Jan 17, 2024 | Featured News/ Events, Volunteer and Board Spotlight
Board Member Spotlight
Courtney Brown currently serves as a Director of Development at Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS). Courtney received her B.A. in Global Studies from UCLA and her M.Sc. in Sociology of Crime, Control, and Globalization from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is passionate about advancing women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and immigrants’ rights. Courtney previously worked for Tahirih Justice Center and Casa Cornelia Law Center, where she served as Director of Philanthropy. Courtney has been a member of Women Give San Diego (WGSD) for over 10 years, during which she took on various volunteer leadership roles including the position of Co-President from 2017-2019. Courtney is originally from Houston, Texas and now lives in Poway with her husband Zac, their son Isaiah, their daughter Blair, and their dog Farrah.
This will be the beginning of Courtney’s journey with WE, and she is excited for the opportunity to do great things with WE! And we are so pleased to welcome her to the Board. Thank you, Landen, for your service!
1. How did you first find WE or get introduced to WE?
I was introduced to WE through Win Cox. Win is a supporter of Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS)’s immigration work – especially the San Diego Rapid Response Network (SDRRN) Migrant Shelter – so this is how I met her. She joined us for a tour of the Shelter and we later met for coffee. We really hit it off given our shared interests and Win told me all about WE. I was excited to learn more about getting involved! I was also excited to see that Amina Sheikh Mohamed is on the board, as I met Amina years ago through Women Give San Diego and really admire her work as well.
2. What sparked your interest in joining the Board?
Though I am a professional fundraiser, I have always felt I could only fundraise for organizations that I deeply personally support. I feel the same way about joining the Board of WE. I really like that WE provides loans and other poverty alleviation grants not just locally but internationally. The Board members and staff have impressed me in their willingness to learn from the Partner organizations and have real collaborative and trusting relationships with them, not just top-down/funder-grantee relationships. I can’t wait to learn more as I begin my Board service.
3. What are you most excited to contribute to the Board and WE’s governance?
I’ve spent my career on the staff side of non-profits, and I’ve been working closely with non-profit Board members for a long time. I am hopeful that my background at various organizations (large and small) serving immigrants and refugees, coupled with my understanding of how non-profit Board members can successfully support a growing organization, will allow me to contribute in meaningful ways. Of course, I look forward to contributing fundraising ideas as well!
4. How do you spend your time when not volunteering with WE?
My day job is Director of Development on the Individual Giving Team at Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS). JFS’s social services are very expansive, and I specialize in our Welcome the Stranger work, which includes refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and SDRRN Migrant Shelter. I work with donors and my team to help bring supporters closer to the humanitarian work being done and help to realize our donors’ philanthropic goals as well. Outside of JFS and WE, my 3.5 year old, Isaiah, and 1.5 year old, Blair, keep me quite busy! They are both hilarious little bundles of energy. I feel fortunate that one of my biggest stress relievers – cooking – also benefits my family (a real win-win). One of our favorite family activities is going to the Safari Park in Escondido.
5. What’s one of your favorite inspirational/motivational quotes?
“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” John Augustus Shedd
6. What was the last good book you read or what’s next on your reading list? (Or movie or show…)
I just finished reading “The Guest” by Emma Cline, which I thought was a great summer read. My husband and I are currently watching the new season of Black Mirror, a very scary but thought-provoking show on Netflix. I also unapologetically love many reality shows, particularly on Bravo, though I am woefully behind on several of them. One of the best (scripted) shows I’ve seen in recent years is Fleabag, especially Season 2; I highly recommend it.
Dec 14, 2023 | Featured News/ Events, News
Did you know…? There are many ways to give!
Donations of Stocks
WE accepts donations of stocks. Giving appreciated securities—stocks, bonds, and mutual funds—can benefit both you, as a donor, and WE. In most cases, donors receive a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the security and do not have to pay capital gains tax on the transfer of securities that have been held for at least a year. We can provide you, your stock broker, financial manager, or other service representative with information on our account for the transfer.
Monthly Support
You can turn your gift into a monthly source of support to empower women and families. Select “Donate Monthly” on our online giving form. You can also contact your bank about a recurring, automatic payment on a monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual basis. Lead into the new year with a commitment to support the WE mission throughout the year.
Holiday Events with a Purpose
Turn a holiday party into a gift for women’s economic empowerment around the world by offering guests the opportunity to donate to WE and a mission close to your heart. You can collect donations in lieu of host gifts or gift exchanges or in addition to these!
IRA Charitable Rollover or Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)
Donate through an IRA Charitable Rollover or Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). This may be a way to lower the income and taxes from your IRA withdrawals, while helping to continue the mission of WE. This can satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year and reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions. Contact your IRA plan administrator to make a gift from your IRA to WE.
Charitable Gift Annuity
Create a Charitable Gift Annuity and both you and WE can benefit. This type of donation can provide you (and/or someone else you designate) with regular, annual payments for life and establish a fund for a donation to WE down the road. You can also qualify for a variety of tax benefits depending on how you fund your gift, whether through cash, appreciated property, or IRA assets.
