Important Information about the 2010 Luncheon

Dear Friends of Leading Women of Greater Cincinnati,

We have had a 15 year history of honoring and celebrating the unsung heroes of our community. Over 260 women have been honored and 30 scholarships awarded to those deserving and contributing members of our region. We have raised $12,000 for a fund within the Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

In 2009 and 2010, our people, businesses and sponsors are forging ahead in a struggling economy. Not a day goes by I don’t receive an e-mail or telephone call about a friend or co-worker that has been “restructured” out of their current employer. Now, the U.S. has over a 10% unemployment rate.

Leading Women of Greater Cincinnati’s Steering Committee has made a dramatic decision to acknowledge the limited funding available in our region, which should go to those that need food, clothing, shelter and health needs, and postpone our next honoree luncheon until March 2011.

We hope you will continue to be a supporter of Leading Women of Greater Cincinnati. This time will also give us the opportunity to update our mailing and contact lists, recruit new committee members and reconnect with our honorees and awardees. Please keep checking our website for updates. You now have a year to decide who you would like to nominate in any of the 22 categories! Please know how much we value your partnership and plan to reconnect in 2010 as we plan for 2011!

Thank you so very much.

Sincerely,

De J. Heggem, President

2011 Nomination Forms Now Available!

HISTORY OF LEADING WOMEN

In 1995, Leading Women began with a mission to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, establishing a woman’s right to vote. Accordingly, the Greater Cincinnati Women’s Network organized a small group of leaders from various women’s organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area. The goal was to bring visibility to Women’s History Month. Our first celebration honored 20 area women for their accomplishments and contributions to our community. Leading Women makes a $100 contribution in each honoree’s name to the nonprofit organization of her choice. It’s something we’ve done each year since 1999.

In the spring of 2000, a Declaration of Gift was made to The Women’s Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation to establish the Leading Women Fund. Leading Women made an additional contribution in 2003.

In 2004, in celebration of its 10th year, Leading Women gave $10,000 to the Women’s Fund Study on the Status of Women and Girls in Greater Cincinnati, now known as the Pulse™ Study.

Leading Women will further contribute to The Women’s Fund, as our treasury allows and our Steering Committee approves, in support of the mission of The Women’s Fund:
“To enhance the status of women and girls in our region by funding programs that effect positive change in their lives; To call women and girls to philanthropy; and, To encourage the full participation of women and girls in the community.”

Annually, we also award three educational scholarships to junior high school girls (11th grade) in Cincinnati Public and Covington high schools.  These awards, $1,000, $750 and $500, are used to further the young women’s educational endeavors after high school.

Leading Women also awards an annual Rose Tomlinson Scholarship, as a tribute to one of our founding members who, like the women who receive this scholarship, changed career paths or returned to school in mid-life. Funds for the annual scholarship are raised from our raffle, exhibit tables and donations.