10 Fun Facts

Member Blog

Check out these interesting facts and fun tidbits about Women Give San Diego:

Fun Fact #1: Including our current grant partners, Women Give San Diego has contributed $810,000 to 30 organizations focused on lifting up the vulnerable women and girls of San Diego.

Fun Fact #2: Originally, Women Give San Diego operated in partnership with the California Women’s Foundation, which is based in the Bay Area. But beginning in 2017, Women Give San Diego now partners locally with San Diego Grantmakers instead. This local collaboration has further strengthened our ties to the San Diego community! 

Fun Fact #3: The implementation of the co-leader model for all leadership positions – one leader over 40 and one under 40 – supports the goal of generational diversity in the most positive way. This concept came about as leadership recognized the challenges and personal needs of members who were in differing stages of their life cycles.      

Fun Fact #4: Pam Mudd had been serving as Treasurer, and because she was doing such a remarkable job, we told her she would never be called upon again, as long as she would remain Treasurer.  When co-residential succession was being considered, it was decided that Pam was the right person for the right time.  Sitting president, Merle Brodie, Linda and Gayle planned a Pam “heist”.  We invited her out to wine just to have fun, a girls’ night out.  After several glasses of wine, we had weakened her enough that she agreed to the request. 

Fun Fact #5: At the request of Founding President, Jan Tuttleman, a meeting facilitated by Nancy Jamison, San Diego Grantmakers President & CEO at the time, was convened. 
The meeting convened leaders of all women-centered organizations, including the San Diego Women’s Foundation, Foundation for Women, Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Foundation, Hand-to-Hand Coastal Community Foundation, the  Jewish Women’s Foundation, inviting collaboration focusing on women and girls.

Each leader articulated their organization’s mission; only agreed upon opportunity for collaboration was educational event based, which resulted in convening in Rancho Santa Fe, with Helen LeKelly Hunt as speaker. Our Founding President was way ahead of her time, with a vision of women-centered giving circles working together to affect greater equity for all women and girls.

Fun Fact #6: Generously underwritten by Founding President, Jan Tuttleman, Co-Founders commissioned research by Val Nash, Nash Associated with the assistance of Patricia Sinay. Research identified most vulnerable populations of women and girls in our community. These continue to serve as our grant focus areas today.

Fun Fact #7: At one of our first grants organizational meetings, we determined a key operating principle would be to remain “nimble”.  Core values adopted, include:

  • Equal rights and opportunities for women and girls
  • Female-centered: Honoring the unique way in which women approach issues
  • Impact (affecting Social Change, Community Impact)
  • Integrity, Transparency, Accountability
  • Inclusivity (ethnicity, age, socio-demographic, geographic)
  • Partnership (with granting partners) 
  • Collaboration and leverage (between Community Partners)

Fun Fact #8: Founding President, Jan Tuttleman, was a member of Women Moving Millions – a community of over 320 individuals who each make a minimum $1million pledge to organizations and initiatives benefiting women and girls. When Jan passed away in 2012 at the age of 56, WGSD and two other women-centered organizations were the beneficiaries of this generous commitment.  WGSD leadership chose to invest this donation in a gender lens endowment to ensure Jan’s vision lived on, in perpetuity.

Fun Fact #9:  In October, 2019, Women Give San Diego opted to participate in the Women’s Empowerment Loan Fund (WELF).  This fund was recently created by San Diego Grantmakers to make small loans to women-owned businesses, with 70% of the participants designated to be women of color.  Due to the bi-annual timing of our grant making, WGSD always has some funds held in reserve. WGSD’s President Council decided to loan a portion of this reserve fund ($25,000), to be repaid at 2% interest over two years.  It’s a great way to make our membership contributions work both for us and for the women we serve! 

Fun Fact #10: 18 of the first 100 WGSD Founding Members or 18% have continued their membership in WGSD after 10 years!  We thank and celebrate Founding Members that continue their engagement as current members: Gayle Tauber, Barbara Bry, Linda Katz, Julie Dubick, Lisa Braun-Glazer, Rosanne Holliday, Heather Dugdale, Pamela Mudd, Erin Spiewak, Megan Blair (Lim), Nancy Spector, Jennifer Levitt, Dede Alpert, Sheona Som (Richardson), Shana Hazan, Katy Goshtasbi, Merle Brodie, Lenise Andrade, Amy Bernal, and Renee Fitzgerald.