Earlier this month, at our Leadership Forum & Awards Dinner, in a ballroom overflowing with friends and community supporters, we honored five extraordinary female leaders (pictured to the right). That evening, we also reflected on the status of women in leadership and the pivotal role we each play in advancing opportunities for women and girls to lead.
But why is it so vitally important that we support women in leadership?
At Dallas Women’s Foundation, we believe that economic security and leadership go hand in hand: when women and girls have the financial capability they need to maintain a sustainable livelihood, they are more likely to complete an education, pursue a career, and support themselves and their families. And when more women and girls are empowered to lead – be it in the workplace, through civic engagement or in the home — others are inspired to visualize their own leadership journey, and families move from surviving to thriving. Add to that the overwhelming evidence that companies with women in executive leadership roles have better business outcomes. The ripple effect of women in leadership benefits not only women and their families, but our communities, and ultimately the economy of our state today and in the future.
Each year at our Leadership Forum & Awards Dinner, we honor strong women who have blazed a trail for women and girls to follow, and raise critical financial support for our work advancing women’s economic security and women’s leadership. Thank you to all those who joined us, and committed to support this critical work and its real-time impact.
- Your support provided leadership training to low-income, predominately Hispanic mothers in the Bachman Lake and West Dallas neighborhoods to enhance voter registration and other civic engagement activities.
- It funded facilitation and leadership workshops for more than 200 community volunteers in Collin County who are dedicated to finding solutions to the emerging issues in their community.
- And it advanced an after-school program for high school and college students that delivers civic education, skill building for public speaking and campaign planning, and opportunities to network with female elected officials, all with the goal of seeing more women in elected office across the political spectrum.
Because of you, Dallas Women’s Foundation is able to advance our support of women’s leadership from the classroom to the board room, from the community to elected office. We have committed to provide leadership training and opportunities to 60,000 women and girls, and with your support, we will reach our goal, and cultivate a new generation of women leaders in North Texas.
Together we are investing in future leaders. Together we are inspiring innovative collaboration. Together we are empowering women and girls to lead and achieve economic security, because strong women make a better world.
To learn more about our Leadership Initiative, or to make a gift in support of this important work, click here. And to see photos from the 2017 Leadership Forum & Awards Dinner, click here.
Sincerely,
Roslyn Dawson Thompson