News & Event
How is history made? Who makes that history?
To look at Marian Spencer you'd never guess that she boldly goes where others fear to tread. Now, in her 90s, Mrs. Spencer, a Jacob E. Davis Volunteer Leadership Award winner, has a steely determination that belies her diminutive size.
A long-time civil rights activist, Mrs. Spencer is a Cincinnati icon well known for her tireless advocacy of civil rights and equal treatment of minorities.
In 1952, she chaired the NAACP Legal Action vs. Coney Island, Cincinnati, Ohio. The Cincinnati History and Library Archives describes the genesis of this key desegregation action, “The case started when Spencer’s sons heard a radio ad inviting children to Coney Island to meet a local TV personality. She telephoned to ask if the invitation applied to all children and was assured that it did; however, when Spencer added, ‘We are Negroes,’ the Coney Island representative admitted the invitation did not extend to Negro children.”
Spencer was dismissed from the entrance by an armed guard on the Fourth of July, 1952. Spencer filed suit and subsequently won the case, which desegregated Coney Island.
For decades, Marian and her husband, Donald, now deceased, were leaders of the efforts to desegregate Cincinnati schools, workplaces and many important community venues. She has also fought to protect all citizens’ fundamental right to vote for the candidate of their choice. She became Cincinnati’s first African American woman elected to City Council and served as Vice Mayor.
There have been many awards and honors bestowed on Mrs. Spencer for her tireless work to make Cincinnati a city of opportunity for all. In 2010, she was inducted into the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame. At the OCRHF induction they lauded her community efforts and her engaging personal style described as “always exceedingly polite, Mrs. Spencer personifies the characteristics of courage, cooperation and perseverance.”
Also in 2010, she was recognized for her work to desegregate public schools. The Cincinnati Board of Education recognized Marian and her husband's legacy by renaming the Frederick Douglass elementary school in Walnut Hills, the Donald A. and Marian Spencer Education Center.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, many of you will have the pleasure of hearing Mrs. Spencer at the sold out 1000 Women Strong event on March 1. But even if you can’t attend, let her story of a woman and mother who chose to make a difference inspire you to get involved this month to make our community the best it can be for all.
Marian Spencer was the first speaker in our 'A Conversation With...' Series.
CINCINNATI (August 5, 2016)—Soccer legend and equal pay advocate Abby Wambach will be the next speaker for The Women’s Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation’s A Conversation With event on Saturday, March 25, 2017, at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.
Wambach has spoken out against the gender inequality between men and women in professional sports and elsewhere.
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“We are thrilled Abby is coming to Cincinnati to share what makes her so driven as a fierce competitor and advocate for equal pay for women,” said Meghan Cummings, executive director of The Women’s Fund. “Her long history of fighting for goals on the field and equal treatment off the field makes her a perfect choice for this event. Our purpose to be a voice for ensuring the economic self-sufficiency of women in our region, and we admire Abby for using her position as a role model to make the world a more equal place.”
A Conversation with Abby Wambach will be Saturday, March 25, 2017, at 2 p.m. at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, 1 W. Rivercenter Blvd, Covington, KY 41011. Emmy award-winning sports reporter Betsy M. Ross will interview Wambach. Preceding this event, Wambach will appear at a kids’ soccer expo at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tickets for both appearances will go on sale later this year. All proceeds benefit The Women’s Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation.
The Women’s Fund created “A Conversation With... as a signature event in 2012. We invite a female history maker to speak in an intimate setting – where she could share her journey, her triumphs, and her obstacles with our supporters. Previous speakers have included Cokie Roberts, Lisa Ling, U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, Phyllis S. Sewell and Marian Spencer.
