Dear Friends,
When I interviewed for United Way of Larimer County, one question I was asked stood out: “Why do you think people end up in poverty?” I said then what I believe even more strongly now: Poverty is a result of failed systems. Alleviation of poverty is a question of how to better reach and resource people. When I came onto staff at United Way in March of 2023, a significant part of my role was to research and design a new expansion of the WomenGive program, which has provided child care scholarships to single mothers pursuing higher education since 2006. This expansion would offer direct cash assistance to these women. Soon into my research, I found a quote by Rutger Bregman that rang true to what I believe and what WomenGive stands for: “Poverty is a lack of cash, not a lack of character.”
In my time leading the WomenGive program, I have gotten to know many of the mothers who have utilized our services. I have gotten to know their strength, their passion for their families and hopes for their futures, their self-sacrifice, and their determination.
When WomenGive launched our first graduate survey, we heard so much positive feedback about how funding for child care changes lives. Tiffany, a mother who credited the program with giving her the ability to go to school and find a job post-graduation, shared that “my kids finally know a life where they have everything they need.”. At the same time, many recipients shared the challenges that came after graduation and the transition into a career. Another recipient remembered her experience, sharing “I was poorer after graduation than I was when I was in school.” What we heard resoundingly was the need for an off ramp, an expansion of the program to build a bridge over the benefits cliff—the rapid decrease in public benefits that many experience when they begin to earn slightly more.
The idea of WomenRise was born. As WomenGive has grown, we want to deeper imbed our values of trust, dignity, and autonomy for mothers. This expansion falls into step with learnings at United Way towards trust-based philanthropy, which shifts traditional grant making towards a foundation of mutual partnership and leading with trust. Through cash assistance, which will distribute $500 monthly for one year to eligible WomenGive graduates, mothers will have the freedom to act upon what their families most need.
WomenRise has three goals:
- Financial Empowerment: Alleviate financial burdens on single mothers, enabling them to achieve greater economic stability.
- Youth Opportunity: Facilitate ongoing access to quality childcare services and increase opportunities for youth education, activities, and belonging.
- Maternal and Familial Health: Improve physical and mental well-being of both the children and the mother by reducing the negative health impacts associated with financial insecurity.
Greater access to cash, especially for single mothers, empowers women to make decisions based on their aspirations rather than financial constraints. It provides participates the freedom to actively shape their own lives. Like Tiffany’s family, we want all children in Larimer County to know a life where they have everything they need. I want to personally thank the WomenGive community, from our 500+ members, our mission sponsors, to our wide network of current and former recipients, for stepping forward with us into a future where when women give, women rise.
Cecilia Reynolds
Director of WomenGive and Impact Initiatives
