We Are Boston Women’s Fund at 20 Years 2004 Annual Report We Are by Ysaye Maria Barnwell Every child gives us renewed hope for the For each child that’s born a Morningstar rises and sings to the universe, world,but for each child who we are. to know their value and For each child that’s born a Morningstar rises and sings to the universe, understand their who we are. responsibility in the world, We are our grandmothers’ prayers they must know who We are our grandfathers’ dreamings they are. We are the breath of our ancestors; We are the Spirit of God. — Ysaye Maria Barnwell We are mothers of courage, fathers of time We are daughters of dust and sons of great vision We are sisters of mercy and brothers of love We are lovers of life and the Builders of nations We are seekers of truth and keepers of faith We are makers of peace and the wisdom of ages We are our grandmothers’ prayers, we are our grandfathers’ dreamings. We are the voice of our ancestors; We are the Spirit of God. For each child that’s born a Morningstar rises and sings to the universe, who we are. For each child that’s born a Morningstar rises and sings to the universe, who we are. We Are One. We Are, by Ysaye M.Barnwell,is the last song in Lessons,a 1993 suite commissioned by Redwood Cultural Work in Oakland,California. The first song in the suite,"Lawd,It’s Midnight," begins "Lawd,it’s midnight/ a dark and fear-filled midnight." We Are completes the suite of three songs and cycles the listener from dispair to hope. Ysaye M.Barnwell has performed with Sweet Honey in the Rock since 1979 and appears as a vocalist or instrumentalist on more than 20 recordings with the group. The Boston Women’s Fund thanks Ms.Barnwell for granting permission to use the lyrics for the song,We Are,as the theme for the 2004 Annual Report. BWF Annual Report 2004 Table of Contents Message from Board Co-chairs 2 Message from Executive Director 3 Mission Statement 4 REMEMBERING 5 Revisiting: BWF Funding Priorities 6 Growing: First Grantees 1984-1987 7 Educating and Inspiring: Teen Girls in Action 8 RESPECTING 11 Advocating: Immigrant Women Organizing 12 Empowering: It’s All One Struggle 14 Raising Awareness: Black Women and AIDS 16 REFRESHING 17 Keeping the Faith: BWF at 20 and Beyond 18 Aging Purposefully: Reunion,Renewal,and Reflection 19 REACHING OUT 20 Thriving: The Endowment Fund /Reciprocating: The 2000 Club 21 Achieving: Milestones 1981-2004 22 RESULTS 24 Financial Statements 2004 25 Annual Fund Donors 27 2000 Club Members 30 Organizational Donors 40 BWF Grantees 41 BWF People 44 boston women’s fund 1 Message from Board Co-chairs Marilyn Glater and Frinde Maher Dear Friends, We are 20 years We are pleased to celebrate with Renae Gray and the This is an exciting time at the Boston Women’s Fund. old. We are Boston Women’s Fund staff the accomplishment of 20 With Renae’s leadership and support from the staff,we are dedicated to years of grant making. A total of $3.3 million has been not only maintaining strong connections with our con- funding services given to 167 programs and organizations run for and by stituents,but we are also reaching out to new grantees and and programs women and girls! new categories of donors. We are exploring new ways of The theme of the 2004 annual report is "We Are." In working with young women and expanding our donor for women this report,we share who we are,we share the Fund’s story base to include more women of color. and girls. of beginnings,and we share some of BWF’s achievements. We welcome your suggestions,ideas,and contribu- We are 20 years old. We are dedicated to funding services tions as we enter the next phase in the development of the and programs for women and girls. We are committed to Boston Women’s Fund. Become a 2000 Club member or breaking barriers and building justice. renew your pledge. Our theme is also a song,written by Ysaye Maria We invite you to join us now – and over the next 20 Barnwell,a member of the renowned a capella group years – in our commitment to meet the growing needs of Sweet Honey in the Rock. The song promises that "For women and girls in our community. each child that’s born,a Morningstar rises and sings to the universe who we are." Together, we are one. The Fund came to life at a critical time in the history of the women’s movement,one of resolve to continue to Sincerely, break barriers and build a society based on racial,social, and economic justice. During our first 20 years,we laid a strong foundation: we gathered to our cause 4,000 donor collaborators and established an endowment campaign Marilyn Glater and Frinde Maher called the 2000 Club. Now it is time to build on that Co-chairs,Boston Women’s Fund Board of Directors foundation. BWF must be even more vigilant than we were 20 years ago. We must remain at the policy table to effect legislative change. We must continue to cultivate and maintain funding to support disenfranchised women and girls,and we must work to ensure that a legacy of justice making is passed on to the next generation of young women and girls. 