Some Facts About Fundraising
- Women’s Fund of Central Indiana has a bold new strategic plan to invest, convene and advocate MORE for women and girls in our community.
- Money from Women’s Fund of Central Indiana’s endowment goes directly to the community through our responsive grantmaking and community leadership.
- Women’s Fund must raise more than $1M annually to cover operating costs that make that work, including the OPTIONS program, possible.
Our Goal
- Our goal is to inspire every OPTIONS Alumnae to give at a level that she feels is meaningful by Monday, Dec. 16.
- All OPTIONS classes that give at 100 percent will receive Women’s Fund “Woman Up” t-shirts. The OPTIONS class that raises the most will earn a celebratory gathering.
Your Fundraising Plan
- Set a goal to get every member of your OPTIONS class to give. We will provide you with names and contact information for your class. We may not have contact information for some alumnae who have moved away or otherwise disconnected. Missing class members will not be counted against your 100 percent.
- Make your donation. Make your donation to the fund through this webpage.
- Set a plan. Based on your relationship and communication style, decide the best way to motivate your class. Phone calls? Emails? Cocktails? A Zoom reunion? It’s up to you.
- Reach out. To help, we have shared some language and FAQs on this webpage to help you communicate with classmates.
- Follow up. Remind your classmates of the Dec. 16 deadline and ensure they haven’t lost the donation link. Answer any additional questions and emphasize the impact you can have together.
Timeline
- September: Fundraising begins. Webpages live by Sept. 6.
- Oct. 1: Deadline for contacting OA classmates
- Oct. 21 (12-1 p.m.): Mid-point check-in Zoom
- Nov. 22: Deadline for all class gatherings
- Dec. 16: Fundraising ends.
- Jan. 2025: “Winning” classes announced; t-shirts awarded; celebratory event scheduled
Starter copy
Use the below copy as starter prompts to initiate conversations.
Text Message
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Hey NAME,
Because we were both members of OPTIONS class xx, I thought you might be as excited as I am about the bold new things Women’s Fund of Central Indiana is doing. A State of Women in Central Indiana Report, a Women in Health Giving Collaborative and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) work, in addition to the OPTIONS experience that was so rewarding for you and me. As someone passionate about women and girls and Women’s Fund, I would love to see every member of our OPTIONS class give a meaningful unrestricted gift to show our support for this work.
Women’s Fund is offering some cool incentives for giving. You can learn more and even make a gift here: www.womensfund.org/options-class-giving-initiative
[Are you interested in chatting more?] OR [Would you be interested in attending a small gathering I am hosting for our class?]
Download flyer to attach to email »
Hey NAME,
Because we were both members of OPTIONS class xx, I thought you might be as excited as I am about the bold new things Women’s Fund of Central Indiana is doing.
Perhaps you’ve already seen the new three-year strategic plan or read a copy of Diane, the new Women’s Fund magazine. You may already know about the State of Women in Central Indiana Report, which will shed light on the experience of being a woman in our community or the Women in Health Giving Collaborative, which puts philanthropic power to improve health outcomes in the hands of women working in all sectors of healthcare. Maybe you plan to be a part of Women’s Fund’s get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts in the coming weeks.
As someone passionate about women and girls and Women’s Fund, I would love to see every member of our OPTIONS class give a meaningful unrestricted gift to show our support for this work. Unrestricted gifts make Women’s Fund’s work, including OPTIONS, possible. I’ve made a personal gift and I hope that you will, too. Women’s Fund is even offering some cool incentives for giving. You can learn more and even make a gift here: www.womensfund.org/options-class-giving-initiative
I’m planning a gathering for our class. [insert details] Would you join me or could I take you to coffee to share more about why I am so passionate about this effort?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the OPTIONS Ambassador program?
To engage OPTIONS Alumnae in Women’s Fund’s new work and to encourage every OPTIONS Alumnae to support it by giving in an amount that is meaningful to her by Monday, Dec. 16.
How does the OPTIONS Ambassador program work?
Women from almost every OPTIONS class have agreed to serve as ambassadors, marshaling their classmates to give. Ambassadors are encouraged to use their creativity to inspire classmates in a way they deem most effective. That may look like a group meeting for cocktails, a Zoom reunion, a text, phone call or all of the above.
All OPTIONS classes that give at 100 percent (all reachable members give) will receive Women’s Fund “Woman Up” t-shirts. The OPTIONS class that raises the most will earn a celebratory gathering.
