In this issue:

Building a Human Rights Movement in the U.S.

Women's Policy Institute Retreat #2: Projects Underway at the Capitol

Announcing the Women of Silicon Valley Donor Circle

U.S. Women Without Borders: Spotlight on Human Rights

Promotions to Support the Foundation

The Women's Foundation of California believes that California's potential will only be realized when women and girls lead and thrive as full participants at all levels of society. We invest in women and girls to build a more just and equitable society for all. We work to eliminate barriers that perpetuate injustice and inequity in order to catalyze positive social change.

 

Support these social change investments!

# 34 January 2006

Building a Human Rights Movement in the U.S.

On Wednesday, January 11th, the Women’s Foundation of California — along with the Ford Foundation, The Libra Foundation, the Rosenberg Foundation and the US Human Rights Fund — hosted a day-long convening about building the human rights movement in the U.S.

The "Human Rights at Home" convening fostered dialogue around such questions as: What is the history of the human rights movement in the United States? What is a human rights framework? What are some of most effective strategies for using this framework? What does it mean to apply a human rights lens to social justice work?

The convening was both a hands-on learning opportunity for those interested in the application of the human rights framework and a movement-building vehicle to strengthen the social change work of foundations, nonprofit organizations and activists.

Dynamic speakers and panelists took part in a day filled with information, inspiration and strategy. Transcripts of remarks by Carol Anderson, Widney Brown, Monique Harden and Larry Cox will soon be available for download on our website.

Many of the 140 attendees left the convening saying they gained a deeper understanding of what it means to use a human rights framework in the United States. Thanks to the speakers, attendees also acquired various strategic tools to apply to their work.

Read a full account of what happened at the Human Rights at Home convening.

Women's Policy Institute Retreat #2: Projects Underway at the Capitol

The journey continues for the 27 Fellows in the 2005 - 2006 Women's Policy Institute.  At the conclusion of the first retreat in October, Fellows broke up into teams and selected their policy action projects. Teams met via conference calls in the weeks before their next retreat and developed draft statements about the purpose of - and solutions to be provided by - their chosen policy projects. In December, they re-convened for the second of four retreats in Sacramento.

The December retreat kicked off with an in-depth tour of the Capitol. As they navigate the legislative process, Fellows become more familiar with the locations of key offices and some of the informal meeting places where policy advocacy also happens. Day Two saw Fellows learning the necessary skills to conduct legislative visits and meetings with other advocates, including "the opposition."

Fellows put those skills into practice and conducted their first round of meetings with legislators, legislative staffers and other advocates.On the last night of the retreat, teams reported to the larger group about what happened during their legislative visits and the progress they had made with their policy projects.

Read the full story of the Women's Policy Institute's Retreat #2.

Announcing the Women of Silicon Valley Donor Circle

A donor circle is a group of individuals who pool their resources in order to have a greater impact on issues they care about. Donor circles offer members a powerful opportunity to make a difference within their community while gaining an in-depth education on effective social change strategies and hands-on training in strategic philanthropy.

The Women's Foundation of California operates three successful donor circles and is a national leader in this donor engagement model. We are pleased to announce the launch of a new donor circle that will focus on developing the economic potential of women and girls in Silicon Valley.

Members of the Women of Silicon Valley Donor Circle will learn about innovative and effective strategies to address women's economic self-sufficiency and then make grants using their collective resources.

To find out about joining the Women of Silicon Valley Donor Circle, please contact Cathy Schreiber at cathys@womensfoundca.org or (415) 837-1113 x301.

U.S. Women Without Borders: Spotlight on Human Rights

This week at US Women Without Borders you can read about the innovative efforts of activist Lin Chew to use the human rights framework on anti-trafficking work.

Visit www.uswomenwithoutborders.org and flex your advocacy muscle to make a difference in the lives of women around the world.

Promotions to Support the Foundation

The Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal 
 The Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journalis supporting the Women’s Foundation of California with a subscription drive between now and May 12, 2006. For every subscription from a Women’s Foundation supporter or E-news subscriber, the Business Journal will donate $30 to our new Women of Silicon Valley Donor Circle.A subscription to the Business Journal costs $86.95/year and includes 52 issues, 12 supplements, the Book of Lists, the Valley Life Quarterly and the E-dition (a downloadable PDF version of the Business Journal). To subscribe, please contact April Souza at asouza@bizjournals.com. 

Eve Ensler’s The Good Body in Los Angeles
Eve Ensler is back with a play both uproarious and insightful. In The Good Body, Ensler takes an inside look at the outside, exploring the cultures of beauty, food and desire through the eyes of women around the world. After a critically acclaimed run on Broadway, Ms. Ensler brings this provocative, hilarious and profoundly moving performance to Los Angeles.

The Wadsworth Theatre is presenting Eve Ensler in the Los Angeles debut of The Good Body from January 31 through February 12, 2006. Purchase your full-price tickets through Ticketmaster for any performance of The Good Body in Los Angeles  using the code, women6, and the Women’s Foundation ofCalifornia will receive 10% of the ticket proceeds at the end of the show’s run.

Women's Foundation of California

INVESTING IN WOMEN AND GIRLS
CHANGING THE FUTURE