Staff and grantees – Please click on the picture to read more information on our new blog
Staff and grantees gathered to receive pointers on Making The Case (MTC) reports, mingle with BWF donors, and learn more about the Massachusetts State Budget.
Ronita Nath, former executive assistant, shared a summary of the gathering: “Not only were we able to reach out to the BWF grantee community and provide them with tips on how to monitor and evaluate their programs effectively, but in turn, grantees provided BWF with feedback on how we could better support them. In addition, grantees and donors were able to connect at this event, strengthening their concept of the BWF family.”
The Fund witnessed 100 percent attendance from our grantees at this event and the grantees received invaluable feedback on their Making The Case evaluation reports. Through MTC, grantees and BWF were able to better measure impact, identify accelerators, and capture stories from the outstanding work these women and girls-led organizations do.
In the afternoon, the grantees presented missions and offered success stories to fellow grantees and a few donors. It was a powerful experience to hear about rallies to forestall home closures, performances by homeless women, and presentations about workforce standards by teen leaders. Alexia Layne-Lomon*, coordinator at Reflect and Strengthen, stated, “the BWF gathering gave us a chance to connect, learn and strengthen our skills with our sisters and comrades in Boston’s social movement. This gathering is a shining example of BWF’s commitment to a strong, united, women-led organizing community, by providing us with more than just funding, but opportunity as well.”
The day concluded with a presentation by Sadaf Knight, policy analyst at MassBudget and a Community Leadership Fellow. The presentation, entitled “The State Budget: Difficult Choices and Our Future,” included a deeper look into why everyone should care about the state budget, the causes of the current fiscal crisis, and some possible solutions for balancing funds.
MassBudget, an independent nonprofit research organization, provides researched reports, particularly to low- and middle-income populations, on how budget, tax and economic policies in Massachusetts affect residents. The core of their mission is to ensure that everyone has access at no charge to high-quality information necessary to participate knowledgably in pertinent policy debates. No one should be left on the sidelines of public debates. MassBudget analysts make similar presentations throughout the year to a range of audiences. To request a presentation, visit www.massbudget.org and click on “request a speaker.”
* Alexia Layne-Lomon, coordinates Girl’s Night Out, Media and Communications, and Finances at Reflect and Strengthen: a grassroots collective of young working class women from the urban neighborhoods of Boston who take a holistic approach to organizing to create personal and social transformation.