WOeMANcipation_Improve Womens Lives

CALL TO ACTION: Donate now to help us start-up our non-profit to support, empower and save women's lives in this #MeToo and #TimesUp era. We need all hands on-deck to keep the momentum going and create lasting change! OUR MISSION: WOeMANcipation™ is an organization focused on assisting, supporting and empowering women by providing them with tangible resources to help liberate them from social, economic, civil and political restrictions and injustices. We will help save lives. Every donation will help further our mission and solve the problems discussed below. OVERALL PROBLEM(S) WE WILL SOLVE: WOeMANcipation™ will close the gap between the wonderful work similar organizations are doing (e.g. National Women’s Law Center, TIME'S UP™, me too. movement and Shelter House) and the women who those resources do not reach; especially, women of color and those in low-income communities. We will help women experiencing devastating life events (e.g. depression or other mental illness diagnosis, divorce, sudden job loss, threatened foreclosure, temporarily unable to pay their bills, etc.), and who are now having great difficulty rebounding or coping. Additionally, we will provide resources that no other organization of its kind currently provides to ensure women have the tools to make them strong, powerful leaders who can defend themselves while uplifting others. We will do our part as an organization and community to lift-up women and eliminate gender inequality. We will empower women to stand up for themselves and help to remove the fear of asking for help (e.g. help with immediate financial assistance during emergencies, legal defense funds to support victims of workplace harassment; discrimination; retaliation; sexism; etc.). By encouraging women to ask for help sooner rather than later, we can prevent or slow down any additional negative consequences from their current circumstances. For example, if we can prevent a pending foreclosure or eviction from happening after a sudden job loss (by assisting with rent or mortgage payments) while helping her find a new job or start a new business. This is one example of how we help to fight homelessness and reduce unemployment. In the same example, if she was wrongfully terminated after speaking out about workplace sexual harassment or assault; we may also place her in our Legal Defense Fund Program and assign a lawyer to investigate her case and possibly sue her former employer. Furthermore, we’ll provide a safe environment for professional women to meet up in groups and discuss the issues they care about in a form of “group therapy.” We will be one of many a megaphone for women’s voices everywhere. SLOGAN: Improving women’s lives through empathy, support and resources. OUR GOALS TO HELP SOLVE THE ABOVE PROBLEM(S): 1. Raise non-profit corporation start-up funding ($5,000 - Campaign #1). 2. Apply and gain state and federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. 3. Fund our newly created non-profit to start changing lives ($1-2M - Campaign #2). 4. Improve the world by improving the lives of millions of women. 5. Empower women by providing them with the right tools (financial support, mental health support, legal defense assistance, group discussions and meetings, as well as other important resources). 6. Inspire systemic, long lasting corporate responsibility by legally defending women and holding corporations and government employers accountable for wrong-doing against them (through PR exposure, legal consequences and penalties). 7. Aggressively defend women and protect them from bad actors and deter future bad acts (e.g. harassment and retaliation by an employer). 8. Stop women from losing their homes, jobs, careers, etc. wherever possible. 9. Further the change in culture/accountability that the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements are inspiring in order to hold people/corporations/employers accountable (so they can’t harm women or cut off their opportunities without real penalties and consequences). 10. Be a well-rounded, standalone resource for women; but also collaborate with other groups and organizations with similar goals.  VETERAN AND MINORITY WOMEN: WOeMANcipation™ is committed to helping all women needing our assistance. We are particularly dedicated to ensuring that Veteran and minority women receive the full measure of all we have to offer as they are too often overlooked and forgotten. CALL TO ACTION: Donate now to help us start-up our non-profit to support, empower and save women's lives in this #MeToo and #TimesUp era. Help us keep the momentum going! WHY DONATE: Help us create lasting, systemic support and change for women and expand the possibilities for them and their families. Join us and be a part of the solution to better the lives of millions of women. Be on the right side of history during this #MeToo and #TimesUp movement by donating here and becoming a WOeMANcipationist™. Together, we will improve communities around the world by improving the lives of women. Please see below for additional details of how your donation will benefit those seeking our assistance. FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR: Our First Fundraising Campaign (This GoFundMe) Funds Shall Be Used For -  • 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Start-Up Costs. We will use donations to start-up this non-profit in support of women (including initial operational costs and 501(c)(3) filing fees (federal and state), website design, etc.). Our Second (And All Subsequent) Fundraising Campaign Funds Shall Be Used For -  • Operational Costs. Facilities, funding each Program to start helping women right away after start-up. • Legal Defense Program. This Program will help women defend themselves against former/current employers, former/current schools/universities; to defend against being taken advantage of, abused, being silenced, underpaid, discriminated against, etc. There is only one other Program/Fund in existence that comes close to providing women with such