2024 Update
WGC launched The State of Women and Girls in Howard County 24 months ago, and in that time we have:
This baseline data has helped us to meet our mission, set priorities, and inform the work of our Advisory Board and committees:
Community Engagement
We continue to update the data on an ongoing basis and are working with our partners in the community to provide information about our efforts. We are honored to have the opportunity to discuss the State of Women and Girls in Howard County in numerous ways, including:
We plan to host ongoing conversations throughout the year to discuss the State of Women and Girls in Howard County.
WGC launched The State of Women and Girls in Howard County 24 months ago, and in that time we have:
- Used the baseline data to inform our grantmaking using the vetted, researched gender lens categories identified in the SOWG and tell the story of how our efforts have a local, statewide, countrywide and global impact.
- Utilized the baseline to help us meet our mission, set priorities, and inform the work of our Advisory Board and committees.
- Worked to inform our community about the challenging disparities in the lives of women and girls in Howard County, creating a deeper understanding of specific needs.
This baseline data has helped us to meet our mission, set priorities, and inform the work of our Advisory Board and committees:
- This fact-based information has helped to better inform our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts and our latest Strategic Planning process.
- This data assisted the WGC Grants Committee to target grant-related activities that fill identified gaps, facilitating data-driven and result-oriented grantmaking to help women and girls in Howard County.
- Our efforts helped the WGC Governance Committee to grow and sustain WGC’s leadership and provided key talking points.
- Our work has helped to position the WGC Membership & Development Committee to better engage existing members and cultivate new members.
- Our efforts have helped to guide the WGC Events Committee in planning giving, learning, networking, and celebrating events to engage members and others.
- This data has informed the WGC Finance Committee in planning our financial framework to best support our grantmaking as we continue to move forward.
Community Engagement
We continue to update the data on an ongoing basis and are working with our partners in the community to provide information about our efforts. We are honored to have the opportunity to discuss the State of Women and Girls in Howard County in numerous ways, including:
- Speaker: WGC's Black Philanthropy Month Happy Hour - August 2024
- Speaker: WGC's Big Give 2024 - May 2024
- Speaker: WGC's 2024 Mother's Day Happy Hour - May 2024
- Speaker: WGC's 2024 Annual Celebration - "How Philanthropy Can Support Women's Rights" - March 2024
- Panelist: Philanos National PowerUP! Baltimore National Conference, Opportunities to Utilize Data: To Support Our Work + Our Partners Panel - November 2023
- Speaker: WGC's Black Philanthropy Month Happy Hour - August 2023
- Speaker: WGC's Big Give 2023 - May 2023
- Panelist: NGO CSW Forum 2023 - "The Role of #Philanthropy in Funding Global Women's Movements" - March 2023
- Speaker: WGC's 2022 Annual Celebration & Pink Party - “Building Community Through Cooperation & Collaboration” - March 2023
- Speaker: Philanthropy Together Spotlight Podcast - January 2023
- Panelist: Women's Affairs Breakfast hosted by The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights and The Howard County Office of Human Rights and Equity - January 2023
- Speaker: WGC's Happy Hour at Freetown Farm - October 2022
- Speaker: WGC's Big Give 2023 - September 2022
- Speaker: WGC's Black Philanthropy Month Happy Hour - August 2022
- Speaker: WGC's Pink Party in the Park - June 2022
- Speaker: WGC's Mother's Day Happy Hour - May 2022
- Panelist: Philanthropy Together's We Give Summit, Virtual Panel - May 2022
- Panelist: WGC's State of Women and Girls in Howard County Virtual Panel - April 2022
- Speaker: WGC's 2022 Annual Celebration - "The State of Women and Girls in Howard County" - March 2022
We plan to host ongoing conversations throughout the year to discuss the State of Women and Girls in Howard County.
Data-Driven Grantmaking
The WGC has continued to inform our grantmaking using the vetted, researched gender lens categories identified in the SOWG and tell the story of how our efforts have a local, statewide, countrywide and global impact. You can view WGC's 2023 grantmaking efforts here.
