Mission Accomplished, Womankind Center
to Close on June 29, 2007
Archives to be housed at the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe
A message from Womankind’s president:
Dear friends,
When Womankind first incorporated in 1993 as a resource center for Metrowest women, our goal was to “provide access to resources, advocacy and support to women in transition or need…” Today, most women’s access to information and resources is at their fingertips, not on index cards in file cabinets.
When we began Womankind’s Financial Literacy Project® (FLP) in 1995, we were the first organization in the US to offer a model of women teaching women about money. Today, Google “women’s financial literacy” and you get more than 1000 links to non-profits, for-profits, universities, State Treasurers’ offices – all offering financial programs to women. We really started a trend!
Our work was featured in local and national media, including: The Christian Science Monitor, More magazine, Working Mother magazine, the Boston Globe, More Than Money magazine, and many others. By 1998, Womankind was included in the Catalogue for Philanthropy, highlighting the “best small charities in Massachusetts.” And in 2002, I was honored to be named as a “Daily Point of Light” by President George H. W. Bush, for volunteer efforts on behalf of women.
Mindful that all things change, Womankind’s Board of Directors unanimously voted that having accomplished the mission for which our non-profit charter was granted, Womankind will cease operations as of June 29, 2007.
It is with pride and not without sadness that we say goodbye, and sincerely thank you for your loyal and generous support during these past 14 years. You have helped us to reach more than 10,000 women through our successful programs and offerings, including:
- One hundred + workshops on relationships, health, legal issues, family, personal growth, business development, creativity, and more.
- Two joyful “women’s coffeehouse” concerts.
- Three annual editions of our Women in Business Directory.
- Four Valentine’s Day Very Silent Auctions and Five Friends of Womankind Teas.
- Five art and photography exhibits, including one at the Danforth Museum.
Womankind’s Financial Literacy Project® has improved the lives of thousands of women and their families, through local classes, lectures, workshops, and especially through the publication of MONEY ORDER: The Money Management Guide for Women (Simon & Schuster, 2001). Via our Leaders Training Program, the FLP will live on in communities in five states and Canada.
And I am thrilled to announce that Womankind’s papers and records will be given a permanent home at The Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, located at Harvard University's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, which collects “manuscripts, books, and other materials essential for understanding women's lives and activities in the United States.”
We are grateful for the help and support of our hard-working volunteers and generous donors. The Board of Directors joins me in thanking you, for every hour and every dollar. As we say goodbye, please consider re-directing your annual Womankind gifts to other organizations working on behalf of women and girls. These programs are still woefully under-funded and need your support more than ever. When women work together, the horizons are limitless!
As I have so often reminded our FLP students: The one person in your life you can always depend upon is you. I urge you to take good care of yourself.
Very best regards,
Gail Shapiro
President
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