Our Evolution to Collaborate Cleveland

Dear Colleagues,

On May 1^st we hosted our first public event as Collaborate Cleveland.

You see, for 20 years we were a different organization—one with a different name and primary focus on its donors. But in 2021, we started to ask hard questions. We asked ourselves and community partners, “What are the needs and gaps in our Cleveland community? What are our organizational strengths? How can we be of service?”

What we heard in the many, many external and internal conversations was that our region, like so many others, was failing women. And yet women, especially Black Women in Cleveland, are the heart and soul of our families, communities, and institutions. From our community conversations, we also learned that—though many organizations were working to provide direct services to women or advocating around gender issues—there was not currently a women’s fund (there was one, but it closed in the early 2000’s), local foundation or funder doing their work specifically through a gender justice lens.

So, we set out, over a more-than-two-year period, to transform our organization to both center and respond to women and gender expansive social change leaders and to fiercely advocate for policies and practices that advance gender justice.

As many of you know, change is never easy, but, in many cases (including ours), it was necessary. And so, on May 1^st, when we welcomed a sold-out crowd of almost 300, we felt so proud—we were now fully Collaborate Cleveland: For Women, For Community, For All.

Onward we go,

Abby Westbrook
Collaborate Cleveland
Executive Director

For photos of the event by Kamron Khan Photography, see this slideshow.

News from WFN Members

MEMBER EVENTS

Join Shadhika at Women Powering Change next week in Denver, Colorado at the McNichols Civic Center building. Join an incredible group of women leaders, women-led organizations, women activists, and philanthropists who are working to make a difference for a more just and sustainable world.

May 22, 2024 | 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. MDT | Register here

Join Texas Women's Foundation and Executives from D Magazine and Fossil Group for a lively discussion on the post-COVID world's new ways of working, the generational divide, and hear how industry leaders are building a more inclusive culture of belonging in the workplace.

May 22, 2024 | 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. CDT | Register here

Criminalization is on the ballot this election year. Join Funders for Justice, Democratizing Justice Initiative, and their movement partners for a webinar where they will discuss and strategize around crucial ballot initiatives from across the country in the upcoming elections. They will delve into ballot initiatives focused on decriminalization, divest/invest, and police accountability measures that can and will impact us all.

May 30, 2024 | 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. EDT | Register here

The Women's Fund Miami-Dade's June Impact Collaborative is an Advocacy 105 Training in collaboration with the FIU Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership. Attendees will learn how to effectively speak up on community issues by learning or sharpening necessary skills and strategies to be successful advocates, while adhering to 501(c)(3) “lobbying activity” regulations.

June 6, 2024 | 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EDT | Register here

Presented by The Women's Foundation of Colorado and Caring for Denver Foundation, this community conversation will feature national thought leader and CEO of Transhealth, Dallas Ducar, as well as local Colorado organizations working to expand connections to care that fit and honor the identity of our LGBTQ+ community.

June 26, 2024 | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. MDT | Register here

Opportunities and Resources

In this webinar hosted by New Moon Network, attendees will discuss how sex workers have managed to advance their human and labor rights despite being largely excluded and ignored by traditional philanthropy. They will review the funding landscape for sex workers' rights and provide an accompanying analysis of their movement within broader social justice funding.

May 29, 2024 | 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. CDT | Register here

At the MLK Center in McComb, Mississippi, join the Mississippi Black Women's Roundtable for a day of inspiration, empowerment, and sisterhood. The Power of the Sister Vote Boot Camp is for ALL Black women looking to mobilize their community to increase voter participation and lift up the power of the sister vote. Connect with fellow advocates, hear from experts, and learn in a supportive environment.

June 29, 2024 | 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CDT | Register here

The Bridgespan Group released this piece outlining four ways funders can help new leaders avoid common challenges and invest in their success during leadership transitions. Leaders of color are bringing their considerable talents and lived experiences to top leadership positions in the social sector. At the same time, as incoming executive directors and CEOs, they often face institutional and systemic challenges that make it difficult for them to fully thrive in their roles.

In Solidarity: The Past, Present, And Future Of A World-Changing Idea, Way to Win co-founder Leah Hunt-Hendrix and filmmaker Astra Taylor analyze the principle and practice of solidarity, and trace the philosophical and political struggles that have shaped the modern world, from Ancient Rome to Black Lives Matter, and the many movements that came in between.

What We're Reading

The climate crisis is a sexual health and reproductive rights emergency — Salon

Trump on My Mind — Interruptrr

Main Character Energy — Harmony Labs

Assessing the Status of the Feedback Field — Fund for Shared Insight

What We're Watching

Here’s what to know about Sen. Katie Britt’s bill aimed at tracking pregnant people.

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