WOMEN’S INDEPENDENT GIVING SOCIETY (WIGS) HOLDS ANNUAL LUNCHEON
The Women’s Independent Giving Society [WIGS] second annual luncheon was held on March 31st at the Santa Ynez home of Phyllis Hennigan. The purpose of this gathering was to review the results of last year’s funding choices, receive reports on this year’s most pressing needs and vote to allocate funds for the upcoming year.
WIGS was initially created by a group of ten local women who wanted to harness the power of collective giving for the benefit of the Santa Ynez Valley Community. This “giving circle” has now grown to more than 40 members. Founding members are: Carolyn Balaban, Barb Crist, Nancy Englander, Sandra Focht, Claire Hanssen, Mila Hart, Phyllis Hennigan, Nancy Hunsicker, Annette Serrurier and Sandy Simon.
Nancy Hunsicker, WIGS President, says, “I’m not surprised at the growth of this group, which has been almost entirely by personal invitation and referral. We had a strong desire to create a streamlined organization with a minimum of formality—no black tie galas, no monthly meetings—but maximum impact, with 100% of our contributions going straight to the bottom line of our chosen recipient programs. Most importantly, we want to have a voice in how our funds our spent and accountability of results. We chose PHP as our umbrella organization, because they have a terrific diversity of programs that assist many in our community on a day-to-day basis and offer quantifiable results.”
Dean Palius, CEO of People Helping People, gave an update on the positive impact which last year’s donations made on the four programs WIGS chose to support, which included: ADCAP (Advocates for Domestic & Child Abuse Prevention), Buellton Youth Program, Emergency Services and Family Resource Centers. He also presented new information on programs and services that will be negatively impacted this next fiscal year due to a combination of State and County budget cuts and the projected increase in need within the Santa Ynez Valley community.
WIGS offers two levels of membership: $500 [regular] or $1000 [sustaining.] Each member may cast one vote for the program of her choice; balloting, annual reports & program overviews take place at the annual luncheon. The membership contributions received are then divided proportionately among the programs according to votes received.
If you would like to know more about WIGS and how you can participate please contact Nancy Hunsicker at 805.688.2851, fairoakfarm@hughes.net or visit the website at ValleyWigs.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Nancy Hunsicker 805.895.1924 or 805.688.2851
fairoakfarm@hughes.net