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 donors of all ages and backgrounds. By combining their financial strength, these donors are able to collectively make a positive change for women and children throughout Jefferson County.

All donors 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 21 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.

2026 WGCJC Members (as of 10/26/2026) - 188 Members

Carolyn Alcorn
Maria Armbrecht
Kendra Auxier
Mary Ellen Bargerhuff
Ada Bear
Kim Bennett
Karin Bernstein
Julie Berry
Katy Biallas
Penelope Bibbs (Jr. Member)
Christine Bilz
Carrie Blades
Kris Bliss
Lindsay Bloos
Jarrett Perry Boyd
Launa Braun
Stephanie Brawner
Kate Brown
Phyllis Calvin
Charlotte Canida
Terri Carrick
Kyleen Center
Sally Chalian
Cathy Cleveland
Bea Collins
Darleen Connolly
Helen Cope
Jane Lawrence Cope
Kathy Crafton
Rachel Crafton
Valecia Crisafulli
Nancy Crozier
Brenda Cummins
Jenny Darnold
Linda DeLuca
Celestra Dewey
Karen Dickie
Sandy Dierdorf
Molly Dodge
Laurie Dorsey
Carol Dozier
Sylvia Duke
Colene Durocher
Jane Durst
Nancy Eagleson
Amy Eberwine
Jackie Eggenspiller
Brenda Eversole
Brenda Finnegan
Piper Fischmer (Jr. Member)
Sarah Ann Fischmer
Anna C. Fisher
Sandy Freeman
Bev Gaffney
Tracy Geglein
Betty Gish
Sandy Gold
Lindsey Goodknight
Robin Goodknight
Ann Selby Goodman
Cindy Goley
Lisa Gray
Pam Gray
Natalie Green
Meredith Gregg
Leslie Grote
Maria Grote
Carolyn Gunter
Jessica Hall
Lynn Hall
Lisa Hanson
Letha Harding
Sara Hare
Amanda Harsin
Paula Hartman
Holly Hearne
Raeanna Hearne (Jr. Member)
Wilma Henderson
Jean Herron
Angie Hertz
Carol Hertz
Dee Hertz
Katie Hertz
Karen Hicks
Laura Hodges
Mary Anne Horine
Leah James
Betsy Johnson
Theresa Kapfhammer
Becky Keating
Karol Kirk
DeAnn Klinedinst
Shirley Kloepfer
Anne Koehler
Lindsey Laughlin
Mary Jane Laughlin (Jr. Member)
Bonnie Lee
Catherine Le Saux
Kylie Liddle
Gerri Liter
Sue Livers
Tomeka Livers
Mary Carol Lorton
Janet Huber Lowry
Betty Maddox
Lynn Maricle
Mona Matheney
Mary McCuskey
Cindy McKay
Sarah McQuery
Sally McWilliams
Candace Meyer
Elaine Morrill
Cari Morrison-Bear
Michelle Mouser
Anna Nelson
Ruby Nichols
Margaret Nowling
Susan Ohlendorf
Margo Olson
Charmaine Owens
Mary Beth Owens
Sandy Palmer
Brenda Partridge
Eliza Phillippe-Hastings
Megan Phillippe
Binnie Phillips
Franny Phillips
Veronica Phillips
Alanagh Pimlott
Shelley Preocanin
Starla Raley
Desna Ratcliff
Shelli Reetz
Ava Rice (Jr. Member)
Judy Richardson
Connie Risk
Elaine Risk
Gloria Risk
Ann Roahrig
Susanne Robbins
Alice Rogers
Ann Roller
Kennedy Rowlett (Jr. Member)
Pam Sandoz
Nancy Sauer
Jill Schafer
Annie Schroeder
Patsy Sharpe
Rachel Sharpe
Wanda Shelley
Lisa Shelton
Libby Sheppard
Sandra Skiles
Phyllis Slade
Linda Sloffer
Happy Smith
Cynthia Lin Smoots
Kirstin Springmeyer
Nancy Sprunger
Sue Stack
Susan Stahl
Celia Stearns
Hilary Steinhardt
Phyllis Steinhardt
Jacquie Stewart
Abby Suiter
Poppy Suiter (Jr. Member)
Elizabeth Thomas
Karen Todd
Priscilla Torline
Nancy Totten
Patty Trimble
Marianne Ungru
Karen VanderPloeg
Betty Varble
Jan Vetrhus
Betsey Vonderheide
Bonnie Watson
Donna Wehner
Jennifer Wells
Joyce Wells
Julie Wells
Sharyn Whitman
Jane Williams
Katie Wood
Sally Wurtz
Sierra Owens Wykoff

Women's Guiding Circle Board Members

Shelli Reetz – Chair
Jane Durst – Vice-chair
Gloria Risk – Co-Secretary
Colene Durocher- Co-Secretary
Leslie Grote – Treasurer
Helen Cope
Paula Hartman
Sara Hare
Tomeka Livers
Hilary Steinhardt

Who We Are

The membership of the WGCJC consists of donors 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 donors. We would love to add your name, too!

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 21 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!