Our "Give Monthly, Change the World" campaign is entering its final stretch, and your May chapter meeting is the perfect moment to bring it home. If you haven't already taken a few minutes to invite your members to start, increase, or restart their monthly gifts, now is the time — Mother's Day is May 10, and that's our campaign close date.
The Chapter Leader Toolkit and Member Handout we shared last month are available on the Quick Links page of our website. The toolkit includes a sample script and FAQs, and the handout has a QR code that members can use to sign up on the spot.
Questions? Email our Development Director, Kaitlyn Grigsby-Hall, at kaitlyn@togetherwomenrise.org. Thank you for helping us grow our community of monthly donors who make Rise's work possible!
Chapter Leader Need to Know
1. Don't Miss Our Special UN Virtual Tour -- There is still time to register for our special volunteer-only event with the United Nations on April 29 at 12pm ET/ 9am PT. Join us for a virtual tour introducing significant women in UN history and today. The tour also highlights significant works of art by women artists at UN Headquarters. Spots are limited, and there will NOT be a recording, so please register HERE.
2. Vote Now: Special Mini Grant Selected by Volunteers--As a special thank you to our active volunteers,we are giving you the opportunity to help select two former grantees to each receive a $500 mini grant from Rise. You cancast your vote from a list of 2024 and 2023 Featured Grantees who have submitted their interim and final reports. The two grantees with the most votes will each receive $500 from Rise, and they will be notified that our volunteers chose them for this special gift. *This poll is exclusive to volunteers and closes on April 30. Don't miss this unique opportunity!
3. 2026 Chapter Survey Results --Thank you all for participating in our 2026 Annual Chapter Survey. We received 260 responses, which is a 91% response rate! Your responses help us understand our chapters better and allow us to better serve you as chapter leaders. In general, the results are very similar to 2025, which indicates stability in our chapter health. Here are a few specific results:
95% of chapters are actively meeting, either in person or virtually or a combination.
76% of chapters are meeting monthly, with 11% meeting bi-monthly, 5% meeting quarterly, and 8% meeting on a varied schedule.
90% of our chapter leaders promote monthly recurring giving, and 80% promote giving at every meeting.
69% of our chapters are open to accepting new members, while 31% are either full/not open to new members at this time.
80% of our chapters have a co-leader or members who help with running and hosting meetings.
4. Still Not Sure Where to Find Things on Our Website? -- If you are struggling to find things on our website since we made improvements last year, we have resources for you! Pease check out the following and feel free to email kia@togetherwomenrise.org with any questions.
Improving Indigenous Mother & Child Health in Mexico
In May, we are funding Global Pediatric Alliance to improve the well-being and health of Indigenous women by expanding their access to quality, culturally respectful maternal and child health services in three Mexican states.
The easiest and fastest way to find the Featured Grants education materials on our website is by using the top menu bar "For Chapters" and clicking on "Monthly Grantee Materials."
This Month's Proven Platter: Enchiladas Verde de Pollo
By Vinola Vincent-Munyon, Together Women Rise Recipe Co-Curator
Enchiladas Verde de Pollo are chicken enchiladas that are smothered in a creamy, tangy, vibrant green sauce that tastes luxurious yet are refreshing and bright!
Please share these important updates with your chapter members:
1. May 6th at 12pm ET Book Club Event: No Woman Left Behind --Join us for a conversation with Kate Grant, Founding CEO of the Fistula Foundation and author of No Woman Left Behind: A Journey of Hope to Heal Every Woman Injured in Childbirth. Rise has proudly provided over $180,000 in funding to the Fistula Foundation between 2008 and 2024. 100% of the author’s net proceeds support free surgeries through the Love a Sister program. Register here.
2. New Giving Options Available -- We're making it easier than ever to donate to Rise and support women and girls in the Global South! You can now use Venmo and Zelle, both of which are great options due to their low processing fees. We have also made it easier to set up a monthly recurring donation through your bank account. You can now set up your monthly bank drafts online -- no more paper forms and voided checks to mail in to us!
3. We Give Summit -- Encourage your members to join this annual, virtual gathering, May 12 to 14, to explore the power of collective and collaborative giving and connect with fellow changemakers. Rise is participating in two sessions:
May 12th at 12 pm ET — Why Giving Together is the Boldest Way to Back Nonprofits with Rise CEO Beverley Francis-Gibson and Angeline Murimira, CEO of CAMFED, one of Rise's grantees.
May 12 at 4pm ET — Deepening Donor Engagement Through Community Building with Beverley, our Rise CEO, and Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz who is with the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County.
Registration (Community Access) is free! Be sure to mention that you are with Together Women Rise. REGISTER HERE.
4. Coming Soon: New Donor Portal -- We will soon be launching our new donor portal through our online donations platform, HubSpot, that will allow members to self-manage their Rise donations. This new portal replaces the Classy portal that Rise previously used. You will be able to set up a secure, personal account to view your donations, update your payment information, increase or decrease your donation amount, pause or cancel your recurring donations — at your convenience. Watch for more information coming soon, including an invite to set up your account in this donor portal.
What Are Chapters Up To These Days?
Spin Off Chapter! Fran Piacente, leader of the CA, Nipomo-1 chapter, spoke at a local International Women's Day event to promote Together Women Rise. She and her chapter are is working to create a new local chapter, which would bring us to four chapters in Nipomo (outside of Santa Barbara). If your chapter wants to help Rise grow, check out our Ambassador Toolkit.
Chapter Newsletter!
Sally Bookman, chapter leader of the CA, Santa Cruz-2 chapter, produces a monthly newsletter for members of the two Santa Cruz chapters and one in Monterey. She summarizes the month's Featured Grantee, reminds members about the time and location of the meetings for all three chapters, provides links to donate, and encourages members to volunteer. What a great way to keep members informed!
Heart of Hayward Award!
Our very own Pat Payne, chapter leader of the CA, Castro Valley-1 chapter, was honored at the Hayward City Hall with the Heart of Hayward award for her community service with Together Women Rise and the League of Women Voters of Eden Area. Congratulations, Pat, for this well-deserved recognition.
