The Women's Fund of the Community Foundation of Central Illinois

The Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation of Central Illinois was founded in 1993 from an idea shared by Pat Barton, a CFCI Board Member at the time.  Pat worked with Donna Haerr, then executive director, Deb Ritschel and Jay Goldberg to create the fund as a way to inspire female philanthropy.  “Power does come from money, and women do control much of the money in this country,” Haerr told the Journal Star when the establishment of the Women’s Fund was announced.

Our goal for the Women’s Fund is to partner with 1,000 women who will donate $1,000 in order to create a million-dollar endowment. Our fund is half way there! For the first time in the history of the Women’s Fund, our endowment is over $500,000, and we are committed to reaching our million-dollar goal in the next ten years with your help!