Mission

The Women's Fund seeks to create economic, educational and personal growth opportunities for women of all ages and to encourage their advancement and full participation in the community.

We accomplish our mission by:

• Supporting critical programs aimed at providing women and girls with job readiness skills, employment opportunities, budget/money management skills, positive parenting education, and life skills necessary to maintain safe, healthy, violence-free lives.
• Offering life changing intervention through Annie's Fund, a unique fund that provides critical monetary support enabling women to overcome obstacles and crisis.
• Promoting philanthropy through awareness and education events.
• Responding to the urgent and emerging needs of women and their families.
• Publishing reports that provide pertinent information on the status of women and girls in Herkimer and Oneida counties.

The Women's Fund Platform

Domestic violence is a global issue reaching across national boundaries as well as socio-economic, cultural, racial and class distinctions. This problem is not only widely dispersed geographically, but its incidence is also extensive, making it a typical and accepted behavior. "Domestic violence is not simply an argument. It is a pattern of coercive control that one person exercises over another. Abusers use physical and sexual violence, threats, emotional insults and economic deprivation as a way to dominate their victims and get their way". (Susan Scheter, Visionary leader in the movement to end family violence).

Domestic violence is deeply ingrained and has serious impacts on women's health and well-being. Its continued existence is morally indefensible. Its cost to individuals, to health systems and to society is enormous. Many organizations in the area confirm the need for attention to this great issue that impacts women in the Mohawk Valley and the nation. No other major problem of public health has been so shamefully ignored and so little understood.

As domestic/sexual violence impacts 25% of women in our communities (1 in 4 women according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey), often resulting in poverty, loss of employment, homelessness and hopelessness, we, the Women's Fund of Herkimer and Oneida County believe that it is imperative that more be done to support women and girls exposed to this violence. Therefore, for the ensuing two years, the focus of our fundraising and educational intent shall be focused on this devastating and pressing issue.