An Inspiration to All!  

On Thursday, May 7, 2009, Quad Citians entered the i wireless Center for an afternoon of fun, laughter and inspiration. Guests sampled appetizers, sipped on complimentary Champaign, ate lunch and bid on more than 90 pursed donated by area women and the business community. Attendees had the privilege of listening to leadership and legacy planning expert, Tracy Gary. Ms. Gary is nationally recognized for her role in philanthropy and has appeared on The Today Show and Oprah Winfrey.  Tracy dazzled the crowd with her personal stories and motivated participants to get involved in giving back.

Here’s what guests had to say about Tracy:

“Tracy was modest in expressing her accomplishments; however, she was an inspiration in showcasing that no matter your economic situation, women can come together to make a difference in their community.”

“After hearing Tracy speak about the power of pooled funds, I became excited. My friends and I can actually make an impact in our community by forming a giving circle and making grants to organizations and causes we feel passionate about!”

This is the second Power of the Purse event put on by the Community Foundation and its purpose is to raise awareness of the power of women’s giving in the Quad Cities. Proceeds from this year’s event were split between the Leading Ladies Giving Circle and the Women’s Fund.

Leading Ladies Giving Circle
The Leading Ladies Giving Circle was formed in 2007 and is comprised of women who want to make a different and seek and deeper understanding of social causes and issues. The Leading Ladies are funded from the generosity of individual members and each contributes the same amount to the circle annually. In return, the pooled resources enable the circle to make a greater impact than would have been possible with smaller contributions. The Leading Ladies have distributed $6,000 to organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, Vera French Community Mental Support, Family Resources, Handicapped Development Center and the Douglas Park Project.

Women’s Fund
The Women’s Fund is a permanent endowment created to support the unmet needs of women in our community. Membership is comprised of local women whose long-term objective is to assist others [women] in crisis through education focusing on financial and community responsibility. The Women’s Fund first grant was made in 2006 to the Violence Intervention Counseling Services Program at Family Resources. In 2007, the Douglas Park Project received five sets of washers and dryers.

Thank you to our sponsors