Long Island Fund for Women and Girls

The Long Island Fund for Women and Girls (LIFWG) is a not-for-profit organization established in 1991 for the purpose of funding programs that improve the lives of women and girls. Their office is in the historic Elias Hicks house in Jericho, New York.

LIFWG was founded by a network of women from business, not-for-profit and philanthropic groups. Their motto is “Empowerment through philanthropy”. The organization encourages all women and girls to become philanthropists, thus enlarging Long Island's donor pool. It is a vehicle for supporting, and where possible, funding the grassroots initiatives organized by women and girls in response to unmet needs. Funds raised are awarded to programs ranging from initiatives that promote equity in educational opportunities to those that advance women’s health, safety and economic well-being.

In LIFWG's infancy, women from all over Nassau County and Suffolk County met at home gatherings, at bi-county general meetings and in work-based focus groups to identify the most pressing issues affecting women and girls in our communities. By 1993, LIFWG had an active Steering Council and had already disbursed $20,000 in grants to local not-for-profit organizations whose programs benefited women and girls. Originally a part of the Long Island Community Foundation, LIFWG became a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with an independent Board of Directors in 1995.

Each year since 1995, LIFWG has expanded its philanthropy through its annual "Women Achievers Against the Odds" breakfast. Held each November, this is the organization's major fundraising event. Exceptional women achievers are honored, and LIFWG's annual grants are announced.

In 1999, the Gender in Equity in K-12 Education Project was introduced. The goal of the Gender Equity in Education Project is to challenge the attitudes and practices that exist in the Long Island school system. Through funding of programs, projects, services and initiatives as well as collaborative educational efforts, the program highlights the issues of gender equity in education that encourage girls and young women to pursue math, science, engineering, technology and sports. In addition, it supports the initiatives that deal with problems of harassment in schools or the workplace, or the rise in bullying and/or gang-related violence.

In February 2006 LIFWG along with the Long Island Women’s Agenda (LIWA) launched “The Early Years Matter: What Every Parent Needs to Know Parenting Workshops and Awareness Campaign”. The campaign included a series of workshops presented free of charge to parents encouraging them to:

*Make the most of their child’s early years
*Understand what school readiness means
*Recognize and find quality child care
*Learn how to be an advocate for their child
*Know where to find help in the community

The following spring LIFWG and LIWA launched “The Early Years Matter: Smart, Healthy, Happy Children- Start With Play”. The 2007 campaign will inform parents of the vital importance of indoor and outdoor play to the developing brain in early childhood and beyond.

Through 2007, LIFWG has been successful in increasing its funding each year providing support to over 100 organizations and programs totaling over $1,000,000.

External links

[http://www.lifwg.org Long Island Fund For Women and Girls Website]

[http://www.theearlyyearsmatter.org The Early Years Matter Website]