Women's Giving Circle

Empowering Women to Make a Difference

Formed in 2012, the Women’s Giving Circle of Jefferson County (WGCJC) is a community of philanthropic women of all ages and backgrounds. By combining their financial strength, these women are able to collectively make a positive change for women and children throughout Jefferson County.

All women in Jefferson County are welcome and invited to join. Membership consists of an annual, tax-deductible contribution of $100. 75% of each membership is used to make the annual grants, while 25% is invested in the Women’s Giving Circle Endowment in Memory of Bonnie Hare. Junior memberships are available for young ladies ages 18 and under for $50, and are split $25/$25.

Assets of the WGCJC are held and maintained at the Community Foundation.

WGCJC Sub-Circles

Members of the WGCJC are invited to participate in one or more of the group’s Sub-Circles. These committees help the WGCJC achieve their annual goals. These committees are:

Governance – help with updating Policies & Procedures
Grants – evaluate applications during the annual grant cycle
Marketing/PR – utilize email, social media, and local media outlets to get the word out about the group
Membership – help with the recruitment and retention of Giving Circle members
Special Events – help plan and organize annual events including the spring Annual Meeting

How We Give

The WGCJC makes grants annually to organizations that have the greatest potential to help the women and children of Jefferson County, Indiana. The Grants Sub-Circle reviews applications and provides grant recommendations to the general membership, which then votes on the recommendations at the annual meeting/dinner in the Spring. Grants are focused on the following four fields of interest, with the specific purpose of benefitting women and/or children:

Education
Economic Empowerment
Physical and Mental Health
Violence and Crime Prevention

Click the link at the top of the page to learn more about the WGCJC Grant Program.

Who We Are

The membership of the WGCJC consists of women of all ages and backgrounds who come together, pool their contributions, and make funding decisions together.

Our membership is made up of your neighbors and friends. Take a look at our current membership roster below to see the names of these generous women. We would love to add your name, too!

2024 WGCJC Members (as of 12/18/2024) - 196 Members

Carolyn Alcorn
Kendra Auxier
Liz Patton Auxier
Mary Ellen Bargerhuff
Michele Barlow
Stacy Barnes
Marlene Bateman
Hilary Beall
Marta Belt
Kim Bennett
Karin Bernstein
Julie Berry
Katy Biallas
Lindsay Bloos
Nadja Boone
Jarrett Boyd
Launa Braun
Stephanie Brawner
Kim Breeding
Kate Brown
Martha Brown
Karen Buchanan
Mary Kay Butler
Phyllis Calvin
Becky Canida
Charlotte Canida
Donna Carl
Kyleen Center
Cathy Chilton
Cathy Cleveland
Bea Collins
Darleen Connolly
Helen Cope
Kathy Crafton
Valecia Crisafulli
Brenda Cummins
Jenny Darnold
Linda DeLuca
Celestra Dewey
Karen Dickie
Sandy Dierdorf
Molly Dodge
Laurie Dorsey
Carol Dozier
Sylvia Duke
Jane Durst
Nancy Eagleson
Jackie Eggenspiller
Brenda Eversole
Brenda Finnegan
Anna Fisher
Sandy Freeman
Bev Gaffney
Tracy Geglein
Betty Gish
Sandy Gold
Cindy Goley
Robin Goodknight
Ann Selby Goodman
Teresa Gotthard
Natalie Green
Meredith Gregg
Leslie Grote
Maria Grote
Carolyn Gunter
Jessica Hall
Lynn Hall
Tammy Hall
Susanne Hamner
Lisa Hanson
Letha Harding
Amanda Harsin
Paula Hartman
Mary Heaton
Lynn Heitz-McKay
Wilma Henderson
Jennifer Hensler
Jean Herron
Angie Hertz
Carol Hertz
Dee Hertz
Katie Hertz
Kelli Hertz
Karen Hicks
Laura Hodges
Karen Howard
Connie Huntington
Leah James
Betsy Johnson
Pam Jones
Tina Jones
Debbie Judge
Terry Kapfhammer
Colleen Keith
Heidi Kendall-Sage
Karol Kirk
DeAnn Klinedinst
Shirley Kloepfer
Judy Koehler
Penny Koehler
Lindsey Laughlin
Mary Jane Laughlin – JR Member
Bonnie Lee
Sue Livers
Tomeka Livers
Mary Carol Lorton
Janet Huber Lowry
Linda Lytle
Betty Maddox
Lynn Maricle
Mona Matheney
Mary McCuskey
Cindy McKay
Sarah McQueary
Marilyn McQueen
Sally McWilliams
Candy Meyer
Gerry Michl
Elaine Morrill
Cari Morrison-Bear
Michelle Mouser
Sally Muessel
Thelma Mullett
Anna Nelson
Ruby Nichols
Margaret Nowling
Susan Ohlendorf
Margo Olson
Charmaine Owens
Sandy Palmer
Brenda Partridge
Cheryl Patton
Emily Patton
Megan Phillippe
Eliza Phillippe-Hastings JR. Member
Binnie Phillips
Franny Phillips
Veronica Phillips
Alanagh Pimlott
Pat Polley
Debbie Powell
Linda Rea
Shelli Reetz
Judy Richardson
Diane Richey
Connie Risk
Gloria Risk
Ann Roahrig
Susanne Robbins
Alice Rogers
Ann Roller
Kathy Rosenberg
Sandy Sailer
Pam Sandoz
Carol Sargent
Jill Schafer
Tonya Schmidt
Annie Schroeder
Rachel Sharpe
Wanda Shelley
Lisa Shelton
Libby Sheppard
Cynthia Lin Smoots
Nancy Sprunger
Sue Stack
Susan Stahl
Hilary Steinhardt
Phyllis Steinhardt
Kay Stokes
Abby Suiter
Kim Swenson
Elizabeth Thomas
Karen Todd
Priscilla Torline
Nancy Totten
Patty Trimble
Nancy Underwood
Marianne Ungru
Karen VanderPloeg
Betty Varble
Jan Vetrhus
Betsey Vonderheide
Glenna Hanks Wade
Nancy Watson
Donna Wehner
Joyce Wells
Julie Wells
Linda Wenning
Sharyn Whitman
Jill Wiest
Carole Williams
Jane Williams
Sadie Williams
Katie Wood
Sally Wurtz

Women's Guiding Circle Board Members

Lynn Maricle – Chair
Kathy Crafton – Vice-Chair
Tracy Geglein- Secretary
Pam Sandoz – Treasurer
Michele Barlow
Jean Herron
Leah James
Cindy McKay
Gloria Risk
Shelli Reetz
Austin Sims
Joyce Wells

JOIN TODAY!

To become a member of the WGCJC, one must contribute a $100 gift annually. Junior memberships of $50 are available for girls age 18 and under. Gifts are fully tax-deductible and memberships run by calendar year (January 1 – December 31). You can join now via Credit Card or ACH by clicking the JOIN NOW button to the right, or can mail a check along with our downloadable Membership Form to P.O. Box 306, Madison, IN 47250. Feel free to call Julie Wells at (812) 265-3327 or email [email protected] with any questions!

Upcoming WGC Events

We invite all members and women interested in learning more about the Women’s Giving Circle to attend our upcoming events!

Our next event is our 2025 Annual Event on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the newest venue of the Fairfield Inn – The Picker House.

Our theme is Yes We Can! We will celebrate our 2024 grant recipients and collect canned food items for local food pantries. We hope you’ll mark your calendar to attend!

We’ll share more details about this event as we get closer to the date!