More than 150 members, guests, and grantees gathered at The Terrace at Cedar Hill for the first in-person Women’s Impact Fund (WIF) Annual Meeting since 2019 — the first for our Executive Director, Patricia Massey Hoke! The Annual Meeting is a combination of social event, business meeting, and celebration. This year was no different. As is tradition, the 2022 grant recipients were announced.
Arts & Culture: Charlotte Art League $76,000
Education: Heart Math Tutoring $80,000
Environment: Sustain Charlotte $95,000
Health: The Bulb Mobile Markets $95,000
Human Services: Refugee Support Services $40,000
This year’s grants totaled $386,000 and all were unrestricted, allowing grantees the flexibility to invest the funds in the way most useful to their work. For the first time this year, we are also recognizing the work of our 15 grant finalists with honorariums made to their organizations. With this year’s grantees, these honorariums, and our March Spark grant to I Am QUEEN CHARLOTTE, Women’s Impact Fund granted $401,000 to the community since July 1, 2021. With that, WIF is proud to have invested more than $7.2 million in the community since 2003. We applaud this year’s grantees and finalists for all their contributions to our community.
The membership also voted on leadership for the coming year based on the slates prepared by the Governance Committee led by Carolyn Meade. Toni Freeman will become Chair of the Board of Advisors, Ellen Rankin will join the Board of Advisors, and Nikki Emanuel Jarrell will chair the Board of Directors starting on July 1, 2022.
To start the program, Board Chair Ellen Rankin, welcomed members and reflected on the work of the organization over the past year. Driven by WIF’s strategic plan, the theme of curiosity, and commitment to best practices, the organization continues to build on its strong foundation, ultimately, over time, transforming, to best meet the needs of the community. Ellen reminded us that this work is incremental and iterative, a theme reflected by many of the other speakers.
Executive Director Patricia Massey Hoke shared organizational milestones: WIF added 70 new members last year, a strong gain in another year of the COVID pandemic. Members have, once again, been strong supporters of the Annual Fund this year, donating more than $70,000 so far to fill the gap between member dues and our total operating costs. Patricia shared highlights of the ways in which each committee has leaned into change and growth throughout this year.
Katie Susong, Treasurer & Finance Chair and long-time board member, shared a message from Wells Fargo, WIF’s longest-running community partner. WIF is grateful to all Community Partners whose support goes toward our operations and our educational and social events.
At-Large Board Members Ann Allen and Jonell Logan provided an update on the strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion work that has taken place over the past two years. The Board recently adopted eleven member-supported recommendations that will be implemented in the next two years. To read a full overview of that work and the recommendations click here.
Thanks to all who were a part of making this year special and powerful. It was so good to be together again!
