WGC 501(c)(3) Status Update!

Our Independence: A Progress Report

With our legal foundation established in the first half of 2026, we began operating under our own independent financial systems on July 1. Using our new bank accounts, accounting systems, and newly drafted policies and procedures, we have been processing donations, booking sponsorships, paying expenses, and managing our operating budget. Everything is running smoothly, and we’ll keep refining as we go.

On the governance side, our new board began serving on July 1 and has met monthly to put written policies in place, define roles and responsibilities, and build our committee structure, all while continuing to connect with our members and support our grant recipients.

This work has been greatly strengthened by consultants funded through two grants from the Ausherman Family Foundation. We are deeply grateful for their support.

What’s Next?

We are putting the finishing touches on the process to transfer the remaining WGC funds from the Community Foundation to the Women’s Giving Circle. To make sure we’re fully prepared, we have launched a formal RFP process to select an investment management firm to oversee our endowment fund. We expect to complete that selection by the end of the year and to transfer the funds in early 2027.

With these systems and processes in place, we’ll be ready to turn to our main focus: the 2027 Grant Awards!

While our structure has changed, our heart has not. We remain fully committed to the mission Karlys Kline defined in 2006. We stand on the shoulders of twenty years of success as we look toward the next twenty.

Confused about how to Give?

We've got you covered! See https://www.frederickwgc.org/post/ways-to-give for all the details