Women's Self-Sufficiency Initiative

Research tells us that women donors want to know where their money is going and be involved in the process. The Women's Self-Sufficiency Committee (WSSC) was developed to address these wishes.

Committee Goals

• Increasing awareness of women's self-sufficiency issue in our community through education and collaboration
  • Identify service providers and their indicators of success
  • Identify root causes of barriers to women's self-sufficiency
  • Identify network of providers
• Create program and community outcome measurements so that we’ll know what progress we're making
• Mobilize women donors at the leadership level to give their time, talents and treasures to women's self-sufficiency issues

A survey of non-profit agencies was completed in the summer of 2007 to further understand the barriers of self-sufficiency in the central New Mexico region and to identify the best use of resources and volunteer opportunities through United Way of Central New Mexico. 

2007 WSS Survey Executive Summary (PDF)

Survey results showed these barriers, related to the root causes of poverty could be broken down by:

           •  Improving high school graduation/GED rates
           •  Providing quality before/after school programs
           •  Improving women's employability
           •  Proving life and social skills training
           •  Providing transitional and permanent housing

Using the survey results, the Women's Self-Sufficiency developed an action plan to create lasting change for women and community impact:

           •  Enhance women's employability
           •  Raise community and women's awareness of the opportunities to support women's                self-sufficiency challenges
           •  Equip nonprofits that address women's self-sufficiency

2009 - 2011 Women's Self-Sufficiency Action Plan (PDF)

Interested in learning how you can become involved? For more information please contact Christina Woodlee at christina.woodlee@uwcnm.org 247-3671.