well. But here I am; and what makes the second time around that much better is having ninety percent of the volunteers from last year with me – plus more! If there is anything that has been permanently ingrained in my consciousness since attending my very first Power of the Purse Luncheon, it is this: being a part of the Women’s Fund of Smith County is a truly inspiring experience.

Every time I am with these women, I am inspired to do more, to be more, to help more. The reason behind that inspiration is the women themselves. These selfless volunteers take part collectively, regardless of age, race or political persuasion. The women of the Women’s Fund are each filled with a giving spirit and a commitment to helping others that is obvious whenever you hear any of them speak. Not once have I heard any of them complain. Not once has a task been too daunting for these ladies to conquer. Not once have they turned away from a challenge. Their pervasive determination to outdo themselves from year-to-year is the reason the Women’s Fund of Smith County has been able to provide help to so many deserving organizations. It is an incredible honor to work side-by-side with these women—whose compassion to think of others first and do what it takes to make a difference echoes throughout our community.

As we celebrate eleven years of collective giving, nothing could be better than filling Green Acres CrossWalk Conference Center to capacity! It is our hope that every member will take part in the luncheon: bring a friend; invite a co-worker; ask a neighbor; call your relatives. Tell them all that the Women’s Fund loves to welcome new members who can bring their creativity and talents to our group.

The most important thing to do is remind everyone to bring their purses! Who goes anywhere without their purse? But especially for this luncheon, it is important to tell everyone ahead of time how much the success of the luncheon depends on bringing our purses, and metaphorically speaking, opening them wide to make donations that will literally changes lives in our community.

As you invite your friends and neighbors to be part of our luncheon, be sure to let them know they will have the opportunity to hear Trisha Meili tell

her incredible story of hope and possibility. She wrote the best-selling memoir, I Am the Central Park Jogger: A Story of Hope and Possibility. Savagely beaten and left for dead, her story is less about the attack than it is about her remarkable recovery. “There is real power seeing women from different backgrounds coming together, using their individual wisdom, talents and experiences to provide support to others in need,” Meili observes. “I know, because I received that support. Where there is love and support, there is hope; with hope, possibility emerges. No matter how dire the circumstances may be, that is what moves life forward. That is the soul of my story.”

Don’t miss this opportunity to share time with remarkable women from our community and to hear from another remarkable woman, Trisha Meili, as she shares her message of hope and possibility. You will leave filled with inspiration and motivated to do more, be more and help more!

POP Luncheon Chair Jennifer Gaston

Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors

Presenting SponsorLouise H. Ornelas

Imagine Sponsor Peaches Owen

Enlighten Sponsors

Inspire Sponsors

Centerpiece Sponsor Karleen Draper

Encourage Sponsors

Altra Federal Credit UnionBoyd & BoydDeeDee Bufe

Choice HomecareKay Dawson

East Texas Communities FoundationTomi Ellis

Four Seasons Women’s HealthJennifer Gaston

Gollob Morgan PeddyHealthFirst TPA

Henry & Peters, P.C.Johnson Financial Group

Merrill Lynch LMT Wealth Management Group

Anita MooreMorgan Stanley

Alan Cumming, Financial Advisor

OncorDeborah Race

Root ConstructionLisa Safford

UBS Financial Services, Inc.Cathy Shipp & Associates Realty, LLC

Southside BankSquyres, Johnson, Squyres & Co.,LLP

Texas Bank and TrustTravel Masters

Tyler Junior CollegeDonna & Mike Metke

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler

WorkHubYour Philanthropy

COLE and CO.Robert Dodd

Travel MastersTYLER TODAY Magazine

In-Kind Sponsors

Guest Speaker Trisha Meili

Author of the Best Selling MemoirI Am the Central Park Jogger: A Story

of Hope and Possibility

Sponsors as of print deadline.

Invitation Sponsor

Presenting SponsorLouise H. Ornelas

Tuesday, November 6, 201811:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.CrossWalk Conference Center

Green Acres Baptist Church

Visit www.womensfundsc.org for membership information, sponsorship opportunities and ongoing updates regarding the Women’s Fund of Smith County.

Message from Kristen

The luncheon guests hear from Mentoring Alliance director Kevin East, Sylvia Johnson and Boulter student La'Khaiyah Johnson about the changes in her life after joining The Club funded by the WFSC 2018 grant.

Mother's Day LuncheonMay10, 2018

“The next best thing to being wise oneselfis to live in a circle of those who are.”

~ C.S. Lewis

Our Circle of Givers is indeed wise and wonderful! To experience the full joy of philanthropy, we want to be smart

givers; givers with purpose and passion. We want to know what the gift means and how it will be invested – in lives. The aim is far-reaching impact – not results for one year, but for many years to come.

