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September 2022

Grant Impact: Addressing Hunger in Putnam County

WGA recently added Putnam County to the grant service area. Putnam has the highest poverty rate in northeast Florida. In one of our first investments in Putnam County, WGA made a grant to Epic-Cure, a food distribution program. Since its founding in 2018, Epic-Cure has grown to serve 1,000 clients perweek from its warehouse in Palatka and other out-based locations.

"With current levels of inflation, food insecurity is back to levels reached during the height of COVID, when so many people were unemployed," says spokesperson Sunny Mulford. "We are seeing increases of all types of participants." Thirty percent of Epic-Cure clients are children and another 30% are seniors.

One unique aspect of Epic-Cure's model is that it seeks to not only address hunger, but to reduce food waste. The agency calls itself a "food rescuer," in that it takes advantage of food grocery stores and others would otherwise discard, even though it is still fresh and safe to eat. "We never use funds to purchase food," Sunny says. "We were recently approved to receive USDA commodities, which will also be a big help."

Epic-Cure uses a choice model, where clients can browse the shelves and select foods they like and will eat, as in a grocery store. Clients pay nothing for the food and there is no qualification required. Epic-Cure is 100% run by volunteers.

WGA's grant was designed to help with distribution to rural parts of Putnam County.

Members can learn more at Epic-Cure.org.

What Have We Learned?

At WGA, we pride ourselves on being a "learning organization." We work hard to make sure our decisions and strategic grant-making are based on research and best practices.

Our regular Agency Convening sessions, where we meet with service providers, are good examples of this. Some WGA members might wonder what our agency partners have taught us. Here's a sampling of what our grantees answered when we asked, "What do you really need to move forward now and in the next year?"

Stability in funding stream
Unrestricted funding to help rebuild
Volunteer support in areas such as: guidance, HR, insurance, strategic planning, mentors
Investments in current staff, morale
Support for recruiting, hiring, paying benefits, especially full-time staff

Early Results of our "Organizational Assessment"

The twenty-year anniversary of the Women's Giving Alliance (WGA) has been a time of celebration and reflection on our personal journeys to become strategic philanthropists and helping improve the lives of women and girls. The Governance Committee thought this anniversary was a perfect time for an Operational Assessment to identify areas to strengthen the membership, our philanthropy, and impact over the next decade.

An independent consultant was engaged to conduct the assessment. The report was just released and is being reviewed by the Governance and Steering Committees. Some early key take-aways include:

Members reported exceptional satisfaction with WGA including its purpose, delivery on mission, and the opportunity to connect with a stellar group of members.
The Community Foundation is viewed as providing great support and expertise to WGA while allowing the organization to operate with a level of independence.
There were no critical issues identified in the report needing immediate attention.
Continuity, communication, and the building of institutional knowledge are the overarching themes of the recommendations. This is not surprising given (1) There is at least 50% turnover in the Steering Committee each year because of the two-year staggered terms; and (2) WGA membership does not include any membership requirements other than making an annual financial gift.

More highlights and details to come...

We're Listening to our Members

Among the wealth of information we learned from WGA's recent Member Survey were comments about the website. Good news! The website is undergoing a "refresh." Some big goals of this effort are consolidate and streamline information, make navigation easier, and make information more accessible.

In the Member Survey, most respondents agreed that registering online for WGA programs and events is easy (77%) and most know how to log on and use the Member Only section (73%). Smaller percentages know how to access WGA research and reports (54%), find the online member directory helpful (50%), or can easily find answers to questions on the website (55%).

Stay tuned for more on the website refresh.

Save the Date for Annual Meeting

You won't want to miss WGA's Annual Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 20! One of only two large annual gatherings each year, this luncheon invites us to "Focus Forward," even as we celebrate all that has been achieved in the past year. This "not-to-miss" event promises to be inspiring, engaging and fun! Learn how your membership dollars are being invested for good: We will hear impact stories from grantees - Barnabas, RESTORE and First Coast No More Homeless Pets, plus a special welcome introduction by Girls, Inc. We will have opportunities to meet new friends and build relationships. Please join us!

The annual meeting is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University Center at UNF. Invite a guest!

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 | 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
LOCATION: The River Club, 1 Independent Dr. #3500, Jacksonville, FL 32202

Join fellow WGA members to hear from some of our region's policy experts. Our panelists will discuss the highlighting the upcoming midterm elections in November, who will control the Florida legislature and implications for state and national policy, particularly those that are of priority to WGA.

Speakers: Rachael Tutwiler Fortune, President of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund; Rick Mullaney, Founding Director of the Public Policy Institute at Jacksonville University; Sabeen Perwaiz, President & CEO of Florida Nonprofit Alliance

This event is co-hosted by The River Club

WHEN: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13 | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
LOCATION: The Yellow House, 577 King Street, Jacksonville, FL 32204

An exhibit of paintings, posters, political cartoons, and poetry that provide powerful glimpses into the lived experiences of artists, while also amplifying the reciprocal and interdependent relationship between self and community. The lived experiences of these artists — deeply informed by gender, ethnicity, race, place, illness, and disability — illuminate our collective condition. As healers, truth-tellers, and visionaries, they invite us to consider the private, public, and political conditions that support or hinder our well-being. This space will be a place of restoration, respite, and connection – to self and others – as well as inspiration to act and create the conditions where we can all BE WELL. WGA has invited several other local organizations that share a common mission to join us to connect and build relationships with one another. Come for a curated tour, camaraderie, and wellness.

Member Hard Work is Paying Off!

Increased membership of 443 members and growing!

Be sure to invite a guest to this year's Annual Meeting on October 20th!

If you enjoyed this issue of the eNews—Forward to a Friend!

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS: Nidhi Gangan Every | Serena Ostrowsky |
Judy Score

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