School is back in session! Whether you're sad or excited, the start of a new school year always comes with anticipation and excitement for what's to come.
At the Smith County Women's Fund, a new school year means a resumption of giving, and for parents of high school-aged girls, it's the perfect time to think about new, meaningful extracurricular activities.
Are you looking for a way to teach your kids about giving back to their community? Are you looking for a way to enhance their resume or college application? You've found the answer – GIVE (Girls Invested in Volunteer Efforts)!
The Smith County Women's Fund believes “We are Better Together.” Our mission statement describes our goal as a collective circle of giving. We want to transform our community by enriching the lives of women and children, and we do that by awarding impact grants to Smith County nonprofits that serve women with children.
One of the most exciting ways we advance our mission is by mentoring high school girls through an initiative called GIVE (Girls Invested in Volunteer Efforts). Through this meaningful program, high school girls (grades 9-12) experience the joy of collective giving and grantmaking. Our work mirrors Women's Fund's collective giving model and at its core it's very simple: we all commit to an annual giving, contributions are pooled into one big fund, and we identify eligible nonprofits for grantmaking through our annual grantmaking process.
We formed the group 10 years ago, and since then, GIVE has grown exponentially. Last year, nearly 100 girls participated in GIVE, which raised $18,000 for Bethesda Children's Hospital, our largest grant ever.
During the school year, the girls meet monthly to organize fundraising activities, then begin researching and learning about nonprofit services in Smith County and the people they serve.
By the end of the school year, the girls will have raised a significant amount of money and will have determined which organization they would like to impact through collective giving.
We are currently forming our GIVE class of 2024-2025. We invite your daughter, granddaughter or niece to join this incredible group of girls for a life-changing experience. By introducing youth to philanthropy, we foster compassion and generosity – values that will help shape the future of these incredible young women.
Meeting once a month during the school year, the girls will:
Gain a deeper understanding of philanthropy
Become more aware of local issues
Volunteer together, give together and change lives
But the depth of this experience goes beyond that. Learning about philanthropy has many long-term impacts. Learning about the needs of others gives us a greater sense of empathy and compassion. This leads to a greater sense of social responsibility, but perhaps even more importantly, GIVE equips girls with the tools they need to truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. These experiences empower girls to understand a need and respond to it with a solution.
There is no cost to participate in GIVE, and our members work together to ensure that every Smith County girl who wants to participate truly enjoys the experience.
GIVE develops and empowers current and future young women leaders to be change makers in our communities. Our communities need caring, responsible leaders who prioritize the well-being of others. By instilling philanthropic values in young people's minds, we lay the foundation for a generation of leaders who prioritize social impact, ethical decision-making, and the greater good.
And let's not forget college admissions! GIVE provides girls with an incredible and unique opportunity to add experience to their college resume that will impress admissions officers. When it's time to write their college essays, your child's time at GIVE will provide a rich, meaningful subject matter that will set them apart, demonstrate their individuality and compassion, and demonstrate their unique commitment to the community that will serve them well in college.
To learn more about GIVE, please visit our website at www.womensfundsc.org/give or feel free to call us at (903) 509-1771. GIVE is open to any high school aged girl with a giving heart.
— Zoe Lawhorn is president of the Women's Fund of Smith County, a giving organization of more than 350 women whose mission is to transform our community by funding programs that enrich the lives of women and children. We welcome any philanthropic-minded woman to join. For membership and outreach information, visit www.womensfundsc.org.
