Thanks for taking the WPI Proven Practices assessment! Your results show your initial focus should be to Gather Women’s Input.

All leaders of successful women’s philanthropy initiatives have spent time really listening to their women stakeholders. Women who are interested in your work are paying attention to what your organization is doing. They notice the number of female images in your marketing materials and check that their name is correct on thank you letters. These savvy stakeholders will tell you what resonates with them and where you may be missing the mark for those who identify as women. The input you gather from women stakeholders will be rich with ideas and opportunities. This input can help you design an initiative that is compelling, bold, and tailored to your organization’s unique history and current strategies.

Below are the first steps to gather input for your organization. Explore the tools to learn more about interviewing women individually or in focus groups,  guiding the conversation, and summarizing the feedback you gather.

Your First Steps

1. Learn from others’ successes

• Read this blog about listening deeply 
  • Deep Listening Will Grow Women’s Support 
• Watch The Power of Listening

2. Gather input

• Build a list of key stakeholders 
  • Sample Criteria for Diversity
• Invite stakeholders to provide input
  • Sample WP Invite for Input.docx

• Prepare high-level questions to gather insight 
  • What has been a high point in your philanthropy to date?
  • What resonates with you about our organization?
  • What motivates you to support us?
  • What do you see when you look at our website? 
  • What recommendations do you have for how we can connect with those who identify as women?
• Summarize what you hear 
  • Sample Summary: WP Input Sample Summary.docx

If you're interested in additional ways to get started, explore Build Leadership Commitment, Recruit Volunteer Champions, or Engage Your Staff.