Women’s Philanthropy Council

The University of Wisconsin Foundation’s women’s philanthropy program was founded in 1988 and pioneered the women’s philanthropy movement in higher education. The program was the first major gifts and leadership initiative for women at a co-educational institution. It has since become a model for organizations across the country.

Key Priorities

• Activities of the Women’s Philanthropy Council
  Activities of the WPC connect women to one another and to a school/college/program that may be of interest to them. Often, this leads to their involvement and philanthropic support for that unit. Activities of the Council include geographic chapter meetings featuring outstanding women faculty, a health series on campus with leading researchers, talks on campus by University leaders and attendance at athletic events.
• Collaborative Giving Project
  In the past several years, the Council wanted to band together to give an annual group gift to help women on campus and gain greater visibility for the Council. The annual group gift is targeted toward campus-wide priorities and advancing women such as the women’s faculty mentoring award and campus child care. The champion awards are given biennially to one male and one female on campus who have advanced women on campus. The awards are given out at the Biennial Forum. A separate Council committee reviews the grant proposals from campus.
• Biennial Forum on Women and Philanthropy

  The Forum is held on campus in Madison. It is for women who view philanthropy as leadership and an investment in the future. Purposes:

  • Bring women to talk about philanthropy, in addition to financial education
  • Focus on women as initiators, beneficiaries and sustainers of positive change
  • Encourage intellectual dialogue with UW faculty members, alumnae, national leaders and students.
• Leadership Development
  The Council itself is a leadership opportunity for women. At every Council meeting, educational sessions are included to encourage leadership by members. Council members meet with top UW administrators, deans and program directors in order to be well informed advocates for higher education and the UW. Other sessions include aspects of the Foundation and University operations. In addition, the Women’s Philanthropy staff and Council work with the Foundation research department and Foundation colleagues to identify women who would be potential leaders for University boards of visitors, and the Foundation board of directors.

Council Members

The Women’s Philanthropy Council is the twenty-five member advisory group to the Foundation’s women’s philanthropy program and is a top leadership development opportunity for women at the University. The chair of the Council serves ex-officio on the UW Foundation Board of Directors for one non-renewable three-year term. The current chair is Nancy Borghesi, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

view the council members