support; which is funded by Time’s Up™ and housed and administered by National Women’s Law Center. Their Fund focuses on defense of victims of sexual harassment and related retaliation. Our Program will support victims of sexual harassment but will also support victims of nonsexual harassment, hostile work environment and related retaliation. Similarly, our Program will provide support for related public relations assistance and will be regulated based on certain criteria and availability. This Program will help more women come forward, speak out and be connected to attorneys; regardless of income, status, industry, position or role. We will especially focus on low-income, minority and veteran women. • Living Expenses and Bill Payment Program. This Program is to help women maintain some sense of family-life normalcy during high-stress/life-changing times by, for example, offering mortgage payment assistance to ensure they do not fall into foreclosure. We will also aid with paying smaller bills. For those that come to us after falling behind, we will assist them with getting back on their feet (e.g. after being wrongfully terminated, divorced and left with nothing, etc.). Our goal here is to help reduce homelessness by removing that possibility from the equation where possible. Another goal here is to help keep families together. • Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program. This Program will primarily help women with private student loans they currently can’t afford to repay (e.g. due to job loss, constructive discharge, etc.). We’ll focus on private loans because typically, private loans cannot easily be placed in forbearance or a deferment after a certain point in the cycle of the loan; and must be paid to keep it from falling behind. • Family/Child-Care Support Program. This Program will be used to provide temporary assistance to women for paying daycare and related childcare expenses. It will also help provide food and groceries for their families. • Education and Self-Improvement Program. This Program will provide information and programs to include (but not limited to) subject-matter master-classes, webinars, seminars, workshops and therapy sessions. It will also include peer-to-peer discussion support circles. Our goal here is to give women the tools they need to better position themselves for leadership roles and entrepreneurship. Having women in top roles is one of the only ways to reverse a corporate culture of abuse against women. Furthermore, this is how we will close the gender pay gap and provide better oversight and prevention of workplace harassment, sexual assault and retaliation in this #MeToo and #TimesUp era. To that end, we will cover a vast array of programing topics such as: o Confidence building (including working with organizations like Glam4Good and Dress For Success) and learning new skills workshops. o Peer-to-peer support group discussions on how to deal with stress and grief; as well as lifting the stigma of mental illness (including depression and anxiety). o Talks on reinventing yourself after a crisis or a major set-back. o How to find and pursue your life purpose. o Discussions on the effects of (and ways to heal after) divorce, job loss, domestic violence, sexual harassment, discrimination and gender equality issues (e.g. pay disparity and how to close the gap, etc.). o Discussions and workshops on knowing your rights as a female in today’s work and school environments. How to spot harassment, what it is and what to do should you encounter it. o Negotiating the salary you deserve. o Mock interviews (and resume writing resources) to help women get back into the work force. o Entrepreneurial training on ways to start a small business. o Focused research on relevant matters/issues that would help us improve Programs. To provide these professional services, we will partner with attorneys, law firms and other legal organizations that volunteer their services to our cause or offer them to us at an extremely discounted cost (costs we’ll cover using your donations). Through these partnerships, we can offer legal defense services (for free) to the women seeking our help. • Mental Health Program. This Program will be used to provide access to professional therapists and counselors as well as peer group discussions with other women going through similar circumstances. These services will focus on mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders, etc. We want to reverse the stigma associated with mental illness and make it easier to discuss, thus easier to diagnose and treat. To provide the professional services, we will partner with therapists and other mental health organizations that volunteer their services to our cause or offer them to us at an extremely discounted cost (costs we’ll cover using your donations). We will also partner with colleges and universities to get these services and similar programs of support onto campuses to help young women combat what has been coined College Depression (the number of depression cases on college campuses have increased substantially in the last few years). Through these partnerships, we can offer mental health services (for free) to the women seeking our help. • W Lounge. This lounge will serve as a peaceful, comfortable and safe space for women to work and bond. The W Lounge will be a free space for women to use for work, study, to run or start their business, to network and take advantage of offered resources (e.g. master classes, webinars, etc.). Women will also be able to drop off their resume in our Resume Repository to be viewed by entrepreneurs who visit the W Lounge. • Other. Insofar as allowed under law, we will support organizations that petition Congress to push women’s issues to the top of the agenda and create laws that protect women’s rights. • After Start-Up. The three broad areas where donations shall be applied are: Programs/Funds (at least 80%), Admin (12-13%+) and Fundraising (5-7%). VERY AMBITIOUS GOALS: We know we have very ambitious goals, but we also know that