PLU Center for Gender Equity 2017: Cultivating the Next Generation of Leaders
Welcome to Lillian Ferraz's Personal Fundraising Page!
This campaign is important to be because the sustainable and fruitful programs of the CGE make measurable impact on the lives of PLU students across the gender spectrum.
With the Center for Gender Equity I have been an organizer for the Elect Her program, as well as a Head Director for the Vagina Monologues. As a first generation college woman these opportunities have given me the tools, opportunities, mentors, and vision it takes to thrive in university-connected opportunities such as Fulbright, The Pierce County Young Democrats, and Tacoma Public Schools. This center invests in connecting young people who are filled with knowledge and potential and creating bridges to using that knowledge in the wider world. I want to work so that these opportunities are available for so many more students in the future.
If you want to contribute to places that do the good work and not just talk about it, put your money where your mouth is.We make local impact and need local funding.
Continuing a Tradition of Positive Impact
The Center for Gender Equity (fka the Women’s Center) has been an agent of change for 27 years at PLU, providing mentoring, advocacy and education for countless students, faculty and staff. We strive to empower all people to become advocates for gender equity and social justice so that every person is treated w/fairness and justice, regardless of gender identity or expression.
“I like to think that the [. . .] Center was where I came into my own and began the process of defining my purpose in society. In addition to being an incredible catalyst for social change, it was also a second home--an environment that was deeply inviting and familiar.”
--Nova Schauss, 2004
Help us continue and sustain our work by investing in proven leadership programs that will provide students with the skills to become agents of change within their own lives and communities. We are seeking funds to offer Elect Her and the Sista Circle Leadership Retreat for the next 2 years and to hire a Women’s Leadership Intern to oversee these programs and cultivate her own leadership skills in the process. Now more than ever, it is imperative to have a diversity of perspectives in leadership positions!
The Gender & Race Gap in Leadership
One of the issues that we have addressed throughout the years is the persistent gender gap when it comes to women in positions of leadership:
And the disparity only increases when race is factored in. According to the Center for American Women and Politics, “Four hundred and thirty-three women of color serve in state legislatures in 2017. They represent 5.9% of all state legislators, including 6% of all state representatives and 5.5% of all state senators.” The figure below shows the impact of race on the number of women serving in state-wide and federal elected executive offices:
Cultivating the Next Generation of Leaders
The [. . .] Center has made me a leader of my own life! It also given me the courage to create my dreams and live them. It's given me a voice and the passion to speak for those who cannot. It made me see the world differently.
Amy (Greenwood) Swanson, former SAPET Coordinator, 2007
Elect Her
Elect Her is a half-day training for college women to learn the skills and confidence to run for student government. During the training, students discuss the importance of women running for office; examine the issues they care about; map out their support networks; craft and deliver elevator speeches; meet female role models who have run for public office in their community; and network with students who currently serve on their campus student government.
Elect Her works! Of the 2016 participants who ran for student office, 90% won! About 50% of participants and 50% of trainers are women of color, and 99% of 2015 participants reported that they would recommend Elect Her to a friend.
Here’s what previous PLU attendees had to say about Elect Her!
“I liked how empowering it was. Before I felt like I didn't have the right skills, but it made me realize the skills and passions I already have and how I can improve upon them” (2013 participant)
“I loved that everyone who spoke was really inspiring and confident that all of us were qualified enough to succeed.” (2015 participant)
$3000 = 2 years of Elect Her: $1000 for registration + $1600 for catering + $400 for printing and advertising ($1500/year)
Sista Circle Leadership Retreat
Given the under-representation of women and gender non-conforming people of color in positions of leadership, we will host a retreat specifically for the members of Sista Circle, a group on campus dedicated to women and gender nonconforming people of color at PLU.
This day-long retreat will be facilitated by Victoria Woodwards, former Tacoma City Councilwoman and candidate for Tacoma Mayor, and it will focus on how
- the intersections of race and gender impact leadership,
- effective strategies to mitigate this impact,
- the importance of mentoring and self-care, and
- networking with community role models.
$3000 = 2 years for a Sista Circle Leadership Retreat: $1000 for facilitator + $1600 for catering + $400 for printing and advertising ($1500/year)
Women’s Leadership Intern
Money will be raised to hire a student intern for two years (during the 2017-2018 & 2018-2019 school years) to work approx. 75 hours/semester to coordinate Elect Her and the Sista Circle Leadership Retreat. The goal is to provide a student with the opportunity to learn program development and leadership skills in a hands-on setting, with mentorship and guidance from the staff of the Center for Gender Equity. Preference will be given to a first-generation and/or student of color. The Women's Leadership Intern will also be sent to the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, hosted annually in Baltmore, MD.
$4000 = $3150 (for student pay for two years) + $850 to send student to National Conference for College Women Student Leaders ($460 for registration + $390 for travel)
Overall Budget
Goal: $10,000
UPDATE: After reaching our original goal of $10,000, we decided to extend our goal to $15,000 due to the overwhelming response to campaign! This additional funds will enable us to add ANOTHER YEAR of women's leadership programming!
