PROJECTS
The Women's Fund...
A Dynamic Force for Positive Change
In the nearly two decades since we began, the Women's Fund has learned a lot about how to create important change in Omaha. In addition to our grants, some of the special projects undertaken include:
STD Awareness Campaign
The Women's Fund is a participant in the community-wide coalition formed to combat the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Douglas County. Of particular concern is the serious health threat to young women. In addition to implementing a social marketing campaign targeted at Omaha youth, the Women's Fund has coordinated a new Web site, www.STDOmaha.com, to educate youth about identification, testing and treatment of STDs.
Domestic Violence After in-depth research on the topic, the Women's Fund discovered that there was no agency working hard on foundational domestic violence solutions such as public awareness and education. The Domestic Violence Coordinating Council was founded by the Women's Fund as a support organization for program and law enforcement agencies. www.dvccomaha.org
Leadership Women are active in many aspects of the Omaha community, but they are not represented in leadership ranks to the extent they should be, given their proportion of the population. The Women's Fund "Women & Leadership in Omaha" study measured current female participation in leadership and compared the findings against a similar baseline study conducted by the Women's Fund in 1996. It also included interviews with leaders from corporate, healthcare, education and non-profit organizations.
Immigrant Issues The Women's Fund committed the dollars to help start the Latina Resource Center. The Center offers such services as literacy education, health support, counseling, immigration services, housing advice, legal information and family education. www.ccomaha.org
Philanthropy Education The Women's Fund encourages women and girls to give back to their community and teaches them about charitable giving through the Little Women's Fund and Giving Circles.
Issues Forums Education and awareness are crucial to bringing about change. Shining a light on issues and generating discussion about solutions is a positive way to create that change. The Women's Fund is proud to sponsor speakers to address critical issues such as balancing work and family.