Happy 20th Anniversary Women in Development!
Women in Development of Greater Boston is honoring its 20th
Anniversary with a year-long celebration of Women in Philanthropy.
Join us as we celebrate women as philanthropists, women generating
philanthropy, women influencing philanthropy, women advocating for
philanthropy, and the women's network of philanthropy.
- Nationally Known Speakers
- Outstanding Programs
- Greater Visibility!
WID'S strength has come from its founders, advocates, volunteers,
members, hundreds of speakers, job seekers, employers, and its
network. Participate in the celebration of WID's role in shaping
philanthropy in greater Boston over the past 20 years.
Celebrating 20 Years of Women in Development
A look back at our history: 1980-1986
July 16, 1980
The nine founding mothers, representing eight educational
institutions, met to talk about forming an organization of women in
development in the Boston area. From the beginning they were concerned
with networking, developing skills, salary equity, affirmative action,
encouraging other women to enter the field, and the advancement of
women already in the profession.
1980-1981
At their second meeting, the group formed themselves into a
Steering Committee. They continued to meet bimonthly during the
academic year, attempted to coordinate with the newly-formed CASE
District I Women and Minorities Caucus and MSFRE, developed a mailing
list, and discussed topics for future meetings.
May 5, 1981
The first formal meeting with a speaker was held. Job openings were
listed on the announcement.
1981-1982
Bimonthly breakfast meetings with speakers continued, each one at a
different institution. The host institution was responsible for
mailing the meeting notice and list of job openings, as well as
receiving reservations. Participation was extended to "all women
seeking or pursuing careers in development." Keeping the
constantly growing mailing list up to date was a major problem.
October 26, 1982
The Steering Committee called a special business meeting to discuss
the need for a more formal organization. An Executive Committee was
selected to draft a statement of purpose and by-laws, and to
investigate incorporation.
1982-1983
The Executive Committee, led by Phyllis Fanger, labored throughout
the year, meeting alternately with program meetings. A Mentoring
Committee provided a workshop for women interested in entering the
field. Annual dues of $5 were levied; by December there were 111 paid
members.
June 15, 1983
The first Annual Meeting was held and officers were formally
elected, copies of the newly minted by-laws were distributed and the
decision to raise dues to $15 the following year was approved.
1983-1984
Under the leadership of the first president, Phyllis Fanger, the
new Board initiated many programs that continue today: a Job Resource
Network Committee, a special program for women in senior positions,
the first salary survey, and the engagement of a list management
service. Stimulating bimonthly breakfast meetings continued. At the
Annual Meeting that year, the first member database, listing 158
members, was distributed and results from the first salary survey
reported.
1984-1986
The second president, Ann Caldwell, presided over the inauguration
of the newsletter. The "jobs notebook" was maintained by the
chair of the Job Resource Networking Committee, and the first
mentoring workshop was held, attended by 23 women new to the field. A
concerted effort was launched to recruit members from hospitals,
social service agencies and cultural organizations; the membership
grew to 290. The first "Monthly Mailing of Available Jobs"
was published, and the first management seminar for senior members was
offered. A public policy committee was formed to recommend whether WID
should take a public stand on issues of concern to women and the
profession.
1986-1988
As our third president, Susan Galler, led the organization in
expanding the scope of activities for our 438 members. A series of
Mentoring workshops were held and connections were made between
mentors and protegès. Four program meetings a year focused on
professional development and an Annual Seminar was inaugurated for
members with 5 or more years of development experience. A joint
conference with other Massachusetts Women in Development organizations
was held. The Woman in Philanthropy Award was presented for the first
time. To support all this activity, annual dues were raised to $30.00
per year.
1988-1990
Lola Baldwin, the fourth president, led the Board in developing and
implementing a long range plan. During the summer of 1989, the Board
held a day-long retreat to clarify issues and establish goals,
including the establishment of a Public Policy Committee, with salary
equity as its first concern, and combining the Program and Mentoring
Committeeswith a charge to broaden the scope of programs. In
recognition of the scope of activities and growth of membership, now
at 670, Barbara Creedon was hired as Executive Assistant. One of
Barbara's first contributions was the production of a promotional
brochure. Dues were raised to $50.00 per year.
1990-1992
Our fifth president, Susan S. Paresky, presided during the tenth
year of WID. Membership surpassed 750 and represented a wide variety
of organizations. In 1991, a gala 10th anniversary celebration was
held followed by twelve more programs and networking opportunities.
The City Service project was launched, offering pro bono services to
small nonprofit organizations unable to afford professional fund
raising counsel. A strategic alliance was formed with The Boston Club
to identify and fill board positions. A new Committee on Equity and
Gender, charged with developing strategies to close the 12-14 percent
salary gap between men and women, replaced the Public Policy
Committee.
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