Breakdown:
$3000--Host Elect Her for 2 years $3000--Host the Sista Circle Leadership Retreat for 2 years $4000--Hire a Women’s Leadership Intern
Thank YOU for your support!
There's only 7 days left in our campaign. We're $642 shy of our amazing $15,000 goal. That means, we just need less than $100 a day to make our goal! If you need a reminder of why having more women in leadership positions is important, here's a photo of a meeting held on Thursday where it was discussed whether or not maternity care and mammograms should be considered essential treatments covered by health insurance policies. Who's missing?!
This past Saturday, we held a very successful Elect Her! Over 45 students attended and heard from inspirational leaders within our community like Victoria Woodards (CEO and President of the Tacoma Urban League & candidate for Tacoma mayor), Rep. Laurie Jinkins, and Rep. Jeannie Danielle, among others. Help us to sustain this program for years to come by giving today!
In just over a week of launching our campaign, we've raised over $13,000 to support young women who are ready to lead and make positive change in their communities! We're overwhelmed by the support of the the 111 supporters who have supported this project focused on creating the next generation of leaders. And, our eyes are trained on achieving our new goal of $15,000 by the end of Women's History Month!
Speaking of Women's History Month, we'd love to extend an invitation to attend our Annual Celebration of Inspirational Women. It will be an evening of fun, food, and stories of amazing women within our community who lead with their own vision.
In less than two days, we've arrived at our initial goal of $10,000!!! The overwhelming support for this campaign is a powerful reminder that we are not alone in our mission to cultivate gender equity advocates. Thank you to the 66 supporters who brought us this far and finished the match! Your solidarity means the world to us, and you have made two years of the Elect Her program and two years of the Sista Circle Leadership Retreat possible for our future leaders. Achieving this goal also means we are able to hire a Women's Leadership Intern to be part of leading these programs. This is what a united front looks like.
$1,500 -- Host the Sista Circle Leadership Retreat for 1 more year
$2,000 -- Hire a Women's Leadership Intern for 1 more year
Mary Duvall
Jennifer Smith
Nellie Moran
Alayna Linde
Tolulope Taiwo
Hilary Vo
Ksenija Simic-Muller
Jp Avila
Kendra Saathoff
Luke Ruiz
Lillian Ferraz
Michael Zbaraschuk
Dawn Cuthbertson
Olivia Egejuru
Taylor Bozich
Jacynda Woodman-Ross
Lottie Duren
Rona Kaufman
Gave $110.00
Mark Mulder
Gave $110.00
Ksenija Simic-Muller
Gave $54.00
Bobbi Hughes
Gave $500.00
Barbara Murphy
Gave $100.00
Kaitlyn Porter
Gave $7.00
Catherine Curtis
Gave $10.00
Emily Stauffer
Gave $100.00
Gregory Youtz
Gave $50.00
Scott Rogers
Gave $50.00
Hal DeLaRosby
Gave $25.00
Hannah Febach
Gave $15.00
Melannie Cunningham
Gave $100.00
Jen Rude
Gave $54.00
Lauren Mendez
Gave $35.00
Matthew von Nida
Gave $54.00
Sean Walters
Gave $40.00
Alyssa Urish
Gave $35.00
Kevin Yamamoto
Gave $100.00
Alina Urbanec-Solano
Gave $133.00
Haley Nelson
Gave $54.00
Jessica McGifford
Gave $50.00
David Robbins
Gave $35.00
Jennifer Blecha
Gave $100.00
Julie Winters
Gave $10.00
Rev. Christine Emerson
Gave $35.00
Mary Jo Larsen
Gave $30.00
Paul Racz
Gave $7.00
Martin Gengenbach
Gave $110.00
Nicole Gonzales
Gave $22.00
Amy Young
Gave $35.00
Andrew Larsen
Gave $34.00
Michael Moran
Gave $150.00
Sarah Wheeler
Gave $35.00
karin Johnson
Gave $25.00
Andrea Munro
Gave $54.00
Nellie Moran
Gave $110.00
Andrea Shea
Gave $54.00
Patricia Roundy
Gave $110.00
Neal Yakelis
Gave $110.00
Claire Todd
Gave $110.00
Lace Smith
Gave $110.00
Nicole Juliano
Gave $22.00
Naomi Strom-Avila
Gave $253.00
Jenny Taylor
Gave $22.00
Katherine Wiley
Gave $50.00
mary takla
Gave $35.00
Tom Edgar Edgar
Gave $35.00
Lin Eastman
Gave $50.00
Ana Radovanovic
Gave $100.00
Vivie Nguyen
Gave $22.00
Angelica Chambers
Gave $100.00
Emily Schelle
Gave $110.00
Susan Duren
Gave $150.00
Teresa Bergeson
Gave $200.00
Vickly Winters
Gave $110.00
April Smith
Gave $50.00
Tommy Flanagan
Gave $7.00
Nova Fergueson
Gave $253.00
Aaron Dennis
Gave $110.00
Rebecca Solverson
Gave $54.00
$24.00 matched!
