Annual Fund

What is the Annual Fund?

  • Funds raised (and spent!) each year that help close the gap between membership dues and the total cost of operating the organization
  • Supports all activities outside of grantmaking including events, member education, staff, and technology

In FY25, the Annual Fund represented more than 25% of our operating revenue. 

Over the last five years, the Annual Fund has raised more than $350,000 – or more than $70,000 annually.

Approximately 30% of our members give to the Annual Fund. Will you join them?

You do not have to be a member to give to the Annual Fund. We welcome gifts from family, friends, and other supporters of our work. Consider a gift to the Annual Fund for a birthday or holiday to honor the female philanthropists in your life! 

Hear from a few of our members about why they choose to support the Annual Fund in addition to their monthly membership donations.

“Being a member of WIF is about being part of a collective making an impact on our community through grant making; giving to the Annual Fund is about ensuring that this organization exists operationally and will continue to thrive long into the future. I’m so proud of the strategic initiatives that WIF tackles and how they are a leader in philanthropy.”  Caitlin Donley, Member Since 2022 

“As a child, I was always told ‘to whom much is given, much is required.’ But if you feel really blessed, always give more than is required. We are required to pay our membership pledge each year. But the Annual Fund is the blessed part and giving to the Annual Fund is my way of giving back for all those blessings. The dues bless the Charlotte area. The Annual Fund blesses me” – Bonnie Blair, Member Since 2019

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Janet LaBar

Executive Director​
jlabar@womensimpactfund.org

With more than 25 years of experience, Janet has a proven track record of leading organizations and teams in developing strategies that foster thriving communities. Her career is dedicated to the well-being of the places she serves, and the people and businesses within them, positioning her as a trusted sounding board, critical thinker, and purposeful protagonist across corporate, government, education, entrepreneurial, and civic spheres.
Janet joined Women’s Impact Fund in June 2025 to guide one of Charlotte’s most respected, women-led philanthropic organizations into its next phase of growth and impact. In partnership with the Women’s Impact Fund team, Board, Advisors, members, volunteers, and key community partners, she will continue strengthening communities by maximizing women’s leadership in philanthropy through collective giving, education, and engagement.
Inspired by her family, teams who dare greatly, and people and communities striving to be their best selves, Janet’s impactful career includes leadership roles as President and CEO of Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, President and CEO of Greater Portland Inc, and Chief Performance Officer of Greater Phoenix Economic Council. As a first-generation Filipino American, her lived experience deeply informs her professional drive to create equitable economic growth and opportunity in the metro areas she’s served.
She holds a BA in Communication Arts from the University of West Florida and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Phoenix. Janet and her husband James are proud parents to an older daughter, and a daughter and son who are twins.