Our Latest Research
Realizing the Potential of an Equitable Economy: Centering Black Women’s Upward Mobility in the Cincinnati Region
Read moreThe Women's Fund
Through leadership, research and policy advocacy, the Women’s Fund works to identify and address employment barriers affecting working women and their families.
Our mission is to ensure the economic self-sufficiency of women in the Greater Cincinnati area and ignite a shared desire to improve it. We focus on child care, employment, living wage, and training and education interventions for women and their families at a systems level.
Our Impact
2019 IMPACT REPORT
The Women’s Fund activated 2019 by empowering all segments of our community to speed the pace of change on gender equity.
Learn MoreWhy Women?
Women are disproportionately affected by poverty, as they tend to hold jobs in low-paying sectors and bear greater responsibility for caregiving in their family. In our region, nearly 18% of women are living in poverty and 69% of the children in poverty reside in a single female-headed household. The Federal Poverty Level is not a true representation of who is struggling financially as families continue to be economically vulnerable until they reach self-sufficiency levels (generally 200%-250% of the Federal Poverty Level) or more. We believe, and research shows, by improving the circumstances for women, the entire community will benefit.
Learn MoreNews & Events
WCPO: Eager to learn about the nation's racial divide and how we got here? New Women's Fund analysis can help
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The Women’s Fund created the new advisory council for exactly that reason, said Executive Director Meghan Cummings. Already…
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United States Senator Sherrod Brown introduced an emergency paid sick days legislation to provide workers in Ohio paid…
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At the Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, we believe in the potential of an equitable economy. That’s why we’ll be attending the ElevateEquity Demo Day on Wednesday, April 28th at 4:45 PM EST!
Five equity-focused startup companies will pitch live in this free virtual event. The evening will also include a fireside chat with Regina Carswell Russo, titled "Changing Your Lens Can Change Everything: Making the Leap from Employee to Entrepreneur." Regina will speak about her experience making the leap into entrepreneurship as a Black woman, and share her lessons learned for aspiring founders of all backgrounds.
Demo Day will be streamed live on YouTube, with viewing details provided upon registration. We look forward to (virtually) seeing you there!
Sign Up Today!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/elevateequity-demo-day-tickets-148623959263
Affordable, quality child care is an essential need for Ohio families and is necessary infrastructure in our economy. Yet it remains out of reach for many low-wage workers. The Women’s Fund supports the passage of Ohio House Bill 145 to increase initial eligibility for accessing publicly funded child care from 130% to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA134-HB-145
Read our written testimony to learn more about this important issue: https://www.gcfdn.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/HB-145-Testimony-Womens-Fund.pdf
See our government in action! House Bill 145 will be discussed during the Families, Aging & Human Services Committee at the Ohio Statehouse TODAY at 11:00am. Watch live on The Ohio Channel http://www.ohiochannel.org/live
"On the current trajectory, it will take about 95 years for Black employees to reach talent parity (or 12 percent representation) across all levels in the private sector. Addressing the major barriers that hold back the advancement of Black employees could cut that duration to about 25 years.
Achieving equity for Black workers in the private sector is a structural and multivariate challenge that cuts across many facets of geography, industry, and occupations, as well as advancement and inclusion in the workplace."
Discover more, read: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/race-in-the-workplace-the-black-experience-in-the-us-private-sector?cid=soc-web#
Yesterday, we proudly released the second phase of our Black women’s economic mobility project— an economic analysis of the Black female workforce in the Cincinnati.
The data is clear; the economic disparities and systemic barriers are holding the Black female workforce back from reaching its full potential. This is not to comment on the work ethic of Black women, as this group has historically outperformed their female counterparts and had to provide for their families against incredible odds. However, our economic system has been developed with intentional barriers that hinder the economic advancement of Black people. The key findings in this report illuminate the outcomes of these barriers in the Cincinnati region.
This report is preceded by our first phase paper released in October 2020. This paper provides a historical analysis on Black female labor trends and the intentional public policy designed to discourage economic advancement for Black women.
Progress will come in big and small ways, but it is up to all of us to learn, identify and advocate for change because economic inequity impacts all of us. Learn with us.
Read the paper today: https://www.gcfdn.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2021_-Realizing-the-Potential-of-an-Equitable-Economy-Centering-Black-Womens-Upward-Mobility-in-the-Cincinnati-Region.pdf
We are excited to be a cohost for this Southwest Ohio legislative delegation meeting. We need all hands-on deck to demonstrate to our delegation that their constituents want and need expanded access to high-quality child care.
Register for the event: www.bit.ly/31zF09B
The Women's Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation is joining with our partner organizations to host a virtual briefing for members of the Southwest Ohio Legislative Delegation. We want to remind our Senators and Representatives of the importance of investing in quality early learning programs so our families can go to work, and our children are prepared to succeed in school and life. Please join us to meet your legislators, find out what is being proposed in the state budget and show your support for public policies that support children and their families.
Please join us, register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LMnjXen2SkOqb5qAVMKkEg
There are still spots available for our research release on Monday, April 12th at 2 p.m. The presentation of the second phase of our Black Women’s Economic Mobility project will include an overview of the research and a panel of community leaders and experts.
The preview? Our economic system has been developed with intentional barriers meant to hinder the economic output of Black women. The key findings in this report illuminates the outcomes of these barriers in the Cincinnati region. It will take bold, intentional policy interventions to dive change.
Register Today!
https://www.gcfdn.org/events/womens-fund-black-womens-economic-research-phase-2-webinar/
We are so excited to be part of Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce's GROW NKY’s Workforce Wednesday! Join us April 21st from 9-10 am to learn more about the programs and initiatives aligned to our collective regional goals.
Register today!
https://app.cerkl.com/org/story.php?oid=2278&id=12707708#
We joined Paid Leave for All and 400+ organizations to call on Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McCarthy, and Leader McConnell to work with the Administration to pass #PaidLeaveForAll. We need it now and we need it permanently. See the full-page ad in Washington Post and take action at https://paidleaveforall.org
Join us on Monday, April 12th at 2 p.m. for the presentation of the second phase of our Black Women’s Economic Mobility project. The University of Cincinnati Alpaugh Family Economics Center’s Co-Director of Research, Chris Nicak, will present research findings. Following the presentation, we will be joined by community experts to share their thoughts on how the community can use this research to create an equitable world for all people:
Karen Bankston, PhD, MSN, FACHE, FAAN, is an expert in health care operations and the nursing field and is a retired health care executive and UC professor.
Nia Baucke, Director of Communications for Cohear. She facilities discussions with everyday experts from our region to discuss and ideate solutions on economic mobility, housing, transportation and much more.
Ellen M Katz, President and CEO of Greater Cincinnati Foundation. With a laser focus on culture and strategy, she has led the charge to invest millions in the economic advancement of women and people of color, aligning all the Foundation's activity to ensure greater racial equity and growth potential for the Greater Cincinnati community.
Register today!
https://www.gcfdn.org/events/womens-fund-black-womens-economic-research-phase-2-webinar/