Mark Kloepper
Gave $54.00
$54.00 matched!
Laura Rose
Gave $22.00
$22.00 matched!
Brock Knapp
Gave $9.69
$9.69 matched!
Jan Lewis
Gave $253.00
$253.00 matched!
Nicole Gleadle
Gave $10.00
$10.00 matched!
Jes Takla
Gave $110.00
$110.00 matched!
Aleksandra Sander
Gave $54.00
$54.00 matched!
Emily McCann
Gave $54.00
$54.00 matched!
Laura Toso
Gave $20.00
$20.00 matched!
Anna McCracken
Gave $15.00
$15.00 matched!
Sue Loiland
Gave $54.00
$54.00 matched!
Corrie Hulse
Gave $22.00
$22.00 matched!
Joanna RoyceDavis
Gave $150.00
$150.00 matched!
Benjamin Malnor
Gave $55.00
$55.00 matched!
Nicholas Mirra
Gave $50.00
$50.00 matched!
Helene Fornia
Gave $54.00
$54.00 matched!
Cameron Reister
Gave $75.00
$75.00 matched!
Michael & Lisa Zbaraschuk
Gave $110.00
$110.00 matched!
Mary O'Brien
Gave $110.00
$110.00 matched!
Shannon Thomas
Gave $100.00
$100.00 matched!
Shaun Duvall
Gave $500.00
$500.00 matched!
Shiori OKi
Gave $5.00
$5.00 matched!
Taylor Gjesdal
Gave $25.00
$25.00 matched!
Zetta Winer
Gave $110.00
$110.00 matched!
Lisa Bonds
Gave $50.00
$50.00 matched!
Douglas Page
Gave $50.00
$50.00 matched!
Victoria Woodards
Gave $100.00
$100.00 matched!
Teresa Ciabattari
Gave $100.00
$100.00 matched!
Angelica Hambrick
Gave $54.00
$54.00 matched!
Arlyn Saathoff
Gave $100.00
$100.00 matched!
Galen Ciscell
Gave $7.00
$7.00 matched!
Alina Solano (Urbanec)
Gave $100.00
$100.00 matched!
John Dawson
Gave $25.00
$25.00 matched!
Rick Barot
Gave $100.00
$100.00 matched!
William Towey
Gave $50.00
$50.00 matched!
Nolan Ryan
Gave $22.00
$22.00 matched!
TEMITOPE TAIWO
Gave $500.00
$500.00 matched!
Joanne Lisosky
Gave $50.00
$50.00 matched!
Donna Gibbs
Gave $500.00
$500.00 matched!
Ardys Curtis
Gave $150.00
$150.00 matched!
Alexander Domine
Gave $54.00
$54.00 matched!
Mary Duvall
Gave $54.00
$54.00 matched!
Courtney Gould
Gave $110.00
$110.00 matched!
Lizbett Benge
Gave $22.00
$22.00 matched!
Christina Graham
Gave $54.00
$54.00 matched!
Allison Stephens
Gave $100.00
$100.00 matched!
Shelby Winters
Gave $35.00
$35.00 matched!
Zachary Lyman
Gave $50.00
$50.00 matched!
Team USEED
Gave $5.00
$5.00 matched!
35 supporters have chosen not to be listed for "PLU Center for Gender Equity 2017: Cultivating the Next Generation of Leaders".
Make an Impact
Member of the School Board
Give $7
A gift of this amount pays for one workbook for Elect Her!
City Council Member
Give $22
A gift of this amount can pay for presentation supplies needed for the Sista Circle Leadership Retreat!
City Superior Court Judge
Give $35
A gift of this amount can pay for the Women's Leadership Intern to join "So You Want to Work in Politics," a women-focused tour of the U.S. Capitol where participants will learn how to begin and pursue a career in advocacy, politics, and policy making from a panel of women who work for senators and representatives on Capitol Hill, while attending NCCWSL!
Member of the State House of Representatives
Give $54
A gift of this amount can help a member of Sista Circle to eat lunch, dinner and snacks while attending the Leadership Retreat!
US Senator
Give $110
A gift of this amount can pay for a workbook, meals, and supplies for 5 students attending Elect Her!
Vice President
Give $253
A gift of this amount will pay the wages for the Women's Leadership Intern for about a month of work, helping her to pay her way through PLU and develop hands-on leadership skills at the same time!
President
Give $500
A gift of this amount can pay for a one-year registration to host Elect Her or the facilitator for the Sista Circle Leadership Retreat, where dozens of students will work with a trained facilitator to learn how to become engaged in their community to make positive social change and network with local female politicians or role models!
Supreme Court Justice
Give $1,000
A gift of this amount will pay for registration, travel and food for the Women's Leadership Intern to attend the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders in Baltimore, MD, where she will attend sessions such as Finding Your Voice, The Revolution Is Happening: Create Your Zine Media to Promote Social Change, and Take Action! as well as a Career and Graduate School Fair.
