CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF Empowering WOMEN & Girls
Thank you for supporting our Fund for Women & Girls 2023 Luncheon, featuring keynote guest Misty Copeland! In all, more than $400,000 was raised to support women and girls across Fairfield County.
Photos from The Fund For Women and Girls 2023 Annual Luncheon
make an impact by DONATING TO THE FUND FOR WOMEN & GIRLS.
As always, proceeds from the Annual Luncheon benefit our Fund for Women & Girls, including its newest signature program, the emme coalition, which works at the intersection of physical wellness, behavioral health, and case management to connect women and girls with lifelong tools for wellbeing that can be passed along to future generations.
About FWG
Through our Fund for Women & Girls, philanthropists are coming together to invest in sustainable solutions that support the safety, health and economic security of women and girls across Fairfield County. As part of the larger women’s movement, the Fund makes a greater impact by partnering in national coalitions such as Women’s Funding Network and Prosperity Together – working for progress on issues like closing the pay gap and creating pathways to economic security for low-income women and families.
About emme
As the newest signature investment of FCCF’s Fund for Women & Girls, emme (empowerment | mindfulness | motivation | education), is a one-stop wellness hub that improves the mental, physical, social, and financial well-being of women and girls. This research-driven program delivered by OPTIMUS Healthcare puts women and girls in the driver’s seat of their lives as partners in their own care. From optimizing job prospects to making healthy choices, emme empowers participants with holistic, lifelong tools to reach their full potential.
FEATURING KEYNOTE SPEAKER MISTY COPELAND
Misty Copeland is a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre. The first Black woman promoted to this position in ABT’s 75-year history, she has danced leading roles in many iconic ballets, from Swan Lake to Firebird. She is the bestselling author of books including Life In Motion, her memoir of overcoming immense challenges to become one of America’s most groundbreaking dancers; and The Wind At My Back, a tribute to her late mentor and friend, pioneering Black ballerina Raven Wilkinson.
An avid philanthropist, Misty is an ambassador of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, of which she is an alum; and MindLeaps, an arts education program based in Rwanda that helps young people get off the streets and into academic settings. She is also the founder of The Misty Copeland Foundation, a new nonprofit that aims to bring greater diversity, equity and inclusion to dance. Misty is the recipient of the 2021 Spingarn Medal, the NAACP’s highest honor.
TOGETHER WE THRIVE
President & CEO
Mendi Blue Paca
VP OF GRANTS & PROGRAMS
Lutonya Russell-Humes
SENIOR DIRECTOR, FUND FOR WOMEN & GIRLS
Mary Grace Pagaduan
FUND FOR WOMEN & GIRLS STEERING COMMITTEE
Mindy Houck, Chair
Eileen Scully, Vice-Chair
Jane Carlin
Linda Cremin
Laura Farrelly
Sandra Greer
Mary Henwood
Shamain Johnson
Maya Reddi
Valerie Rockefeller
Karen Wackerman
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
PRESENTING SPONSOR
ANNUAL LUNCHEON
The Leonhardt Family
TRAILBLAZING SPONSOR
Sue Mandel
CHANGE-MAKING SPONSORS
Jane Carlin and Ben Gifford
Gallatin Point Capital
Ann Mandel
Pitney Bowes
Stamford Health
Charlotte Suhler
Joan Weisman
Wells Fargo Advisors
SUSTAINING SPONSORS
Deloitte
Louise Sinkler Hoffman
The Hope Fund
Liz Lazarus
Janet Lebovitz
M&T Bank
Laurie Maglathlin
Neuberger Berman
O’Herron Family Foundation, Sarah Casey and Annie Burleigh
Nancy Simpkins
Spinnaker Real Estate Partners, LLC
Terex Corporation
DONOR PARTNERS
Judith L. Hall
Winokur Family Foundation
TABLES
Bank of America
Susan Beyman and Rita McKenna Olson
Cohen and Wolf, P.C.
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Linda C. Cremin
Marc Donald
The Erdmann Group – Erdmann, Giannetti, Brookfield, Carpentieri
First County Bank
Mindy Houck
Housatonic Community College Foundation
The Housing Collective
Christopher & Andriene Johnson
Norwalk Community College
Ellen Petrino
Pullman & Comley
Maya Reddi
Mutual of America
Valerie Rockefeller in honor of Molly King and Greenwich Academy
Save the Children
The Tow Foundation
Interested in learning more about a range of sponsorship opportunities? Please contact:
Rebecca Mandell
Donor Engagement Officer, Partnerships & Learning
(203) 750-3241
RMandell@fccfoundation.org