the problems we are trying to help solve, are great. Therefore, we need all the help we can get. We will play our role in this historic time in women’s rights history- won’t you join us? CALL TO ACTION: Donate now to help us start-up our non-profit to support, empower and save women's lives in this #MeToo and #TimesUp era. Help us keep the momentum going! ADDITIONAL DETAILS: To provide women with the professional services outlined above (e.g. legal defense, therapy, etc.), we will partner with attorneys, therapists and other relevant organizations that volunteer their services to our cause and/or offer them to us at an extremely discounted cost (costs we’ll cover using your generous donations). Through these partnerships and donations, we can offer all our professional services to the women seeking help; for free. All donors will be considered general members. Additionally, donors will receive a formal thank you in the official announcement of our start-up and an invitation to attend our first Annual Gala. Interested in becoming a member of our Leadership Advisory Committee? If so, please see the next section. Also see Some Stats and More Stats sections below for more reasons to donate. JOIN OUR LEADERSHIP ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Those who donate $10,000 or more annually (donating $10,000 covers your first-year contribution) shall be appointed to our Advisory Committee. This Committee will help us meet our mission. We encourage talented leaders who have legal experience (attorneys, law firms, companies, etc.), 501(c)(3), women-rights advocacy experience, program and project management experience or policy writing experience to donate and join. We also welcome temporary housing experts, therapists/counselors and professionals with other relevant experience to join our Advisory Committee. This Committee will provide us with advice and support on critical issues that affect women and their families. After start-up, everyone who donated $10,000+ will be contacted and provided with a Leadership Advisory Committee Welcome Package and one ticket to our first Annual Gala. HEADQUARTERS: Our headquarters will be in Northern Virginia (Arlington/Alexandria - DMV area). We also plan to later open several regional offices in other states (and then in other countries). CALL TO ACTION: Donate now to help us start-up our non-profit to support, empower and save women's lives in this #MeToo and #TimesUp era. Help us keep the momentum going! SOME STATS: • 1 in 3 women ages 18 to 34 have been sexually harassed at work. Most of these women cannot afford to hire an attorney nor can they afford to quit before securing another job (Cosmopolitan survey of 2,235 full and part-time female employees, 2015) (www.timesupnow.com). • 71% of those women said they did not report it (Cosmopolitan survey of 2,235 full and part-time female employees, 2015) (www.timesupnow.com). • Nearly half of working women in the U.S. say they have experienced harassment in the workplace (NBC News (2017). NBC/WSJ Poll) (www.timesupnow.com). • Almost 50% of men think women are well-represented in leadership companies where only one in ten senior leaders is a woman (www.womenintheworkplace.com) (www.timesupnow.com). • Research has shown that women in male-dominated occupations, especially those in male-dominated work contexts, are sexually harassed more than women in balanced or in female-dominated ones (Berdahl, JL. (2007) The Sexual Harassment of Uppity Women (p. 427) (www.timesupnow.com). • More than one-third of the world’s countries do not have any laws prohibiting sexual harassment at work - leaving nearly 235 million working women vulnerable in the workplace (www.worldpolicycenter.org) (www.timesupnow.com). HOW WOeMANcipation™ WAS BORN: We were born out of necessity by women in local communities and real-life experiences by our Founder. Three years ago, she personally experienced harassment on the job and was pushed out of a high-powered leadership position because of that harassment (and the resulting hostile work environment and retaliation against her for speaking out against it). First, she became a victim of the initial offenses of harassment and retaliation. Secondly, she became a victim of the failed internal systems that were supposed to be in place to protect her. As she prepared for the fight ahead, she quickly realized there were very little resources available to help her. There were even fewer free resources. Her employer and the system had failed her, and she was pissed about it. She is now on a mission to prevent this from happening to other women. As for those she cannot prevent these harms from happening to, she vows to help them fight the battle to protect real victims, in real time; dealing with harassment and retaliation in the work place. This was a long and painful battle and it took a lot out of her. She found herself drained physically, emotionally, mentally and the road to recovery was long and hard. It left her feeling powerless and the struggle was real. She wondered if she was the only one. After talking to close friends and family, she quickly found out she was not and wanted to do something about it. Therefore, she started a Meet-Up Group (DMV: Healing & Support Group for Black/Minority Prof. Women) to help her cope. This group was created to help women coping with the type of emotions and feelings that come with this type of harassment and retaliation: feelings of embarrassment, loneliness, depression, stress, failure, anxiety and sadness. She was in real need of expressing these feelings in a safe environment and discussing how other women handled similar circumstances. Quickly she realized this problem was much bigger than her and her Meet-Up Group and there was a need for more extensive and tangible resources. Later that same year, the #MeToo movement got national attention and skyrocketed. Less than one year after that, the #TimesUp movement was launched. This new era for women empowerment was suddenly upon us and reaffirmed for her the fact that there was a great