At the heart of our mission are the people we serve and the community we love. We are so humbled and honored by the relationships we have with all of our nonprofit partners. Together, we are transforming the lives of women and children right here in Smith County.

2018 has been a remarkable year. Thanks to each of YOU, we have given a record amount in grants, totaling $298,457. Thanks to each of YOU, we have a record number of 279 in our Giving Circle.

Recognizing our great responsibility as stewards of resources, we rededicate our work and our passion year after year. And so we look forward to 2019 and more opportunities to grow wiser and to make our mission SHINE!

Past Board Chair Patty Steelman (second from the right) with Crystal Crisp, her daughter Erin Elliott and WFSC member Jenny Sloan enjoying the sold out Mother's Day Luncheon.

WFSC Assistant Vice Chair for Advancement Michelle Carr, Vice Chair for Advancement Jackie Bruton, President Kristen Seeber, Mother's Day Co-Chair Debra Smith and WFSC Board Chair Nancy Lamar.

Presenting Sponsor Mary Irwin (second from left) enjoys the luncheon with granddaughter Heather Eiland (left) and Mother's Day Co-Chair Debra Smith and President Kristen Seeber.

Kimberly Ashley, Marilyn Abegg-Glass, Nancy Lamar, Barbara Shtofman, Betsy Hahn, Patricia Hampe, Jennifer Gaston, Lisa Chatterton, Beth Filla and Candice Christian attend the 2018 Mother's Day Luncheon.

Women's Fund of Smith County - Together is Better!

2018 WFSC Grants Committee begins the review process of applications received from Smith County nonprofits for 2019 funding.

Smith County sophomore, junior and senior girls meet at Bahama Buck's to hear about and sign up to be a part of the WFSC G.I.V.E. (Girls Invested in Volunteer Efforts) program.

WFSC Members and their guests enjoy an evening of getting to know one another at Times Square Grand Slam.

WFSC G.I.V.E. (Girls Invested in Volunteer Efforts) committee members Lori Holt, Agnes Ward(Vice Chair for Grants), Vanessa Gardner, Lisa Ellis, Vera Moore, Debbie Jordan, Kristen Seeber (WFSC President), Margaret Perkins and Amie Kitt.

Past Board Chairs Marty Wiggins, Patty Steelman, Sharon Howell, Sue Saxenmeyer, Nancy Lamar

(current Chair) and Dawn Franks at the Past Board Member

Luncheon.

Women's Fund members hear updates from Habitat for Humanity staff on the Women's Health & Safety Initiative, funded by WFSC 2018 grant.

RENEW/JOIN for 2019WFSC will begin the 2019 Membership Campaign at the Power of the Purse Luncheon in November. We are committed to ensuring that our collective philanthropic efforts transform lives and impact our community. Our grants to deserving nonprofits in Smith County can only grow and continue because of YOU! We are grateful, recognizing that every dollar we receive represents a woman’s giving heart.

Women’s Fund of Smith County annual membership is January 1 through December 31. Payments are to be completed – regardless of the renewal/join date – by the end of the calendar year to ensure maximum impact of the grant-making program.

Vice Chair of Grants Agnes Ward welcomes local nonprofit agencies to the annual WFSC Grant Training Seminar on May 17, 2018.

Kay Latta2019 Board Chair

Johnna Fullen2019 Vice Chair for Governance

2019 Leadership

Kristen SeeberWFSC President

Women's Fund Gallery

WFSC is grateful to The Mentoring Alliance Staff members Alyson Presley, Ivette Zavarce and Kate Hooper for the work they are doing to make The Club at Boulter a life changer for middle school students.

IT'S TIME!

Photos Courtesy of TYLER TODAY Magazine

2018 Women's Fund

of Smith County Board of Directors

Nancy Lamar, Chair

Kay LattaVice Chair for Governance

Gay SmithSecretary/Treasurer

Jackie BrutonVice Chair for Advancement

Agnes WardVice Chair for Grants

Johnna FullenVice Chair for Membership

Patty SteelmanImmediate Past Chair

Marilyn Abegg-GlassVal AndersonCristy ArscottDeeDee Bufe

Tomi EllisBeth Filla

Judith GuthrieJennifer HenryTiffany Kirgan

Vera MooreWhitney PattersonMargaret Perkins

Deborah RaceCathy ShippJenny Sloan

Trish Rodriguez TerrellEllen Trant

Marty WigginsPast Chairs Council Liaison

(Ex Officio)