Many great resources provide more information on how to establish a charitable gift annuity, create a Donor-Advised Fund, made a QCD, and much more, including those on San Diego Foundation, Jewish Community Foundation San Diego, National Gift Annuity Foundation, Fidelity Charitable, and Schwab Charitable.
Things to remember:
- December 28 & 29 are the last business days of the month if you do need to contact a financial institution, broker, financial advisor, or other business.
- As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we rely on your generosity and partnership to uplift women and communities in San Diego and around the world. Your tax-deductible donation helps us deliver vital grant funding to help women overcome poverty for themselves and their families for generations to come. We appreciate your support at all levels!
A message from our Executive Director, Sarah Adams.
Nov 21, 2023 | California, Featured News/ Events, Our Impact Page, Women Stories
Husniah, a refugee student from Afghanistan and Corpsmember with WE partner, Urban Corps of San Diego County, has faced numerous challenges on her journey, but her resilience and determination have never wavered. As a refugee, she has had to overcome obstacles that most of us can’t even imagine. One of the biggest obstacles she faced was transportation.
Living far from the Urban Corps of San Diego campus, it was a constant struggle for her to get to her High School Education and Job training program. However, with the help of the Women’s Empowerment International’s grant for vehicle down payment assistance, she was able to obtain a much-needed car of her own.
It has been said that “transportation is the aorta of poverty” and this is very accurate for Corpsmembers at Urban Corps. Corpsmembers were found to be missing career opportunities because they didn’t have their own vehicle. Employers want “reliable transportation” and public transportation does not always go a work location or might be delayed en route, and if you are unable to make it to work, you risk losing your job. WE has provided support for down payments, while Mission Federal Credit Credit Union, another Urban Corps partner, has been supporting financial literacy training and counseling to ensure Corpsmembers are able to continue with any insurance and loan payments that they will have.
For Husniah, her car has become a lifeline for her, enabling her to commute efficiently and reliably, eliminating the barriers that once stood in her way. Now, Husniah can confidently navigate the demands of work and education, empowering her to reach her goals and create a brighter future. Her unwavering determination, combined with the support she received, has truly transformed her life.
Nov 20, 2023 | Featured News/ Events, Honduras, Our Impact Page, Women Stories
Nolvia M. is a pulperia and carniceria owner in La Ceiba, Honduras. To grow her business, she joined the microfinance program with WE grant partner, Adelante, which enables women like Nolvia to work toward self-sufficiency and break a cycle of poverty and strengthen their families. Nolvia has taken out 19 loans with Adelante over the last 15 years. Prior to her involvement, her mother was a client of Adelante, which is how she came to learn of their services. With her loans, Nolvia has grown her business bit by bit and expanded her butchery business with her father, the person who inspired her to start this business.
Over the course of time, Nolvia borrowed funds to invest in assets that would help improve her product offerings and efficiencies, including an industrial-sized meat sealing machine, supplies and materials, and a larger freezer. As a successful, repeat customer, Nolvia also qualified for—and took advantage of—Adelante’s other loan products such as the home improvement and water and sanitation loans. With those, she has repaired her roof and now has a washroom.
Nolvia shared that not only is she extremely grateful for the opportunity to start and grow her business, but she has also experienced slowly over time, greater profits that she has been able to put towards the betterment of her family, business, and home.
Most recently she was able to purchase a used car that she uses for both business and personal purposes. She is able to pick up needed materials more easily and expand her client base by being able to make deliveries. She also uses the car to get family members to and from different activities and appointments, ensuring they are able to access and more easily obtain necessary services that improve the overall welfare of her family and greater community.
Doña Nolvia is excited to share that she plans to open a second location somewhere central in the city since her current business is located on the outskirts. By experiencing greater profits and mobility, she will be able to achieve her greater enterprise goals and continue to invest back into her business efforts and her family’s wellbeing.
Oct 12, 2023 | Featured News/ Events, Guatemala, New Grant Partner, Our Impact Page, Women Stories
Ramona Lucia from Guatemala
“Although I grew up with many limitations, I did not limit myself and always looked for a way to get ahead.”
Ramona Lucia, 23, lives with her family in Chiyax, a small village, 45 minutes from the city of Totonicapán. The local Maya dialect is K’iche’. Ramona was taught to embroider by her mother, Cipriana, who is also a member of the Multicolores’ Embroidery group, which is supported by a WE grant.
Throughout her life Ramona has dared to do things without fear to make her dreams come true. One such dream was to finish High School. This meant taking a job, at 12 years old, so that she could pay for transportation, food and school supplies when it looked like her parents’ financial resources would prevent her from going to school. Juggling work and school often meant that she had to do her homework well into the night. Ramona describes herself as a person with a lot of creativity, positivity, and perseverance to achieve her goals.
Another goal took shape in 2022 when the embroidery group had the opportunity to visit the home of a private collector and view the embroidered works of Antonio Ramirez Sosof, now deceased. The works so inspired Ramona that she resigned from her job in a shoe factory and dedicated herself to her career as an embroidery artist. Impressed with the collection, she stated that “one day I want people to collect my work like they have collected Don Antonio’s.”
