Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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92 Ro French of The Women's Fund of Essex County strives to make a difference in the lives of women and girls in our region—with great success. BY MARY GRAUERHOLZ ast June, while most of us were making summer plans, members of The Women's Fund of Essex County were reviewing numbers, and they were pleased. For the fund's fiscal year, ending June 30, the volunteer-run fund had given away more than $315,000 in grants and unrestricted gifts for at-risk or in-need girls and women on the North Shore. Among the most welcome pieces of news was the fact that more than $2.3 mil- lion has been invested back into the commu- nity since the fund's inception in 2003. As dazzling as numbers are, this all- volunteer group of women prefers to think of success in terms of lives changed: teaching at- risk girls about making healthy food choices, increasing the number of local single mothers who earn a livable wage, and strengthening self-sufficiency through programs for young Latinas in Lynn, among other initiatives. "We're at a point [where] we can reflect on our year," says Ro French, president of the fund's Advisory Board. "We're incredibly proud." She adds that while there always will be need, "we've touched an incredible number of women and girls." For French and the other 19 women who serve on the Advisory Board, helping to raise the wages of single mothers is a no-brainer for the region. In 2017, the group established The Fund for Single Mothers at North Shore Com- munity College. The single mothers' fund has given rise to another encouraging number : In June, while the average GPA for all the college's students was 2.8, the average GPA for women helped through the fund was 3.18. An additional point of pride for the fund is the Founders' Circle Award, which gifts a local nonprofit agency with an unrestricted $30,000 grant. The 2019 gift was to Girls Inc. in Lynn, which for decades has helped girls in Lynn reach their potential. A gift of that size, French says, can make an enormous differ- ence in an agency. The Women's Fund of Essex County, housed at the Essex County Community Foundation in Danvers, has accomplished this work on a very tight shoestring. The Community Founda- tion's Investment Committee manages the fund's assets, while Community Foundation staff members serve as the fund's back office and oversee the granting process. "They're the closest thing we have to a professional staff," French says. That means the fund's Advisory Board can concentrate on dispersing funds in a manner that pleases the people involved and also takes into careful account the intent of the fund's donors. Working on the Advisory Board is clearly a passion for these women, who balance their talents with a "roll-up-your-sleeves attitude," French says. "We make it work." French is a natural when it comes to work- ing with the charitable process. After a career in managing investments and the birth of her three daughters, she segued into the life of a full-time community volunteer. The Women's Fund of Essex County called out to her. "I have incredible respect for the original founders of The Women's Fund and have served on other nonprofit boards with several of them," she says. "My involvement with The Women's Fund inspires me and gives me hope that our impact will provide more opportunities for women and girls in Essex County." She and her hus- band, Hollis French, live in Wenham. Fundraising events and corporate sponsor- ships are critically important for the fund's viability. On October 17, the fund will host the 17th Annual Grant Awards Luncheon. Several hundred people will attend the event, to be held at Danversport on the Danvers Marina. The keynote speaker is scheduled to be Lauren Hersh, founder and national director of World Without Exploitation, which seeks to end sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of women. An annual appeal will follow, as will the group's annual "friend-raising" event in the spring called "The Power of the Purse." Complete with donated handbags from local vendors and corporations. Accomplishments seem to come naturally to these Advisory Board members. "We know we have to all be a part of that process to make it all work," French says. Are there any bumps in the road to acknowledge? French thinks for a moment, and then says, "We never have enough money. Really, we could do so much more." thewomensfundec.org My involvement with The Women's Fund inspires me and gives me hope that our impact will provide more opportunities for women and girls in Essex County.