Northern California Grantmakers

NCG member Judy Patrick, CEO and President of the Women’s Foundation of California, was featured as a guest blogger last June on Council of Foundation‘s Re:Philanthropy blog.

In her blog post, Judy reflects on the effects of California budget cuts on the individuals and communities served by the Women’s Foundation of California:

“After years of watching the California state budget balanced at the expense of women and families, we decided it was time to put a human face on the impact of budget cuts. As a foundation serving communities directly affected by the budget cuts, we saw firsthand the impact on California’s women and families.”

The foundation decided it was time to try and influence the budget debate, instead of solely dealing with the effects of budget cuts on women and families in California.

Partnering For Change

The Women’s Foundation decided to partner with the “California Budget Project (a well respected budget analysis organization) and fund research for policy makers and advocates to make the economic and human case for preserving the small safety net that still remains in California.”

As a result of this partnership, the California Budget Report has released three reports to legislators, advocates and journalists.

To learn more about the Women’s Foundation of California’s public policy work on the California Budget, read Judy Patrick’s full blog post online.

NCG member Judy Patrick, President and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of California, documented a recent visit made by the foundation’s Race, Gender and Human Rights Donor Circle, the Women Donors Network and leaders of criminal justice organizations to the Central California Women’s Facility.

Today over 11,000 women spend their days in state prisons at the cost to the State of $52,000 per person a year. Chowchilla alone costs the state $208 million a year. Two-thirds of these women are convicted of non-violent crimes, most of them related to drug addiction. Two-thirds of the women in prison are also back in prison for some minor parole violation.

But Judy reminds readers there’s more to than just statistics at stake here.

“What is the rest of the story that is reflected in these pictures? The story is both maddening and heartening,” she explains.

Judy Patrick (second from left) with incarcerated women

What follows is a more personal description of the conditions in the women’s facility, of the future many of these women will face once they leave and the inspiring “resilience of these women…[who] still believe that they can make their lives right, be good mothers to their children, take care of their parents, and hold a job that allows them to support themselves and their families.”

Read Judy’s photo blog online.

NCG member The Women’s Foundation of California has released a new report under their Elder Women’s Initiative.

Launched in 2008, the Elder Women’s Initiative works to build a movement led by elder women and their allies to address issues affecting elder women–such as elder women’s vulnerable health and economic security amid the ongoing recession and state budget crisis which affects safety net programs relied upon by elders–and generate solutions.

AGEnda for Action: Building a Movement for Elder Women’s Advocacy presents the Initiative’s findings and provides recommendations for how funders, policymakers, and advocates can ensure all Californians age with well-being, dignity and economic security.

Read the full report online.

Check out The Women’s Foundation of California’s Elder Women’s Initiative online.