It’s May. June 30 is our deadline for signing up WIN members for the 2024 grant year. Any gifts coming in by June 30 will be invested in two wonderful projects. Every dime. You get to vote in August to help decide where the money will go. We all get to find out the results at our October Grants Celebration, to be held in Omaha this year.
As of this writing we have 247 members, which is up from last year at this time by 34, thanks to the work of the Membership Committee under the leadership of Jill Davis.
Our goal is 300 members. If you know of someone who would be a great addition to our growing network of caring women, please reach out to them. Before June 30.
The Grants Committee, under the leadership of Jaci Lindburg, is hard at work sorting through the 117 grant applications from across Nebraska and the University of Nebraska system. Wow, there are a lot of great ideas to consider.
Next up, once the committee has narrowed the field to eight, we will make site visits to all of them in June. By August, you will be able to vote on the two finalists from somewhere in the University system, and on the finalists in the community nonprofit sector. Exciting work!
Last October we provided two grants of $110,342 each, a record. We are poised to top that this year. WIN members’ generosity is remarkable, and the money is making huge, positive differences in so many lives in Nebraska.
Thanks to you for making this audacious adventure bring about so much good in the world.
WIN Leadership Team named for 2025-2026
I am thrilled to report to you that the next WIN leadership team is in place:
Co-chairs: Lisa Smith and Karen Linder
Grants Committee Chair: Halley Kruse
Membership Committee Co-Chairs: Peg Slagle (Lincoln), Tina Spatz (Omaha)
Education Chair: Betsy Tonniges
Lisa Smith was the founding chair of WIN and Karen Linder has been a part of WIN since its inception. I can’t think of better co-chairs to lead us forward.
Here’s to WIN and to the power of collective giving—and to the fun we get to have along the way.
Meg Lauerman
WIN Chair