Kristen SeeberPresident/CEOPatty Machin

Executive Assistant

Grants are the heart of our mission and the reason we do everything else we do at the Women’s Fund of Smith County. We work to grow our membership so that we have more money to invest in our grants. We educate our members so that you can be more informed when voting for those grants. We fundraise at the Mother’s Day Lunch and the Power of the Purse event to add more resources to our grant-making program. For ten years now, the members of the Women’s Fund of Smith County have been making high-impact grants to programs that improve and enrich the lives of women and children in our community. From the arts to education, from youth to the elderly, from improving health care to impacting poverty, our collective investment of more than $1 million has truly impacted our community.This year, a task force of Women’s Fund members is taking a hard look at our grants program. A ten year

anniversary is a good time to do some reflecting and possibly some revision. Could we do things differently in order to have more impact? Are there opportunities for collaboration that could extend the reach of our efforts?Watch this newsletter, our e-news and our social media efforts as we seek your input on this important work. Remember, together is better. All of us, each and every member of the Women’s Fund, has a contribution to make to our mission. We are truly transforming our community, and your voice is more important than ever.

Message from Nancy

A Dream: An area non-profit has a specific dream to enhance its services for women and/or children in Smith County.

Vote: Women’s Fund members vote on the annual area of emphasis for grants, choos-ing Arts & Culture, Education, Health Issues, Human Services or Open Focus.

VOTE

Training: Agency representatives have the opportunity to learn about the grants application and funding process through an annual education program.

Review: Members of the Grants Committee study each grant application to evaluate its merit in meeting criteria, structure and potential impact.

On Site: Agencies who are in the running for a grant welcome members from the Grants Committee for a first-hand visit to see their work.

Presentation: An agency representative provides a short presentation regarding its “dream” to the Grants Committee, followed by Q&A.

Vote: All Women’s Fund members vote on the grant finalists by ranking them in order of preference. This is their voice, their all-important vote.

Finalist: The Grants Committee notifies the agencies who will be finalists for grants awards.

VOTE

Celebration: Women’s Fund members, the agency grantees and the community-at-large celebrate the new grant awards. As of 2018, the Women’s Fund has awarded more than $1.4 million in grants.

How a Dream Becomes a Grant

Impact: The process continues as the Grants Committee, and then the Community Impact Committee, measure the impact of Women’s Fund grants over the life of the grant and beyond.

Allocation: The Women’s Fund board reviews the member vote, the agencies’ financial requests and the amount of available funding to determine the final grant awards.

The Women’s Fund of Smith County believes that together is better. Through collective giving, we transform our community by funding programs that enrich the lives of women and children.

Our MissionThe Women's Fund of Smith County believes that together is better.

Through collective giving, we transform our community by funding programs that enrich the lives of women and children.

2018 Board ChairNancy Lamar

4908 Hightech Dr.Tyler, TX 75703

www.WomensFundSC.org

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAID

LONGVIEW, TX

PERMIT No. 9

2018 Women's Fund of Smith County (as of September 10, 2018)*Denotes Charter Member

sDonor Advised Fund at ETCF

Marilyn Abegg-Glass*Val AndersonPaula Anthony*Kimberly Ashley*Amy BaskinBarbara Bass*Darla Bennett*Peggy Berry*Mitzi BjorkEvelyn Bochow*Rhonda BossartDriedra BrelsfordGay BrookshireSunni BrookshireDeeDee Bufe*Joyce Buford*Kara Camp*

Lucy CarrMichelle CarrClaudia D. Carroll*Darla ChildressCarole W. Clark*Emily Coats*Kathey ComerNancy CooperLeslie CouchMichele CurtisShannon Dacus*Susan DavisKay DawsonKathy DiduchKarleen DrapersKathryn DroderAnne Duffey*

Louise DyerJanie EdmondsHeather EilandElizabeth Marsh EllisTomi EllisGrace EnglishAmy FaulconerMelinda FindlayMary Fischer*Dawn Franks*Rita FryerJennifer Moore GastonHenrietta Grooms*Nez GrossDebby Gunter*Judith Guthrie*Diane Heindel*

Cindy HenryJennifer HenrySusan HillStephanie HoltSharon Kay Howell*Virginia B. HudsonJoanne Idell*Mary IrwinHelen Israel*Leslie JenkinsSebetha Jenkins-BookerLisa R. JonesDebbie Jordan*Tiffany KirganNancy KirkpatrickCindy Klein*Melisa Lackner

Visionary - $1,200+

Dreamer - $600

Diamond Visionary$25,000

Sasha Vukelja/Maxi Anderson* Alison KirbyCarolyn Novick Women in Tyler*

Laura K. Young*

W. Joy AdamsCarol Allen*Bess Arnold*Cristy ArscottTheresa AvirettMargo BallewSandra BarkerDebbie BellJeanne BlytheLori BooherHolly BoydLorrie BradfordGillian Brasfield*Joyce Brown*Jackie BrutonMaelen BynumWanda CallawayJackie CannonCarmen CarpenterHolly M. CarrollPenny ClarkstonDaye Collins