Ramona’s abundant enthusiasm and willingness to learn has not gone unnoticed. She is currently working with Multicolores, assisting the Creative Director in the production area, putting into practice many of the new skills she has gained: quality control, shipping and inventory management, which she learned during her ArtWorks internship with Multicolores in 2022. Ramona is also learning English. Of working with Ramona, the Creative Director shares, “it’s nice to see how Ramona processes information; one can see her eyes light up generating more ideas and getting ready for action. She is very observant and wants to replicate the good she sees in others.”
An important and recurring theme in Ramona’s work is loss of culture and lack of awareness of cultural stories. She forms part of a movement of artists who are narrating and illuminating this theme globally. As an artist, Ramona uses incongruous imagery in her artwork, combining images that would not exist in reality, in order to evoke an emotion or sentiment. This can be seen in the story cloth below entitled, El Baile del Venado (The Dance of the Deer).
As a member of Multicolores, Ramona is proud to work with a group of talented and creative women who share ideas, support each other, and find joy in collective work. She is proud to support herself and her family through her work. Over time, Ramona has improved her design skills, particularly her drawing skills, she has learned how to convey technical knowledge to other women in her group, and she has achieved many of her goals. Her current goal is to continue saving so that she can install a drainage system in her family’s home. She also wants to continue learning English and learn more about clothing design. Ramona likes a challenge, and she likes to challenge herself. She is ready to take on the world!
“The Dance of the Deer is one of our most celebrated traditions, a folkloric rain dance, to the tune of the maracas and marimba. At the center of the dance is a person dressed as a deer, wearing a painted mask and a special ceremonial cloak.” – Ramona
El Baile del Venado (The Dance of the Deer) by Ramona Lucia Tzunún García
Jul 30, 2023 | Featured News/ Events, Mexico, Women Stories
With WE support, Via has formed solidarity groups for women experiencing poverty, immigration challenges, deportation from the US, trafficking, and other traumas. The women are supported holistically in their well-being and empowerment and provided resources, training, microloans, and coaching for their small business endeavors as paths to financial independence and security. Via has established 3 main solidarity groups – ESTIMA, SantaFe, and Ve’e Tu’un Xavi. WE supports the women taking part in all groups.
Meet Ana Marcela, ESTIMA Group Participant:
WE funding supports empowered women like Ana Marcela, who had been depressed and recovering from trauma in her past. Read her letter below:
Ana Marcela, 16 March 2023
I am Ana Marcela and, among many fears, I did not know that I suffered from depression, very hurt by situations in my past life but know that I am very happy and I would not change those things because I have made enormous changes in my life for the better and those fears have transformed into happiness and an improved person and I thank God because my life has changed radically for the better. I now work and am my own boss and little by little I see my small business growing and day by day I am trying to change and be a better person because you have not just helped me but my whole family, thank you for transforming my life and helping me grow, not just monetarily but as a person, my fears have left, I only want to achieve my goals and be a better person. Thank you and may God bless you.
Meet Marcela, Via Migrante Colonia Santa Fe Group Participant:
WE funding supports empowered women like Marcela, whose community-level support and group process has played a vital role in fostering her self-esteem and self-reliance, empowering her towards a thriving future.
Ana Marcela’s inspiring journey unfolds as the sole supporter of her family, with both her mother and daughter facing disabilities. Through a life-changing Solidarity Group formed by Via program and funded by WE, she discovered the necessary tools to believe in herself, boosting her self-esteem and igniting a newfound passion for sales. From food and clothing to a small in-home store, Ana Marcela’s entrepreneurial spirit flourished, transforming her from an isolated and apathetic individual into an active participant seizing opportunities for her future. Her growth is evident as her group changed its name from “First Ones” to “The Invincibles,” a testament to their strength and determination.
The Via Migrante Colonia Santa Fe group originated with the Madres Deportadas (Deported Mothers) group, but soon expanded as more women from the community expressed interest. Despite facing challenges during the pandemic, their dedication remained steadfast. Two nutrition/health programs were successfully provided, with a graduation scheduled for December. Although the group slightly diminished in size due to some women returning to work, all ten members continue to stay engaged. The community-level support and group process have played a vital role in fostering self-esteem and self-reliance among the participants, leading them towards thriving futures.
Meeting weekly, the group’s confidence continues to grow. Initially gathering at the church, their unity and trust in each other led them to rotate the meetings in their homes, symbolizing their strong bond. Graduating in December will not mark the end of their journey; they are determined to welcome new participants in January. Moreover, two group members aspire to become Promotoras, furthering their impact as outreach workers. Despite starting during difficult times, their resilience and unity shine brightly, exemplifying the power of community and collective effort.
Families in Tijuana continued to face unexpected challenges and changes in the aftermath of COVID-19. The trauma experienced during the pandemic has had ripple effects for mothers and children, as well as for single women, who experienced isolation and struggled to make their way with or without children in their care. With WE support, Via has formed solidarity groups for women experiencing poverty, immigration challenges, deportation from the US, trafficking, and other traumas. The women are supported holistically in their well-being and empowerment and provided resources, training, microloans, and coaching for their small business endeavors as paths to financial independence and security.
