Providing a woman's perspective to giving
BY _BRENDA TATE, GAY _THOMPSON, KERRY PRY, _CAROLYN ROGERS AND _KAREN GLOBETTI The Founding Committee of the Women's Legacy Fund of Southwest Florida

COURTESY PHOTO The Founding Committee of the Women's Legacy Fund of Southwest Florida, from the left, Brenda Tate, Gay Thompson, Kerry Pry, Carolyn Rogers and Karen Globetti.

The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has established a Women's Legacy Fund to enable women in our community to direct their giving in focused, strategic ways.

By combining their gifts, these women will be able to make a greater impact on the charities they are most passionate about. Each woman will have a voice in how grants are distributed.

A founding committee has begun to meet and create the framework from which the group will operate.

Their mission statement: Improving the quality of life in Southwest Florida through a woman's perspective.

Members, called "Benefactresses", will make an annual contribution, usually in the range of $250 - $5,000. Half will go toward a permanently endowed field-of-interest fund and the other half will be granted annually to support causes important to the group. The endowed field-of-interest fund will be used to support the future needs of the community while the annual grant cycle will fill the more immediate needs faced.

"We really wanted to open this up for all women in our community who are passionate about supporting our community and want to become involved," said Kerry Pry, a member of the founding committee that established the Women's Legacy Fund.

By creating this group, women living in Southwest Florida will have an opportunity to support the causes closest to their hearts and make a stronger impact than if they were acting alone. The Women's Legacy Fund will also allow them to meet women in the area who have similar philanthropic interests and to learn more about the nonprofit agencies supporting the needs of our community.

A luncheon will be held in October to officially launch the initiative. Margaret May Damen, a charismatic speaker with 40 years of experience in education, financial planning and philanthropic consulting, will speak on "The Three Laws of Abundance." ¦

The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has been supporting the communities of Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades and Hendry through endowed funds for 30 years. With assets of more than $54 million and 311 endowed funds, the community foundation has provided more than $24.5 million in grants and scholarships to nonprofit organizations and individuals in the communities it serves. The Community Foundation has two affiliates, Bonita Springs Community Foundation and Community Foundation of Sanibel-Captiva, to best serve those geographic areas.

For more information, please call 274-5900, or visit the Foundation web site at www.floridacommunity.com.