Development Committee Updates

Submitted by the Development Committee of WILPF US

Thank you to the first four branches that donated to keep WILPF US strong

In August, WILPF branches received a letter requesting YOUR help to raise money for WILPF US. Four branches responded with donations. Their generosity is extra special, because their dollars go to support ALL our branches. It’s a sisterly gift to keep all our sister branches strong and support the program work being done all over the US. We are grateful to Detroit Branch, Santa Cruz Branch, Des Moines Branch, and Tucson Branch. Thank you so much!

The Development Committee will be making calls to follow up on our letters. Please take our calls, and let’s talk together about how to share the responsibility for widening the circle and adding more donors to WILPF US. Fundraising at WILPF is everyone’s job. The Development Committee is just the means for organizing the effort.

We have about 1,400 members, and we’re growing. But our members cannot continue to be the sole support of our organization. We can’t carry the whole burden. We have to reach out, and YOU, our branches, are the only way we can do that. You are our eyes and ears into your communities. We’re looking forward to doing some brainstorming with you. Talk to you soon!

New branches! WILPF is growing!

In the last few weeks, we’ve been contacted by members who are working to start new branches in their areas of the country. That’s pretty darn exciting! We hope by the end of the year to solidify the details. Last year we restarted our branch in Houston, TX. This year, we added one in Ojai, CA! Two more just getting underway are in Rochester, NY and Gainesville, FL. It only takes 10 like-minded women (and men) to start a new WILPF Branch. Let us help you get a new branch started in your neck of the woods! Contact us at info@wilpfus.org.

ONE WILPF all member call scheduled

The next ONE WILPF call will be Thursday, October 13, at 4 pm pacific, 7 pm eastern. Put it on your calendar now. More details to follow. Preregistration is required for this Maestro Conference & Social Webinar Call. Planned speakers will discuss the World Beyond War conference held September 23-26 in Washington, DC, and collaborative plans going forward.

ONE WILPF calls are a great way to connect with other branches and members, plan collaboratively across all of WILPF US, get to know one another better, and share solutions and resources. And the technology is easy to use! Have questions? Want to suggest topics for future calls? Contact us at 1wilpfcalls@gmail.com.

Buy WILPF a Cup of Coffee!

You’ve probably been meaning to buy WILPF a cup of coffee, as part of our new SUSTAINER PROGRAM. It’s NOT too late! For as little as $5 a month you can invest in the work our members do so tirelessly for peace and justice in the world. If you haven’t yet signed up to be part of this effort, please do! So far we’ve raised just $900 a year with this program. We need many more of you to be WILPF Sustainers. So . . . go ahead. Buy WILPF a cup of coffee! Read more about how it works here.

Tell us about you & WILPF

We’ve been asking members to share stories about how they came to know about and to join WILPF. What led you to WILPF? What keeps you here? Be as creative as you wish, in 1,200 words or less. We want personal stories of commitment and of your own quest for a more peaceful and just world. Tell us about yourself, your passions for WILPF’s issues, and what your hopes are for WILPF’s next 100 years.

Our members are our greatest asset. Let’s get to know one another better!

Send your stories to GROWINGWILPFCHAIR@gmail.com—in under 1,200 words, please.

Thanks so much for all you do for WILPF and for peace in your community. We appreciate you!

The Development Committee of WILPF US

Dixie Hairston (Dallas, TX), Brandy Robinson (Portland, OR), Robin Lloyd (Burlington, VT), Marybeth Gardam (Winter Haven, FL), Nancy Price (Davis, CA), Mary Hanson Harrison (Des Moines, IA), and Eileen Kurkoski (Boston, MA).

(If you want to be part of this dynamic group of WILPFers leading WILPF’s capacity-building efforts for the twenty-first century, contact Marybeth Gardam at mbgardam@gmail.com. We have exciting, fun, creative work for you, and we need your most innovative ideas!)