Who are the OPTIONS Ambassadors?
|
Class |
Options Ambassador |
Email Address |
|
1 |
Courtney Roberts |
|
|
1 |
Chrystal Struben |
|
|
2 |
Kelly Young |
|
|
2 |
Rachel Riegel |
|
|
4 |
Louise Healey Henderson |
|
|
5 |
Lori Satterfield |
|
|
6 |
Caroline Gleason Dutkanych |
|
|
7 |
Kristy Lombardo |
|
|
8 |
Mary Beth Kohart |
|
|
9 |
Jill Lacy |
|
|
9 |
Jamie Ratner Rich |
|
|
10 |
Tiffany Barnes |
|
|
11 |
Becky Jacklin |
|
|
12 |
Lily Pai |
|
|
13 |
Jennifer Gause |
|
|
14 |
Elana Thompson |
|
|
15 |
Rachael Ehlich |
|
|
16 |
Kareema Boykin |
|
|
17 |
Hadley Moore Vlahogeorge |
|
|
18 |
Carrie Sermersheim |
|
|
19 |
Christina Cheeks |
|
|
20 |
Lacy Wooden |
|
|
21 |
Danielle Dove |
|
|
22 |
Genevieve Gaines |
What if I do not have contact information for every woman from my class?
Women’s Fund will provide you with names and contact information for your class. We may not have contact information for some alumnae who have moved away or otherwise disconnected. Missing class members will not be counted against your 100 percent.
Are we soliciting gifts of a specific amount?
No. Women’s Fund believes that every dollar has dignity. We are painfully aware of the gaps in women’s pay and wealth. We are grateful for ALL gifts—no matter how small or large. We can tell you that the average OPTIONS Alumnae gift is $350. Our online giving system cannot accept gifts less than $25. We can also accept recurring payments that are monthly or quarterly.
Are we soliciting only unrestricted gifts?
We want donors to give where it best fits their values, and our giving portal offers the choice to donate to Operating, Endowment or OPTIONS Scholarship. But, like other not-for-profits, we can best use unrestricted gifts to our operating fund.
How does Women’s Fund use unrestricted gifts?
Money from Women’s Fund of Central Indiana’s endowment goes directly to the community through our responsive grantmaking and community leadership. Women’s Fund must raise more than $1M annually to cover operating costs (people, places, materials and systems) that make that work, including the OPTIONS program, possible.
Does a Power of Women ticket purchase count as one’s donation?
No. However if you attend the event and make a gift that evening, your gift will count AND will receive a matching gift.
What are some facts about Women’s Fund’s work that I can share with potential donors?
Be sure to take a look at Women’s Fund three-year strategic plan and 2023 Annual Report. Here are four interesting new projects you may wish to lift up:
State of Women in Central Indiana Report
Women’s Fund is partnering with the Polis Center at Indiana University Indianapolis to develop a State of Women in Central Indiana Report, including disaggregated current data and community voice, to be released in November 2024. Areas of exploration include Women’s Fund priority areas of health, economic mobility, career/workforce and personal safety/intimate partner violence. Women’s Fund will share the information with women- and girl-serving not-for-profits, community stakeholders and decision-makers. The report will include data on women in the eight-county area and a link to and/or executive summary of the 2024 Indiana Girl Report, Home | Girl Coalition of Indiana (girlcoalitionindiana.org). In 2025, Women’s Fund will work with Polis to publish two briefs that explore key issues in the report more deeply.
Young Women’s Initiative | Young Women’s Advisory Council
Women’s Fund is excited to be part of the National Philanthropic Collaborative of Young Women’s Initiatives. In 2024, along with Centers of Wellness for Urban Women, we launched a Young Women’s Advisory Council for young women and gender-expansive persons ages 18-24. They are working on their action plan for building a better community.
Night of 100 Women
In 2023, Women’s Fund of Central Indiana held its first annual Night of 100 Women, a community-wide conversation between 100 diverse women. The evening included moderated table discussions and other activities designed to understand women and girls’ lived experiences and needs in our community. We prioritized the voices of women who historically have not engaged with women’s funds, including women of color, women living with disabilities, immigrant women, LGBTQIA+ women and women outside of our metro area. Information gathered during the event was shared with the sector of women- and girl-serving organizations and the Central Indiana community via a post-event report.
Women in Healthcare Collaborative
Launched in 2024, the Women in Health Giving Collaborative charges women in healthcare (doctors, doulas, executives, community health navigators, therapists and others) with making grant decisions to improve health outcomes for women and girls. The inaugural Women in Health grant round focuses on reproductive health and Black girls’ mental health. The WIH Steering Committee is led by OPTIONS Alumnae, Dr. Cara Berg Raunick and Dr. Crystal Mehta.