Abby Wambach is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Co-Captain of the 2015 FIFA World Cup title U.S. Team, 2012 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year and ESPN analyst and contributor. Wambach, long known as one of the most intense competitors in U.S. history whose years of clutch goal scoring made her a fan favorite. During the 2015 Women’s World Cup, she scored the winning goal in a crucial 1-0 victory against Nigeria in the final game of group play. Following the United States' win at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup,
Wambach and her teammates became the first women's sports team to be honored with a Ticker Tape Parade in New York City. A six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award, she had been a regular on the U.S. Women's national team from 2001-2015. Wambach retired in 2015 and currently stands as the record holder for the most international goals for men and women. She played at the professional level for Washington Freedom, magicJack, and the Western New York Flash. Wambach played college soccer for the University of Florida, where she was a member of a national university championship team and was recognized as a three-time All-American.
Always one to embrace her position as a role model, as her athletic accolades grew over the years, Wambach became a leading voice for women’s sports, as well as for her generation of female soccer players and athletes. In 2015, Wambach was named to the 2015 Time Magazine’s The 100 Most Influential People list. In 2016, she received the 2016 ESPY Icon Award.
The Women's Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation leads our community in ensuring the economic self-sufficiency of women in our region. Through leadership, research, and grantmaking, The Women’s Fund works to identify and address the barriers affecting working women and their families. Learn more and get involved at www.cincinnatiwomensfund.org.
One of the nation’s leading community foundations, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation helps people make the most of their giving to build a better community. We believe in the power of philanthropy to change the lives of people and communities. As a community foundation, GCF creates a prosperous Greater Cincinnati by investing in thriving people and vibrant places. An effective steward of the community’s charitable resources since 1963, the Foundation inspires philanthropy in eight counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. At the end of 2015, GCF had net assets of $533 million.
CINCINNATI (October 17, 2017) — NASA Astronaut, American Engineer, physician and STEM advocate Dr. Mae Jemison will be the next speaker for The Women’s Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation’s A Conversation With event on Thursday, April 5, 2018, at the Cintas Center.
General admission tickets are $50 each and will go on sale in late January 2018. Host and hostess tickets are $250 each, include a private reception with Dr. Jemison, and are on sale now at www.cincinnatiwomensfund.org. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Following her time in NASA, Dr. Jemison founded both The Jemison Group and BioSentient Corporation. A technology consulting firm, The Jemison Group explores and develops stand-alone science and technology programs, integrating the critical impact of socio-cultural issues with revolutionary technologies. Among The Jemison Group's groundbreaking work is a project to use satellite technology for health care delivery in West Africa and another to use solar dish Stirling engines for electricity generation in developing countries. In addition to all her work, Dr. Jemison is a highly sought-after speaker on issues of health care, social responsibility, technology and motivation. She has appeared on BBC, The McNeil Lehrer Report, ABC Nightline, NPR and CNN.
The Women's Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation leads our community in ensuring the economic self-sufficiency of women in our region. Through leadership, research, and policy advocacy, The Women’s Fund works to identify and address the barriers affecting working women and their families. Learn more and get involved at www.cincinnatiwomensfund.org.
CINCINNATI (January 22, 2018) – The Women’s Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation has selected Melanie Healey as the interviewer for its 2018 signature event, A Conversation with Dr. Mae Jemison, Thursday, April 5, 2018, 5:30 p.m. at the Cintas Center.
Healey, former group president of Procter & Gamble, will interview Jemison, NASA Astronaut, American Engineer, physician and STEM advocate.
“Melanie’s rich expertise and stellar business accomplishments make her a natural complement to Dr. Jemison’s impressive body of work,” said Meghan Cummings, executive director of The Women’s Fund. “Our supporters attend this event seeking to learn from authentic community leaders who have forged their own extraordinary paths.”
Healey was listed eight consecutive years in Fortune Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business ranking. She has a long track record of accomplishments in several multi-national organizations.
General admission tickets are $50 each and will go on sale on February 1, 2018. Host and hostess tickets are $250 each and include a private reception with Dr. Jemison. They are on sale now at www.cincinnatiwomensfund.org. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Purchase host tickets
All proceeds benefit the Women’s Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation.
The Women’s Fund created “A Conversation With...” as a signature event in 2012 to highlight a female history maker to speak in an intimate setting – where she can share her journey, her triumphs, and her obstacles. Previous speakers have included Abby Wambach, Cokie Roberts, Lisa Ling, U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, Phyllis S. Sewell and Marian Spencer.