need for an organization like WOeMANcipation™. The women in her Group voiced the need for tangible resources to either help them get back on their feet after similar experiences; or to help them avoid a quick downward spiral in their financial, mental, emotional and/or legal circumstances. They needed this type of help on a short-term, temporary basis, but could not find it. One women in the Group talked about losing her home and moving back in with her parents after paying extremely high attorney fees while trying to fight her former employer over harassment and retaliation. She simply ran out of money and had no choice but to move back home. They out-spent her and she lost everything. How many times have we heard similar stories? No more. This was the reason WOeMANcipation™ was born. The vision for this nonprofit has grown over the last two years and now it’s time to launch! The sexual harassment and assault cases (e.g. the Harvey Weinstein case) that have been reported in the last few months have been horrific and illuminating. These events are a large reason why the rollout of this campaign is happening now. We can wait no longer. We’ll support and help everyday women who are experiencing harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, abuse, victims of sexual assault, and women experiencing difficult times and need help. We stand with the very brave women who have come forward in this #MeToo and #TimesUp era. Their brave efforts will help protect others from similar abuses and encourage more to come forward. CALL TO ACTION: Donate now to help us start-up our non-profit to support and empower women in this #MeToo and #TimesUp era. Help us keep the momentum going! MORE STATS: • Women and families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population; with 85% of homeless families being headed by women. As of 2015, there were about 565,000 homeless people living in the U.S. on any given night. It’s estimated that women comprise a little under 40% of that population. But, that number may shift as these numbers are as of April 13, 2016 (www.mashable.com/2016/04/13/homeless-women-challenges/#50arz6dsdsqR). • Gender inequality in jobs makes escaping homelessness even more difficult for women (www.mashable.com/2016/04/13/homeless-women-challenges/#50arz6dsdsqR). • Financial hardship is tied to homelessness and is a burden only stable income can lift. In many cases of homelessness, women need to gain more education and skills to lift this burden. Thus, programs aimed at preventing homelessness, educating and providing new skills to women is critical to help solve this problem (www.mashable.com/2016/04/13/homeless-women-challenges/#50arz6dsdsqR). • 47% of homeless women in the U.S. meet the criteria for a major depressive disorder diagnosis; which is twice the rate of women in the general population (www.mashable.com/2016/04/13/homeless-women-challenges/#50arz6dsdsqR). • Violence and assault toward women contributes to mental health problems (www.mashable.com/2016/04/13/homeless-women-challenges/#50arz6dsdsqR). HOW DID WE COME UP WITH THE NAME: WOeMANcipation™ is a term that we came up with to best reflect our mission as stated above. It was derived from combining the words Woman and Emancipation. DEFINITIONS: • Emancipation - The fact or process of being set free from legal, social or political restrictions. Liberation (Google). • Woman - An adult human female (Google). FUTURE GROWTH: We will grow and adjust as the needs of the women we help grows. We will assist women, nationally and internationally. WOeMANcipation™ has several plans for future growth. One major plan is to build temporary housing for women who are displaced. CALL TO ACTION: Donate now to help us start-up our non-profit to support, empower and save women's lives in this #MeToo and #TimesUp era. Help us keep the momentum going! PARTNERSHIPS: We will partner with several women’s rights groups to further extend and supplement resources for the women who seek our assistance. INTERESTED: In working for us, partnering with us, have suggestions/questions for us; you may leave a comment below or contact us. Once our official website is up and running, you will be able to contact us or send us updated copies of your resume directly from the site. Thinking about donating, but have a few questions? Please ask in the comment section below or contact us and we will get back to you with a response. UPDATES: We will update our GoFundMe donors step by step! Each major step being taken as donations come in will be reported and updated here. One of the first steps we will complete as donations come in will be obtaining 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Once this is completed, all donations are 100% tax-deductible. Furthermore, once our website is up and running, you’ll be able to go and apply for assistance and jobs if you are interested in working for us. TO CONCLUDE: It is inadequate to simply tell women to toughen up, shake off the depression, take back the power, report sexual harassment, get over the divorce, move on, etc. We must be provided with the adequate support needed to turn things around. WOeMANcipation™ will provide that support. WOeMANcipation™ will assist women that have experienced or are currently experiencing life-changing events; those who could benefit from a free support system of similarly-situated women. We will bring together women in need of the type of resources outlined above while building life-long sisterhoods and powerful networks. If we don't take care of ourselves...who else is going to run the world? Please help us by donating to this cause. Thinking about donating, but have a few questions? Please ask in the comment section below or contact us and we will get back to you with a response. CALL TO ACTION: Donate now to help us start-up our non-profit to support, empower and save women's lives in this #MeToo and #TimesUp era. Help us keep the momentum going! We happily accept donations of all sizes and thank you in advance for donating to our first GoFundMe Campaign!