2 boston women’s fund Message from Executive Director Renae Gray Dear Friends, It took blood, sweat, and This Boston Women’s Fund Annual Report is a retrospective of Conference in Boston. He left us riveted with one charge to tears, hard work the Fund’s first 20 years. It is good and often necessary to keep: "Stay in the way,make trouble,and keep the faith." and faith to give review history in order to create a new framework for the future. Over the past 20 years,the Boston Women’s Fund has indeed birth to the The next 20 years are as important as the first. My own soul stayed in the way and made trouble. Now,more that ever,we Boston Women’s Fund. It takes looks back in wonder at the sum of our accomplishments:$3.3 must keep the faith. faith to main- million in grants to 167 programs and organizations,and the It took blood,sweat,and tears,hard work and faith to give tain the Fund’s success of an endowment fund that defied the predictions of birth to the Boston Women’s Fund. It takes faith to maintain the response to its experts who said a grassroots solicitation would never work. Fund’s response to its constituents – especially through two constituents . It did. recessions and during the aftermath of September 11,2001. The financial support of a core group of 4,000 visionary Since then,the trend toward large gifts has declined in the fund- women and men is an important part of our success story. The ing world. It will take faith and continued troublemaking to support of low-income women,women of color,lesbians, maintain our unique grant-making focus on women’s and girls’ women with disabilities,older women,and girls was critical to programs. the success of the 2000 Club,and hundreds upon hundreds of The Boston Women’s Fund goals over the next decade are to women and girls have benefited from our collective work and support. This report chronicles critical points in the development • Reach new donors of the Boston Women’s Fund,and it outlines why it is important • Expand growth of the organization to continue. Our work is not finished. • Raise $1 million for grants In 1985,we were a small group of women committed to • Increase grant making the big idea of a Boston Women’s Fund,a group of troublemak- • Make the Boston Women’s Fund a household name ers who believed in social and economic justice and wanted to make a difference. The idea that women of color,low-income I am confident that with your support,the BWF will contin- women,lesbian women,and women with disabilities would ue to take up the charge on behalf of women and girls – to stay have a place to grow their hopes and dreams was a novel idea. in the way,make trouble,and keep the faith. I am hopeful that We were making trouble back then,back when the we are one in this goal. American public was consumed with fear of the AIDS epidemic, and the faces of its victims were men,not women. We made Faithfully, trouble by drawing attention to those who would become future refugees and orphans to this epidemic: women and girls. Last September,I had the opportunity to hear Congressman John Lewis of Georgia speak at the Neighborhood Funders Group Renae Gray BWF’s year-long 20th anniversary celebration will culminate at the 2005 Take A Stand Benefit on Friday, April 29, 2005 at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, campus center and ballroom. The theme of this year’s celebration is "Visionary Women." Invited honorees include Sarah-Ann Shaw, Julie and Hillary Goodridge, Adelisa Gonzalez, Patricia Powell, and Rev. Cheng Imm Tan. boston women’s fund 3 Boston Women’s Fund Mission Statement Since 1984,the Boston Women’s Fund has provided over $3.3 million to 167 programs in Greater Boston organized by and for women and girls promoting social change. We support low-income women,women of color, lesbians,women with disabilities,older women,and girls who are working to create a society based on racial,social,and economic justice.