As group president, Melanie Healey ran P&G’s overall operations in the company’s largest region/market (North America/US) and one of their large sectors (Health Care/Feminine Care & Adult Care).
She is a board director and strategic advisor. Her business and brand building expertise, multi-cultural and multi-national perspective, and passionate commitment to improving the lives of consumers, employees and the global community have led to engagement on corporate, industry, university and community boards. She is a board director of Verizon, Target, PPG, Urban Sitter, Beckon. Her previous board service includes Bacardi, Grocery Manufacturer’s Association, 3CDC (as chair), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, University of Richmond and ArtsWave (as the 2014 campaign chair). Healey is an inspirational leader who has increased stakeholder value by building diverse global organizations focused on a shared consumer focused vision, new product and commercial innovation, building brands, and driving operational improvements that deliver revenue, profitability and share growth.
In addition to Fortune Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business ranking, she has been named to Forbes Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women and Advertising Age’s Most Influential Women in Advertising.
The Women's Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation leads our community in ensuring the economic self-sufficiency of women in our region. Through leadership, research, and policy advocacy, the Women’s Fund works to identify and address the barriers affecting working women and their families. Learn more and get involved at www.cincinnatiwomensfund.org.
One of the nation’s leading community foundations, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation helps people make the most of their giving to build a better community. We believe in the power of philanthropy to change the lives of people and communities. As a community foundation, GCF creates a prosperous Greater Cincinnati by investing in thriving people and vibrant places. An effective steward of the community’s charitable resources since 1963, the Foundation inspires philanthropy in eight counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. At the end of 2016, GCF had net assets of $563 million.
CINCINNATI (February 1, 2018) — Tickets are now available for The Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation’s A Conversation with Dr. Mae Jemison on Thursday, April 5, 2018 at the Cintas Center. Jemison was the first African American woman in space and is an engineer, physician and STEM advocate.
Tickets can be purchased online at cincinnatiwomensfund.org. General admission tickets are $50 and includes a networking reception. Host and hostess tickets are available at $250 each and includes a private pre-talk reception with Dr. Jemison and priority seating.
Purchase tickets
Jemison will be interviewed by Melanie Healey, former group president of Procter and Gamble.
The April 5 event will start at 5:30 p.m. at the Cintas Center, 1624 Herald Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are also available.
All proceeds benefit The Women’s Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which works to ensure the economic self-sufficiency of women in our region and ignites a shared desire to improve it.
Growing up in the Southside of Chicago, Dr. Mae C. Jemison was always curious about space. After graduating from Stanford University, she became a medical doctor and worked in Liberia and Sierra Leone as the Peace Corps medical officer. In 1983 she applied to the NASA program, after being inspired by Sally Ride, the first woman in space, and Nichelle Nichols, who acted in Star Trek. At NASA, she became the first female African-American to become an astronaut and go into space when she flew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992. Serving six years as a NASA astronaut, Dr. Jemison is an icon of both the women’s rights and civil rights movement, inducted into both the National Women’s Hall of Fame (1993) and the International Space Hall of Fame (2004). After NASA, she began teaching at universities including Dartmouth College and Cornell University and founded research groups to continue the development of scientific knowledge. She is a doctor, a dancer, an astronaut and holds nine doctorate degrees in the humanities, science, and engineering.
She is a board director and strategic advisor. Her business and brand building expertise, multi-cultural and multi-national perspective, and passionate commitment to improving the lives of consumers, employees and the global community have led to engagement on corporate, industry, university and community boards. She is a board director of Verizon, Target, PPG, Urban Sitter, Beckon. Her previous board service includes Bacardi, Grocery Manufacturer’s Association, 3CDC (as chair), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, University of Richmond and ArtsWave (as the 2014 campaign chair). Healey is an inspirational leader who has increased stakeholder value by building diverse global organizations focused on a shared consumer focused vision, new product and commercial innovation, building brands, and driving operational improvements that deliver revenue, profitability and share growth. Healey was listed eight consecutive years in Fortune Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business ranking. She has been named to Forbes Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women and Advertising Age’s Most Influential Women in Advertising.
