The reminder: Together, we must give a face and a voice to the women and children whose decisions impact the world’s future. Currently, women are forced to walk farther for kindling and water, work harder for the same crop yield, and make choices between their children’s education or keeping them at home to assist with the burden that environmental devastation has already caused for rural households. These impacts are not isolated to rural areas; urban areas are now burgeoning with environmental migrants whose farms could no longer produce enough income due to unpredictable rainfall and desertification.
The role of investments and markets has become a primary focus for me. During my time as chair of the Sierra Club Foundation board, we’ve transitioned as much of our portfolio as possible to asset managers who are aligned with our priorities. Convincing investors that coal is a bad investment has been a key component of the Club’s campaign success. Now the Club is partnering with clean energy leaders to convince investors, policymakers, and the public that renewables and efficiency are a good bet.
In 2011, Rachel’s Network encompassed an extensive array of women from over 20 states, with outreach to educational outlets, advocacy groups, and grantmaking institutions. A retention rate of 93 percent affirmed the Network’s value as a tool for maximizing their impact. Though diverse in age, region, and political affiliation, members remained connected by a shared commitment to philanthropy, women’s leadership, and conservation. A variety of relationships also enhanced our roster, including multi-generational family ties, professional colleagues, and fellow community leaders.
I had never been particularly politically active before. My previous activism was limited to volunteering for candidates, making phone calls, and posting yard signs. But the Preschool Matters campaign pulled me further in. I was recently divorced, so I had time on my hands and loved the positive energy of the young paid staff. I immersed myself in every aspect of the campaign. I walked precincts, reached out to media outlets, spoke at Rotary clubs, and stuffed mailings. I was the chair of the campaign and a tireless volunteer.
In 2010, Rachel’s Network celebrated the astonishing growth and distinguished slate of program offerings that characterized our first decade. We looked back in appreciation on our remarkable expansion from the Founders’ Circle, a cadre of 18 dedicated women funders who established our “good old girls’ network” in 2000, to nearly 100 advocates who span the nation and collectively represent over $500 million in annual grantmaking. Under the leadership of Past President Lisa Renstrom and a committee representing our accomplished membership, we also completed the Blueprint 2010 strategic planning process that set a course for our next five years. The resulting plan succinctly expressed our renewed focus on community-building initiatives and outlined new efforts to raise our organizational profile.
