ABOUT US
The mission of the Erie Women's Fund (EWF) is Empowering Women and Families EWF educates and inspires its members to positively impact the lives of Erie County women through philanthropy and community engagement
Collectively, we Empower Women and Families! EWF provides financial grants, hosts enriching educational forums and engages members through informational meetings and social gatherings
All year long, we are involving members through inperson (large and small) events and online activities to fulfill our mission for philanthropy The amount of participation by members is an individual choice; there is no requirement of time
2 MEMBERSHIP
3 COMMITTEES
4 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
5 GRANT HISTORY
6 STEERING COMMITTEE
Membership Levels
PLATINUM
Our Our Committees Committees
Our structure allows members to be as involved as they like serving on committees and attending events, or simply donating and voting on the major grant recipient It is up to you how you want your membership to look The most important piece to sustain our impact is your continued membership
Education Committee
The Education Committee is responsible for planning and hosting education sessions to help our members stay engaged and knowledgeable about issues women and their families face in our community This committee would be a good fit for you if you want to shed light on pertinent community issues and if your passion lies in empowering our members through education
Sheila Sterrett, Chair
sheila sterrett@yahoo com
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee is responsible for welcoming and orienting new EWF members to the group Additionally the membership committee works to retain our current membership base and recruit new women to join The more members we have, the greater good we can do for women and families in our area! This committee is perfect for you if you like engaging with other EWF members
Beth Weaver Baney, Chair bethany baney@gmail com
Events Committee
The Events Committee is responsible for planning and executing Erie Women’s Fund major events Events include the Annual Summer Grant Announcement Gathering, the Holiday Party, and our many Icebreakers This committee is popular with women who like to plan parties because our EWF members like to have fun!
Jennie Hagerty, Chair jhagerty@mcwerie org
Grants Committee
The Grants Committee is responsible for requesting and reviewing grant proposals, narrowing the responses, and bringing the top candidates to full membership for a vote Grants committee gets to read and screen requests from local nonprofits to decide which best fit our mission and should be brought to membership for consideration There are two grant cycles throughout the year The Grants Committee also tracks outcomes with previous grantees This committee will be a great fit if you like to read and learn about needs in our community, and if you want to play a major role in helping to decide where our funds are deployed
Linda Corso, Chair delilahc@me com
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the benefit of joining EWF?
You are part of a women-led philanthropic group whose mission is to Empower Women and Families Members have the opportunity to meet the needs in their community through collective giving that has a direct, positive impact on Erie In addition, EWF members gain access to social and educational events while engaging with other community-minded women
Your charitable dollars will go further when combined with the gifts of others Joining EWF makes you part of an empowering group of women whose collective efforts create powerful change Why wouldn’t I just donate directly to my favorite charities, instead of giving to EWF?
Can only women join?
EWF is intended to be a giving circle for women We welcome anyone interested in other giving vehicles to reach out to the Erie Community Foundation
What has EWF accomplished in the last five years?
The Erie Women's Fund's annual major grant cycle now provides $100,000 to a local nonprofit each year Recent recipients of this grant include Dafmark Dance Theatre, U S Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Erie United Methodist Alliance (EUMA), and Mercy Center for Women Thanks to a generous estate gift, we also offer the Furchak Ferko grant cycle, which began granting in 2021 In total, EWF has provided over $1 3 million in grants to organizations that Empower Women and Families For more information on our grantmaking, see our website: eriecommunityfoundation org/community-impact/erie-womens-fund/
How do I join the Erie Women’s Fund?
You can join by writing a check made payable to The Erie Community Foundation with “Erie Women’s Fund Membership” listed in the memo line You can drop the check off or mail it to: The Erie Community Foundation
Attn: Erie Women’s Fund 459 W 6th Street Erie, PA 16507
You can also join on our website: eriecommunityfoundation org/community-impact/eriewomens-fund/ by selecting “Join Now” and enter your gift amount based on membership level!
We have different options for membership. Please commit as you are able.
Platinum ($2,500+ annually)
Gold ($1,000 annually)
Silver ($500 annually)
Bronze ($250 annually)
E W F G r a n t m a k i n g H i s t o r y E W F G r a n t m a k i n g H i s t o r y
Achievement Center
Bayfront Center for Maritime Studies
Crime Victim Center
Door Student Services
Erie County Technical School Foundation
Erie Center for Arts and Technology (ECAT)
Early Connections, Inc
Emma's Footprints
EmergyCare
Erie DAWN
General McLane Foundation
Girl Scouts of Western PA
Habitat for Humanity
Hamot Health Foundation
House of Mercy
International Institute of Erie
Mercy Center for Women
Mercyhurst University and Civic Institute
Millcreek Education Foundation
Multicultural Community Resource Center
Mystic Mountain Training Center
AMI of PA, Erie County Affiliate
The Porreco College
The Sight Center of Northwest Pennsylvania
SafeNet
Salvation Army
Second Harvest Food Bank
Sisters of St Joseph Neighborhood Network
St Martin Center, Inc
The Upper Room
MHEDS
United Way of Erie County
U S Commission on Refugees and Immigrants
YMCA
WQLN
2022 2023 2024 2025
Meet the Steering Committee
The work of the Erie Women’s Fund is overseen by our volunteer steering committee, made up of our executive committee, the chair and vice chair of each member committee, and our member(s) at large
Note: Information is current as of March 2026
Membership Vice Chair
Stephanie Mongomery
Education Chair
Dawn Joy Education Vice Chair
Joelyn Bush
Stella LaPaglia Events Vice Chair
Courtney Olevnik Grants Vice Chair Grants Chair
Andrea Amicangelo
Abby Lechner Member at Large Treasurer
Katie Ruffa Chair
Allison Hodas ECF Liason
Olivia Burgess Membership Chair
Beth Weaver Baney
Britt Daehnke Vice Chair
Lisa Graff Events Chair
ERIE WOMEN’S FUND
