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Women’s Fund

The Women’s Fund is pleased to recognize leaders throughout Central Illinois for their achievements and impact on our communities. Reserve your seat today for the 2025 Leader Luncheon!

Since 1993, the Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation of Central Illinois has been working to change the lives of women and girls in central Illinois. The original goal for the Women’s Fund was finding 1,000 women to each donate $1,000 to create a million-dollar endowment. While that fundraising model has evolved over time, the initial goal of creating a million-dollar endowment has remained the same. As we begin our 30th year, it is with great pleasure that we are able to announce the Women’s Fund endowment has now surpassed the $1 million balance!

The recent surge to $1 million is attributed to an extremely generous gift from a Founding Member of more than $300,000. This level of giving to the Women’s Fund establishes a legacy that will live on beyond all of us. With a million-dollar endowment, the Women’s Fund will grant more than $45,000 a year to deserving programs, in perpetuity. Through 2022, the Women’s Fund endowment has awarded 140+ grants totaling more than $475,000 to support programs focusing on women and girls.

Thank you to the 200+ Founding Members who have donated $1,000 or more over time, thank you to the dozens of sponsors of the annual Leader Luncheon, and thank you to the individuals who donated ANY amount. This milestone is possible because of you. The Women’s Fund will continue to bring women’s issues to the forefront in central Illinois as they continue building the endowment for an even larger collective impact.

Women’s Fund History

The Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation of Central Illinois was founded in 1993 from an idea shared by Pat Barton, a CFCI Board Member at the time. Pat worked with Donna Haerr, then executive director, Deb Ritschel and Jay Goldberg to create the Fund as a way to inspire female philanthropy. “Power does come from money, and women do control much of the money in this country,” Haerr told the Journal Star when the establishment of the Women’s Fund was announced.