How Can You Help WILPF US Fundraising?

by Jeneve Brooks, PhD
WILPF US Strategic Support and Initiatives Coordinator

July/August 2024

Your WILPF Sisters on the Development Committee are hard at work, strategizing and acting on innovative ideas to raise more money for WILPF US. Learn more about the Development Committee’s structure, our current efforts and ways you can help sustain WILPF for another 110 years!

Who We Are and What Do We Do?

The Development Committee consists of Co-Chairs Martha Collins and Marybeth Gardam, President Darien De Lu, Treasurer Barbara Nielsen, Interim Membership Committee Chair Eileen Kurkoski, Earth Democracy Chair Nancy Price, and three independent contractors: Development Steward Mary Hanson Harrison, Development Researcher Keilah Joyner and myself, Strategic Support & Initiatives Coordinator Jeneve Brooks. We meet every other Monday to strategize various fundraising efforts like planning special events, our twice a year appeals (End of Year as well as Spring Appeal) for WILPF and brainstorming next action steps with social media campaigns. The Development Co-Chairs also report our efforts to the WILPF Board monthly and at regular Finance Committee meetings.

Right now – our three paid development staff (including myself) all work part-time and are committed to working dutifully to make WILPF US more sustainable. As the Development Steward and former WILPF US President, Mary Hanson Harrison is in touch with current WILPF US members and donors and creates strategies to encourage sustained giving, bequests, and continued relationship-building among major donors and grantors.  She is also working on a video project for WILPFers to reflect on their activist legacies.

I am responsible for bringing in new donors to WILPF US, which includes reaching out to new progressive women donors. With the help of Keilah, I have created qualified contact lists for over 700 potential new donors in 20 cities where WILPF US has branches or where we would like to target for revitalizing branches like Chicago.  Every month, I email these women, inviting them to special events such as Congress or webinars (like our recent Juneteenth webinar and our Equinox events), and then I follow up with targeted personalized notecards to try to schedule one-on-one meetings.

I am also responsible for looking for new grants, and since joining WILPF I have secured a grant for our CSW program from the Griffin Family Foundation as well as submitted letters of inquiry and grant applications to other funders. I am always on the lookout for new grant opportunities. 

How Can You Help? 

While WILPF may appear to be a wealthy organization, compared to small local mutual aid organizations or city-wide groups. However, for a national organization, our budget is quite conservative, while our costs for communication and outreach are significant.  WILPF’s mission is controversial, so not everyone will support us. And we have mostly women members and donors, who consistently earn less than men so have less discretionary funds for donations. Every dollar makes a difference to us. Here are some things you can do to help:

• If you have an idea for a grant or any other fundraising activity, please reach out and contact me at wilpfus.jenevebrooks@gmail.com or call me at (917) 330-1906.
  • (A quick note about Melanie Gates and the $1 billion that she has agreed to give away to support women’s rights: Currently, there are no open opportunities for this money for organizations of our size and mission. Based on this AP news article, there will be an open call in the Fall 2024, but I will need to see the full scope of the request for proposals to see if we are eligible.)
• Consider becoming a recurring donor. We previously made the case in the 2024 Spring Appeal but it bears repeating — that recurring donations allow us to better plan our budget, as we can then accurately predict income against anticipated expenses. Please become a recurring donor today. 
• Please promote/share our social media events, attend them and support any special events that WILPF US hosts with small registration donations. We have initiated a Self-Care for Activists event for the Fall and Spring Equinoxes and raised almost $1,500. Your support and enthusiastic sharing of our special events going forward can make a difference and help draw more attendees and donations (every extra donation dollar helps).

Thank you again for your belief and support of WILPF US! We are stronger together and I look forward to hearing from you about how we can raise more money for WILPF US!