Initiatives for Women: Supporting Women's Dreams
Less than five years ago a small group of senior women at the University at
Albany came together to brainstorm about a way to support women and women's
concerns in the lean economic environment at the University. Initiatives For
Women (IFW) is the result. Built on the rich, harmonious, and diverse women's
community consciously created and nourished at the University at Albany over
the past two decades, IFW is a fundraising organization run by a volunteer Steering
Committee including faculty, secretaries, administrative staff and community
members. Its goals are:
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1) to support the dreams for the women
who actually receive IFW awards and to offer the Committee's encouragement
to all women who apply;
2) to raise the community's consciousness
that the playing field is not yet level for women. The annual Winter
Forum, in particular, educates on specific issues of importance
to women and girls;
3) to empower women and men of good
will by offering them the opportunity to contribute time, money and
support to effect equity;
4) to assist in the professional development
of the junior (and senior) women who form the IFW Steering Committee,
most particularly but not exclusively their knowledge and skill about
fund-raising.
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Funds are raised through
donor solicitation and an annual fall fundraising dinner. The highlight of the
1997 dinner was a dialogue between Alison Bernstein, Vice President for the
Arts, Media, Education and Culture Programs of
the Ford Foundation and
University President Karen R. Hitchcock. The money raised is awarded to individuals
and groups through an annual, competitive award round to support projects by
and for women in every area of the University community. A subcommittee of the
IFW Steering Committee reviews the applications and recommends a slate of recipients
to the larger group. The IFW motto is "Support Her Dreams."
Since the project's inception,
the Initiatives For Women Steering Committee has raised over $100,000 and distributed
a total of 75 awards in 4 rounds of competitive awards. In 1998 awards will
be offered in 3 categories: general awards, Presidential Awards, and named awards
(including awards established by individual donors or donor groups such as the
Secretarial Clerical Council to honor particular women or to forward a specific
endeavor for women). Through the award recipients' comments, it is clear that
the monetary support is of real assistance but equally valuable in most instances
is the validation for their personal and professional goals and the public recognition
that may have been too infrequent in their lives.
In addition to the fundraising
dinner and a Summer Celebration honoring the new award recipients, IFW holds
an educational Winter Forum in collaboration with a sister institution, most
recently the Sage Colleges. Free and open to the general public, the Winter
Forum focuses on a subject of current importance to women such as "Women,
Work, and Poverty: an Agenda for Action," the 1997 event. Entering its
5th year, Initiatives For Women has just won the NYS AAUW 1998 Progress in Equity
Award.
| By: Gloria DeSole,
Senior Advisor to the President for Affirmative Action and Employment Planning
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