Women's Philanthropic Leadership Circle History
WPLC offers a network of education and support
“We are volcanoes. When we women offer our experience as our truth, as human truth, all the maps change. There are new mountains.” — Ursula LeGuin, author
These words, initially delivered at a college commencement address, describe a transformational group of women in our own midst: The Women’s Philanthropic Leadership Circle (WPLC).
WPLC strives to raise the overall visibility of women leaders in education and human development and provides financial support to women in educational leadership positions. When it was founded in 2002, the circle was the only women-centered philanthropic group at the University.
Fundraising and scholarship through WPLC
Development officers in the college had discovered that married couples who had both attended the University tended to make donations to the husband’s college rather than the wife’s. “Despite the success of University-wide fundraising at the time, we observed that a disproportionate amount of those donations were going to other collegiate units,” explains Lynn Slifer, director of external relations in CEHD. WPLC was formed not only to raise money for grants and scholarships, but also to teach women about the importance of philanthropy and the impact of collaborating with other like-minded women.
In 2003 a similar women’s philanthropy group was founded in the former General College, and the circles joined three years later. Since their inception, the groups have raised a combined total of $300,000 and given nearly $90,000 in scholarships, program support, and research aid to promising faculty, staff, and students.
WPLC awards and celebrations
The circle holds an annual awards celebration to honor achievement and leadership by three groups: graduate students; CEHD staff with exceptional professional and community activities; and female junior faculty members, or Rising Stars, whose research, teaching, and outreach hold great future promise. Doctoral student Julia Conkel (educational psychology) used her financial award to present research at an international diversity conference, while Noriko Ishihara (doctoral student, curriculum and instruction) used part of the funds for a data collection trip to Japan.
Efforts and goals of WPLC
Founding WPLC member and chair of the group’s Steering Committee Andrea Hjelm (B.A., ’65) expresses enthusiasm about the group, which is echoed across the college. “It gives me great pleasure to be a part of a circle that is innovative in its intent,” she says. “I feel a sense of pride in watching our recipients receive and utilize the funds we present to them.”
One of the group’s hallmarks is its approach for distributing money for awards and scholarships. Members decide annually as a group where to direct their donations within the college. “Women tend to make charitable gifts that will reflect their values and to create change, and they want the charity to be accountable for the use of their money,” says Slifer. To that end, WPLC is highly intentional about making all financial decisions democratically.
Joining WPLC
Women join WPLC at one of several tiered levels starting at $500 per year. Members meet several times each year to build relationships and to learn more about personal finance and philanthropy. Past WPLC workshops and seminars have touched on strategies for aging with vitality, differences in how men and women make financial decisions, and personal stories from women leaders on the “frontlines” of education.
