Expand mental healthcare for women in Guatemala; read our 2025 Annual Report; and help shape the future of Rise with our upcoming member survey.
SEPTEMBER 2026 ISSUE
Your Voice Matters: Help Us Shape Rise's Future!
A Message from Rise CEO, Beverley Francis-Gibson
Earlier this year, Together Women Rise launched a bold new strategic plan to deepen our impact through expanded grantmaking, strengthened philanthropy, and a growing, more connected membership community.
As part of this plan, we are clarifying and broadening the definition of a Rise member. Our programs and chapters remain open to everyone, but a Rise member is now anyone who makes an annual gift of any amount.
To bring this vision to life, we need to hear from you. On September 8th, we will launch our Member Impact & Engagement Survey to learn what you value most about being part of Rise, what inspires your continued involvement, and how we can make your experience even more meaningful. Every current Rise member will receive the survey by e-mail, and we ask you to complete it by September 25th.
Your participation is crucial because each response helps us understand the many ways members connect with Rise—from chapter gatherings and education programs to giving, advocacy, and building community. Your feedback will guide how we recruit and strengthen member education, engagement, and development, and it will help us tell a fuller, more inclusive story in our first-ever Impact Report, which will be released as part of our 25th anniversary.
Your voice matters—and your participation will make this work stronger. The more voices we hear from, the better we can understand what matters most across our diverse Rise community and how we can build an even more welcoming, meaningful, and impactful experience together. So, please spread the word and encourage other members to complete the survey.
We’re also adding a little extra excitement with some special incentives, which we will share with you soon! So, please watch for the survey in your inbox on September 8th and complete it by September 25th.
Thank you for being part of Rise—and for adding your voice to this important moment. Together, we can shape what comes next.
Together, we’re changing what’s possible for women and girls! In 2025, we invested $1.1 million in 14 Featured Grants and 4 Transformation Partnerships impacting nearly 70 million people, and we launched 14 new chapters. But the numbers only tell part of the story.
The real story is Nageshwari building a business. Hafswa becoming a mentor and community leader. Donna sitting down for a meal with women she once knew only through a grant. Maryanne seeing her own family’s story reflected in women halfway around the world. Our 2025 Annual Report includes these stories of the extraordinary impact we created together!
September Featured Grantee:
Trauma-Informed Mental Healthcare for Guatemalan Women
This month, we are featuring Creamos, an organization that we previously funded in 2021. Our current grant of $50,000 will fund the only trauma-informed mental health initiative serving women and gender minorities in Guatemala City's red zones. The program addresses the psychological consequences of gender-based violence through culturally grounded, participant-led services that prioritize healing, autonomy, and long-term transformation.
Welcome to our newest chapter, CA, Nipomo - 4, co-led by Dorothy Mauger and Kathryn Gibbs!
Staff Updates:
We're delighted to welcome Jonathan "Thor" Raines as our Interim Development & Fundraising Coordinator while Development Director, Kaitlyn Grigsby-Hall is on maternity leave.
Volunteer Opportunities:
We are looking for volunteers to serve on our Featured Grants and Transformation Partnerships Committees for 2027. We are also recruiting for our Book Club Committee. Check out these amazing roles on our volunteer page.
News & Information:
At the RESULTS National Conference, Rise advocates urged Congress to protect and expand funding for global health and humanitarian aid. Read more about advocacy in action.
Our 2026 Rise Annual Appeal:
She Lights the Fire. Together, We Keep It Burning.
Our Annual Appeal will begin in early October with a special $100,000 matching opportunity! Our 2026 goal is ambitious: to raise enough funds to support 18 Featured Grants in 2027, six more than our typical grant cycle. With your help, we can invest in transformative programs that help expand opportunity, strengthen communities, and advance a more just and equitable world for women and girls.
Whether you give individually, participate in the “Chapter or Champion Challenge”, or support the campaign through a Donor Advised Fund, your contribution helps keep the fire of progress burning bright. Watch for more details coming soon and join us in making 2026 our most impactful year yet.
Virtual Volunteer Fair -- September 9 at 12 pm ET/9 am PT
Women's Philanthropy as a Global Movement webinar-- September 16 at 12 pm ET / 9 am PT. Help us promote this special event using our Marketing Toolkit.
International Day of the Girl event in San Jose, CA -- October 17 from 2 to 4 pm at the San Jose Woman's Club.
Trip to Uganda -- February 24 to March 3, 2027 Just a few spots remaining!
Trip to Kenya -- June 1 to 8, 2027 Registration is open for Rise members only until September 18th. If spots remain, they will be made available to non-Rise members.
A second trip to Nepal -- Due to overwhelming demand and lengthy waitlist for our first Nepal trip, we will be offering a second trip to Nepal, November 6 to 14, 2027. Those on the waitlist will get first opportunity to register and then we will open it up to other members if spots remain.
Milestones
Congratulations to our CA, San Jose-2 Chapter on celebrating 17 years together, 204 potluck dinners, and $215,363 donated to women and girls. Thank you to chapter leader Polly Ferguson and all the members!
Our NC, Winston Salem-1 chapter welcomed guest speaker, Priyashi Karki to their meeting where they discussed Nepal and our Featured Grantee. The chapter is co-led by Marianne DeCristo and Anna Baker.
Board Vice-Chair, Vicky Bush-Joseph, had the pleasure of connecting with Portland, OR area members this summer!
Congratulations to our WI, Fontana-1 chapter members on celebrating their 15-year anniversary! The chapter, led by Donna Neshek, was joined by Rise Board Member, Tracy Ritter.
Our CA, Sacramento-2 chapter members, led by Cynthia Gibbs, just celebrated their 7th anniversary! They were delighted to welcome back founding chapter member, Charlotte Richmond, who sold her paintings to raise money for Rise. Thank you and congratulations!
Our OH, Sylvania-1 chapter held a summer meeting complete with a boat ride! The chapter, co-led by Kim Whetstone and Lynn Nedrow, has been meeting together for more than 16 years.
