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Events are so important to us because community is at the core of who we are. CWIP hosts a variety of networking forums, seminars, workshops, & panels that allow our members to learn together and from each other. We connect women with resources, mentors, and mentees in order to help our community grow and flourish. From breakfast events to lunch events to after-work events, we are committed to providing opportunities for Chicago to connect, flourish, and leave feeling empowered.
Rachael Marusarz vividly remembers her first Chicago Women in Philanthropy (CWIP) event nine years ago, when she was a relatively introverted development officer at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. She enjoyed the event and learned a great deal from the speakers, but the most meaningful moment was when a program officer from a local foundation told her, “I’ll take off my funder hat, you take off your grantee hat, and we’ll just be two women here to support one another.” It was that atmosphere of support that propelled her involvement with CWIP.
On a frigid, bright Friday morning last week, 60 members and friends of CWIP gathered virtually to take time for themselves. The second in the Friday Share series, which began earlier this year, was focused on “Prioritizing Ourselves” and came out of member survey results highlighting the need for self-care during the pandemic.
While most of us have rarely known the names of past state public health directors, Dr. Ngozi Ezike has become a household name that Illinoians have come to rely on. While the COVID-19 pandemic is of course part of the reason we all know Dr. Ezike’s name, it has been her steadfast leadership, calm demeanor, and ability to explain complicated and quickly-changing concepts with professionalism and compassion that has inspired and captivated many of us.
On Friday, January 26, more than 100 representatives of the nonprofit, corporate and foundation communities gathered at the Women’s Athletic Club for “Straight Talk: Unpacking the Power Dynamic between Grantseekers and Grantmakers.”