The Women's Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation leads our community in ensuring the economic self-sufficiency of women in our region. Through leadership, research, and policy advocacy, The Women’s Fund works to identify and address the barriers affecting working women and their families. Learn more and get involved at www.cincinnatiwomensfund.org.
Dr. Myrtis Powell is a presence.
She’s not shy about sharing her opinions and is quick to laugh and flash her fantastic smile. Her background is impressive — she is the former Vice President of Student Affairs at Miami University, recently retired as the President of Cincinnati Youth Collaborative and was honored by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber as a Great Living Cincinnatian of 2005.
When Myrtis joined GCF’s Governing Board in 1999, she was intentional about what she wanted to achieve.
“I thought I could bring something to GCF to make it more visible and accessible,” she said. She felt more minorities needed to be involved with the Foundation and on its staff.
“I feel like GCF has changed — it’s certainly more welcoming,” she said. “For one, the fact that you have people that look like me here now. The whole face of the Foundation has changed.” And as a former member of the Grants Review Committee, she believes minority groups are more comfortable applying for grants.
“People are often surprised when they walk in and see an African-American woman in the room,” Myrtis said of the grants review process. “In the past, minority groups might not come through the door and that word gets around and people stop trying. Today, even if we’ve turned down a proposal, people feel they’ve been heard.”
She’s also enjoyed her work on GCF’s Strategic Initiatives Committee. She likes that GCF finds out what is important to the community and brings in other partners to help projects reach fruition. “I think the Foundation is a great community resource. It’s not just the money but being able to provide leadership and initiative. People listen to GCF. It’s an important asset to the community.”
“Over the years, Myrtis has given GCF the precious gift of her time, talents and inspiration. She has been a powerful force for transformation by teaching us that ‘change begins at home,’” said Ellen Gilligan, GCF Vice President for Community Investment. “GCF is a better, stronger and more inclusive institution because of Myrtis.”
Myrtis uses the Foundation for her own charitable gifts. She established The Lavatus V. Powell, Jr. Family Fund in memory of her husband. She was attracted to GCF for several reasons — minimal paperwork, stewardship, the grantmaking process, low management fees and tax advantages. “Someone does the work for you. You can pick up the phone and say, ‘I want $500 to go to Purcell Marian’ and that’s it, it’s all taken care of.”
A native of Evergreen, Alabama, Myrtis grew up in what she describes as a “community of caring and sharing.” She recalls her mother and friends canning food or having quilting bees to help out those less fortunate. This is a value she has instilled in her own children. “Volunteering is part of who my family was and is — you don’t take, take, take. It wasn’t a big preachy thing — it’s just who we are. We volunteer and serve on boards.”
This formidable woman said she is happy with the work and changes she’s contributed to GCF. “I try to contribute my own knowledge, experience and contacts — not just complaints,” she laughed. And flashes that smile.
Dr. Myrtis H. Powell has served on the Foundation’s Governing Board. She established a donor advised fund the same year.
Originally published in the 2005 Annual Report to the Community
CINCINNATI (June 4, 2015) — The Women’s Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation recently presented its 2015 mini-grants to 12 well-deserving nonprofits.
The Women's Fund's mini-grant ($500 - $1,500) cycle funds organizations that provide services and programming to improve the lives and economic status of women and girls in the Greater Cincinnati region. Our grants focus on supporting systemic efforts to improve women’s incomes, job security and their ability to provide adequately for themselves and their families.
List of 2015 Mini-Grant Grantees for Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency:
These grants were made possible by the generosity of The Women's Fund donors. Because of them, $1 million has been granted to Greater Cincinnati programs and projects that help women since the inception of The Women's Fund in 1995. See the list of projects we have funded.
We would like to thank our wonderful volunteer grant reviewers for your time, thoroughness and wisdom!
The Women's Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation leads our community in ensuring the economic self-sufficiency of women in our region. cincinnatiwomensfund.org