Here are several recent examples of how data from the State of Women and Girls in Howard County has helped direct and/or underscore some of our grants this past year:
These are just several examples of the data-based approach we are focusing on in our grantmaking now, and in the future. We look forward to strengthening our partnerships and continuing to obtain updated data to inform our grantmaking and the broader community throughout 2024.
The WGC has continued to inform our grantmaking using the vetted, researched gender lens categories identified in the SOWG and tell the story of how our efforts have a local, statewide, countrywide and global impact. You can view WGC's 2023 grantmaking efforts here.
Here are several recent examples of how data from the State of Women and Girls in Howard County has helped direct and/or underscore some of our grants this past year:
- Community Action Council : We gathered data on the primary services being offered in the community by our partners at the Community Action Council, and we provided $3,000 in funding for the Howard County Food Bank and many bins of feminine hygiene products from our year-long Feminine Hygiene Product Drive.
- Howard County Hospital Foundation: We learned that breast cancer diagnoses have been increasing the last two years and after being asked, we were able to provide funding for a new, state-of-the-art portable ultrasound machine for the Breast Imaging Center at Howard County General Hospital through our partners at the Howard Hospital Foundation.
- Luminus: After learning that there were numerous Afghan families who fled the country this past year who were staying in Howard County and needed assistance, we raised $5,000 that we matched with another $5,000 to provide basic needs items and educational opportunities to primarily female-led Afghan families through our partners at Luminus.
- Neighbor Ride: After learning that senior women were in need of connections to medical appointments, visits with friends and family, shopping outings, and more, we were able to provide $2,500 in grants to support 200 rides for senior women through our partners at Neighbor Ride.
- JustLiving Advocacy: After gathering data about female-headed households with children living in poverty in our county, we provided $7,000 in funds to our partners at JustLiving Advocacy to support the WorkHER workforce development program for single mothers.
- United Way of Central Maryland: We gathered data highlighting that families who fall within the ALICE threshold - which stands for Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed - or those who make more than the Federal Poverty Level but less than the basic cost of living, struggle with basic essentials, and in particular childcare. So, WGC has provided a $5,000 per year, 3-year grant to our partners at United Way of Central Maryland to support the new United Way Family Center in Columbia, that is focused on providing affordable, accessible childcare for those who live and work in Howard County - with a focus on infant and toddler care for the ALICE population.
- The 3rd: And finally, after learning that women of color represent only 2.8% of corporate board seats in our state, we have partnered with The 3rd and the national Highland Project to develop a leadership development program for women of color in Howard County.
These are just several examples of the data-based approach we are focusing on in our grantmaking now, and in the future. We look forward to strengthening our partnerships and continuing to obtain updated data to inform our grantmaking and the broader community throughout 2024.
Background
In 2022 as part of our 20th Anniversary year we embarked on a journey to better understand the challenges and needs of women and girls in Howard County through our online State of Women and Girls in Howard County, and we are utilizing the data collected to inform our grantmaking, which generally fall within each of these six categories:
Our goal for the State of Women and Girls was two-fold:
When you consider basic statistics like:
We need to continue to gather and utilize data for change. And, we are committed to doing so.
In 2022 as part of our 20th Anniversary year we embarked on a journey to better understand the challenges and needs of women and girls in Howard County through our online State of Women and Girls in Howard County, and we are utilizing the data collected to inform our grantmaking, which generally fall within each of these six categories:
- Demographics and Diversity
- Work and the Economy
- Education and Educators
- Health and Wellbeing
- Safety and Justice
- Leadership and Political Participation
Our goal for the State of Women and Girls was two-fold:
- First, to gather existing data and develop a compilation of baseline information through a gender lens that identifies key issue areas that impact women and girls in Howard County in order to inform our past, current and future grantmaking as mentioned.
- And, to provide to other Howard County funders, nonprofit partner organizations, government agencies, and the community for use in determining funding, supporting, and implementing programs and developing legislation to address the needs of women and girls in our county.
When you consider basic statistics like:
- Women make 82 cents for every dollar a man is paid.
- Women's reproductive health is controlled by the government.
- We lack affordable child care for women who work outside the home and women in school.
- We lack federal paid family leave for new mothers, and
- Half a million women and girls age 12 and over are the victims of sexual assault every year.
We need to continue to gather and utilize data for change. And, we are committed to doing so.