{"id":4181,"date":"2013-02-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1970-01-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=4181"},"modified":"2014-03-05T18:47:17","modified_gmt":"2014-03-06T02:47:17","slug":"making-their-presence-felt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=4181","title":{"rendered":"Making their presence felt"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Women's<\/a>Women’s Fund getting more bang for bucks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Looking for a low-key, high-impact way to tap into the power of collective philanthropy, Carol Palladini<\/a> was inspired when she read a Los Angeles Times<\/em> article about the Everychild Foundation<\/a>. The idea is simple. Take the time, energy, and money spent on mounting and attending elaborate fund raisers and write a single check once a year.<\/p>\n

The appeal was also simple: “Many women in the Santa Barbara area feel not only a need, but an obligation to be a powerful force for good in our community,” Palladini wrote in the invitation letter to the inaugural members of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A few short months after that initial request, the Women’s Fund awarded its first donations on Jan. 31, giving $105,000 to the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinic’s Eastside Family Dental Clinic and $35,000 to two St. Vincent’s programs, PATHS (Program of Affordable Transitional Housing and Services) and Casa Alegria, an infant and toddler care facility.<\/p>\n

“A group of women had been meeting at the Santa Barbara Foundation to talk about women and philanthropy,” explained Palladini. That group eventually evolved into a founding committee that included Palladini, Peri Harcourt, Shirley Ann Hurley, Jean Kaplan, Dale Kern, Joanne Rapp, Elna Scheinfeld, Meredith Scott, Anne Smith, Kay Stern, Marsha Wayne and Fritzie Yamin, as well as Raynette Cornejo, the Santa Barbara Foundation liaison.<\/p>\n

Their intention was to take a year to develop the plan for the Women’s Fund, “but people started calling and saying ‘when can we write checks?’ which is amazing because usually you have to cajole and pull money out of people,” said Palladini.<\/p>\n

“All it took was a letter of invitation to 500 women and the money started coming in,” said Palladini.<\/p>\n

Each member contributes a minimum of $2,500 per year, which is then deposited in Donor Advised Fund administered by the Santa Barbara Foundation. At the end of the year, 90 percent of the funds collected are donated to one or more local nonprofit organizations.<\/p>\n

“Our umbrella for giving is meeting unmet needs for women, children and families in the greater Santa Barbara area,” said Palladini. “The main goal is not to divvy it up in little tidbits, so that the impact of collective women’s giving is really felt.”<\/p>\n

Granting is decided by a simple majority vote of members. Women who wish to ease the cost of dues may form a donor group, which then shares one vote in how the money is spent.<\/p>\n

To join, send a check payable to Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara, c\/o Santa Barbara Foundation, 15 E. Carrillo St., Santa Barbara 93101. For more information, contact Palladini at 565.0342 or e-mail her at carolpall@earthlink.net.<\/p>\n

Originally published in South Coast Beacon<\/a>\u00a0in 2007.<\/h6>\n

Share this:<\/h3>