On Wednesday, October 21, the Foundation marked ten years of the Women’s Giving Circle with a dinner and celebration at La Bella Vista in Waterbury.

Since the founding of Connecticut Community Foundation in 1923, women have played a vital role in strengthening our communities and expanding opportunities for future generations. The Women’s Giving Circle germinated from those seeds – and continues to evolve and branch out to serve the needs of women and girls.

Titled “Rooted and Rising,” the energy on this beautiful fall evening was generous, festive, and positively feminine! Founding members of the Giving Circle were thrilled to be joined by more than 125 guests, both long-time supporters and new friends.

Hannah Alley-Keller, Chair of the Women’s Giving Circle, welcomed the crowd to celebrate a decade of collective giving and impact — reminding all that a woman’s work is never done, and that membership in the circle is open to all who seek to raise each other up and help all women to rise.

Hannah announced that this year, the Women’s Giving Circle will explore the issue of the literacy crisis in America and the very real economic, social, and health implications it has —especially on well-being of women and their children. With that focus, the group will host meetings to learn from the experts and from each other. In May, Giving Circle Members will hear directly from our grant finalists followed by virtual voting for members. Members’ votes determine which local nonprofit organizations will receive thousands in grant dollars to support their work.

Women’s Giving Circle founder, and current Foundation Board Chair Kathy Bower was joined by Grace Bower Richardson to honor the visionary women who established the original Women’s Fund in 1993. The Women’s Fund created a permanent source of support for programs benefiting women and girls. Its success inspired others to engage, give, and learn together, laying out the groundwork for what would come next. Mother and daughter beautifully wove their remarks together – a vibrant example of how service and generosity can span generations.

Foundation President and CEO Kathy Taylor reminded us to think of the women in our lives on whose strong shoulders we all stand, and we called out their names to honor the legacy and inspiration they have bestowed on each of us personally.

After a delicious family-style meal, Foundation Trustee and moderator extraordinaire Adrienne Parkmond presented the evening’s highlight: a panel discussion with three dynamic leaders—Emily Byrne of Connecticut Voices for Children, Alisha Donovan of the Susan B. Anthony Project, and Elicia Pegues Spearman of Girl Scouts of Connecticut. They offered a clear-eyed view of the challenges and opportunities facing women and girls across Connecticut, including unemployment, the thousands of families set to lose SNAP benefits beginning this month, and growing financial pressures on women supporting themselves and caring for others. They also highlighted the power of women helping one another through consistent mentorship, advocacy to change systems that perpetuate disparities, and collective action that offers hope and solutions.

One statistic from our panel discussion was especially striking: only two percent of philanthropic dollars go to organizations focused on women and girls. That reality challenges us to look deeper at where resources flow and where gaps remain. It is also why the Circle exists: to bring women together to learn from one another, invest in one another, and support the growth and leadership of many more women and girls throughout our community.

View a photo gallery of the event.
Credit: Maza Rey Photography

Special thanks to the ‘Rooted and Rising’ event planning committee:
Hannah Alley-Keller, Martha Bernstein, Kathy Bower, Elizabeth Frew, Diane Teixeira, and Foundation Staff