Mara L. CorleyNancy CrawfordSarah CummingJean M. DarkMarcia DaughtreyDeborah DavisMerry Jayne DavisPam DavisCasey DirksenVickie DruryMartha DunlapLisa EllisRebecca EspositoKristy EverittBeth FillaAnnette Findley*Mia ForehandCyndi FosterMisty FrancisVanessa GardnerBonnie GenungSusan Gill

Kathy GirouardKathy GohmertConnie GreenbergBrenda GregoryKris GusaBetsy Brush HahnJanice HamiltonSuzy HensleyJudy Ellerman HillDiane HodgeSu HolderLori HoltJana HumphreyLaura Hyde*sDeleisa JohnsonSandra KingHayley KippNancy KirkAmie KittLucinda KittrellCathy KrafveAshley Kutach

Julie LangfordCarol Langston*Zoe LawhornMisty Leigh LewisPam Lisner*Patty MachinJanet Majors*Courtney MayfieldMallory MazarakesCynthia McAndrewKim McClureDebra McCooksNita MeadsGinger MetcalfDonna MetkeKelly MichaelsDorota MillerGina MoersDawn MoltzanAnita MooreConnie MooreEllen Musselman*

Judy NichollsKristen O'LearyKaren PadruccoKaren E. ParteeKarlista PattersonWhitney PattersonAmy PearsonMarsha PettigrewAllison PollanBeth PowellNancie PritchardErin PughJeni RamseyRhonda J. ReuterJennifer ReynoldsJessica RichardsonLinda RicheyRachel RobertsonCheryl RogersDebbie RoosthSusan RossmanMargaret Rowan

Linda Rowe*Cindy Baker Rudd*Linda RuddRebecca SandersGinger SaundersMelissa ShanhouseGillian SheridanTeresa ShermanCindy ShoemakerLibby ShoupBarbara Sjerven*Barbara SkeenJenny SloanDebbie SmithDebra SmithGay SmithShirley SnodgrassLe’Anne SoutherlandMargaret StewartHeather StonerMillette StroudAhnise Summers

Nancy Lamar*Kay K. Latta*Arielle LeeLisa Lujan*Fritter McNally*Mechele MillsDiane Moore*Vera Moore*Martha Oates*Sheryl Rogers PalmerFreda Peppard*Tamra PierceKelli PopeAmy ProctorDeborah Race*Ginny RaglandMarjorie Ream*

Marilyn Richey Kristi C. Roberts*Sharon RomanoSmittee RootCarolyn RoyLisa SaffordSusan Saxenmeyer*Kristen SeeberLinda Sellers*Julie Shamburger Sandy Shepard*sCathy Shipp*Barbara ShtofmanSherry SkinnerCarol Walker Smith*Jo Ann Smith*Vicki Sorrell*

Cindy TerryDiane Thomason*Sara UpsonSandy VarnerRebekah WainwrightRebecca WamplerNeita Fran WardChelli WarrenLinda WarrenMelanie WattsDanielle Herd WebbBeth WhitneyLaura WilliamsMelissa WilliamsonSherilyn WillisCarrie WolfNancy Wrenn*Cindi Yancy-HebertLaToya Young

Donna SpannLynda SpeakPatty SteelmanPenny StephensPatricia Rodriguez TerrellEllen TrantElizabeth WaldropGail WallacesJo Ellan WalleyAgnes Mellon WardMarty Wiggins*Karen Williams

Silver Visionary$3,000-$4,999

Johnna FullenCarol Lott*

Peaches Owen

Margaret PerkinsSally Schultz

Karen Tidwell

Gold Visionary$5,000

Lauren Buford BeairdRachel MeansJessica Rottab

Compass ClubCarol Allen*Emily Coats*

Shannon Dacus*in honor of Viola R. PrinceKarleen Drapers

Mary Fischer*Dawn Franks*Johnna FullenJennifer Henry

in memory of Merry Ann Chenowith

Sharon Kay Howell*in honor of Kay Howell

Virginia Boyd Hudsonin memory of Dorothy Sampson Boyd

Kay Latta*

Carolyn NovickSheryl Rogers Palmer

Margaret Perkinsin memory of Mary John Spence

Deborah Race*

Lisa SaffordGay Smith

Lynda SpeakPatty SteelmanNancy Wrenn*

Make Your ReservationTODAY!

Power of the Purse LuncheonNovember 6, 2018