“Women and girls from communities are 1tapping into their leadership potential in a variety of ways and the impact is significant.  Our 2015 grantees include girls using theatre to spark discussions on human trafficking;  Veterans coming together to support each other and increase opportunities;  young women with autism developing job skills in a boutique setting;  and women who were formerly incarcerated acquiring skills  to enable them to talk to the media to effect change. We are committed to supporting programs like these and congratulate the 2015 grant recipients.” – Social Consciousness Leader of Community Partnerships and Women’s Initiatives, Reisa Brafman

EILEEN FISHER, Inc. congratulates its 2015 grant recipients which include:

• Chester County Fund for Women and Girls’ Girls Advisory Board (GAB) utilizes the transformative power of philanthropy and community service to instill important leadership qualities in area high school girls. The girls participate in a 3 month program that fosters a life-long love of promoting positive social change in their communities, while making an immediate impact on issues important to them today.
• Girl Be Heard, a nonprofit theatre company that brings global issues affecting girls center stage by empowering young women to tell their stories.  GBH knows from experience that when a girl finds her voice on stage, she will use it in all areas of her life.
• Girls Write Now, founded in 1988, mentors underserved young women to find their voices through the power of writing and community.  Participating girls have performed at Lincoln Center and the United Nations, published original work in Newsweek, Elle India, AOL Cambio/Huffington Post, and GWN’s award-winning anthology, and earned hundreds of Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
• Rehabilitation Through The Arts, a program where women write poetry, study Shakespearian female archetypes, interpret paintings, practice hip hop and perform original musicals.  Working in Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, New York’s only maximum security prison for women, RTA develops self-expression, builds confidence and fosters connection, empowering women to become fully participating community members, family members and leaders on either side of prison walls.
• Service Women’s Action Network created the Service Women’s Institute to increase opportunities and equality by providing education and training to service women and Veterans who desire to lead change in order to transform the military culture.  Through a year-long program of educational forums, the Institute provides SWAN members with the analytic, problem framing and media skills to better equip them to lead this change.  SWAN’s grassroots women leaders lead the way to improve health care benefits and access, eliminate gender bias, and reduce sexual violence in the military.
• The Bead Project at UrbanGlass, founded in 1997, is a semester-long scholarship program that teaches the basics of glass bead making, jewelry fabrications, design and entrepreneurship to eighteen low-income women a year.  This project offers students a transformative experience, new tools for self-expression, and the skills to turn glass bead making into a viable form of income, while becoming part of a dynamic creative community.
• The Women’s Leadership and Media Project (WLMP) of the Women’s Prison Association is a brand new initiative made up of a network of formerly incarcerated women and their community allies who seek to achieve criminal justice reform for women and their families. After extensive leadership training, graduates commit to public speaking engagements, take media interviews, and write policy and advocacy-driven pieces to raise awareness of criminal justice issues through the lens of those most affected by the system.
• WomenVenture’s mission is to help women attain economic self- sufficiency through the creation and growth of profitable and sustainable businesses. Their Guided Business Plan™ is an intensive 17-session business planning course that guides women entrepreneurs through the key topics small business owners need to know, including marketing, financials, and general operations.
• Yes She Can Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping young women with autism and related social and learning disabilities develop job skills leading to employment.  Through Girl AGain, a resale boutique for American Girl dolls in White Plains, they provide an immersive learning experience where trainees are involved in every aspect of running the business.  Graduates move on to employment or other vocational programs, and to a more independent and fulfilling life.

If your organization has a program where women and girls are “Applying Leadership Attributes”, please see the following link for more application information:

http://www.eileenfisher.com/grants/activating-leadership/activating-leadership-overview/

ABOUT EILEEN FISHER
EILEEN FISHER has been creating effortlessly chic clothes for over 30 years. Designed with pure shapes and fine fabrics, the collections offer sophistication, comfort and style that lasts. As a socially conscious company, EILEEN FISHER is a pioneer in eco-friendly fashion and in supporting global initiatives that empower women and girls. The clothing is sold at over 66 EILEEN FISHER retail stores, over 300 department and specialty stores across the US, UK and Canada as well as 2 Green Eileen stores, which are part of the company’s innovative recycling program. EILEEN FISHER is the largest women’s fashion company to be a certified B Corporation, voluntarily meeting high criterion for social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.

Logo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130628/NY39097LOGO

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