Dallas Women’s Foundation announced updates to its Unlocking Leadership Campaign by establishing a new recognition level, the Leadership Key Club, for those who have contributed $100,000 or more. In addition, $35 million has been raised to date. The announcements were made at a dinner hosted by Ashlee and Chris Kleinert, who serve as campaign co-chairs along with Paula and Ron Parker and Trea and Richard Yip.

In 2013, Dallas Women’s Foundation began the Unlocking Leadership Campaign to raise $50 million to improve the future of North Texas by investing in the economic security and leadership potential of women and girls.

Campaign Co-Chair Ashlee Kleinert said that the campaign was launched so that the Dallas Women’s Foundation, which is the largest regional funder of programs for women and girls in the world, would be in a better position to take greater action for all women and girls moving forward.

“The future of North Texas is directly tied to the economic security and potential of leadership of women and girls in our community,” she said. “It’s impossible to create a brighter future for North Texas communities without focusing specifically on the current condition, immediate needs and potential of women of all ages and backgrounds.”

Although the campaign was launched in 2013, the announcement of the Leadership Key Club’s formation is only the second time that the Dallas Women’s Foundation has made a public campaign status announcement. The first one was issued at the Foundation’s Annual Luncheon last year, when campaign leadership announced that $32 million had been raised to date.

“Since the luncheon, we’ve raised an additional $3 million, which is absolutely wonderful,” added Kleinert. “More than 4,000 generous donors have stepped up during what we consider to be the initial ‘quiet phase’ of the campaign, which is both humbling and exciting. Now that we’re past the campaign’s halfway mark, we want to motivate and inspire other community members to follow their example and help us cross the finish line in the near future.”

Funds from the Unlocking Leadership Campaign are earmarked for the Foundation’s primary focus areas – women’s economic security and women’s leadership.  The Economic Security Initiative aims to strengthen the economic security of 16,000 women and girls by 2021, and to date, has already reached more than 8,750 women and girls. The campaign’s Leadership Initiative aims to provide 60,000 women and girls with leadership training and opportunities, and thus far has reached nearly 28,000 women and girls through grant-making and programs.

Roslyn Dawson Thompson, Dallas Women’s Foundation president and chief executive officer, said, “An investment in this campaign is an investment to ensure that girls and women are on equal footing, which is especially important since Texas women live in poverty at a higher rate than men: only 30 percent of North Texas households are led by women, but 53 percent of all poor households are women-led. Our mission is as important today as it has ever been: Dallas Women's Foundation invests in women and girls and empowers women's philanthropy to build a better world. When their lives are transformed, our region and economy are transformed, and that is the ripple effect we seek to achieve.”

A special thanks to the Leadership Key Club members:

Ellenore and Kirk Baker

Lucy and Henry Billingsley

Cecilia and Garrett Boone

Kalita and Ed Blessing

Erin and Bob Botsford

Jill and Jim Cochran

Serena and Tom Connelly

Ka and L.L. Cotter

Peggy Simmons Dear

Kaleta A. Doolin and Alan Govenar

Lauren Embrey

Julie and Bob England

Beverly Goulet

Trish Houck and Lyssa Jenkens

Heather L. Hunt

Nancy Ann and Ray Hunt

Ashlee and Chris Kleinert

Sarah and Alan Losinger

Anne Knight

Ann E. and Fred Margolin

Maribess and Jerry Miller

Retta Miller

Toni Muñoz-Hunt and Dan Hunt

Diane S. Paddison

Paula and Ron Parker

Betty S. Regard

Lisa and Matt Rose

Janice and Michael Sharry

Lisa K. Simmons

Sue and Paul Spellman

Betty and Stephen Suellentrop

Roslyn Dawson Thompson and Rex W. Thompson

Patricia A. Vaughan and Barbara S. Turner

Martha and Max Wells

Donna M. Wilhelm

Shawna D. Wilson

Trea and Richard Yip

In addition to the Unlocking Leadership Campaign co-chairs Ashlee and Christopher Kleinert, Paula and Ron Parker, and Trea and Richard Yip, the Campaign Cabinet members are Ellenore Knight Baker, Kalita Beck Blessing, Julie S. England, Hilda C. Galvan, Caren K. Lock, Janie Strauss McGarr, Maribess, Lehmann Miller, Retta A. Miller and Janice V. Sharry.

For those interested in donating to the campaign, contact Shawn Wills, Dallas Women’s Foundation senior vice president of development, at swills@dallaswomensfoundation.org or 214.525.5318.

Dallas Women’s Foundation is the largest regional women’s fund in the world. It is a trusted leader in advancing positive social and economic change for women and girls. The Foundation was built on the belief that when you invest in a woman, there is a ripple effect that benefits her family, her community and her world. Dallas Women’s Foundation has researched, funded and demonstrated the ripple effect since 1985 in North Texas, granting more than $32 million since inception and $4.4 million annually to help create opportunities and solve issues for women and girls. With the support of its donors, the Foundation unlocks resources to improve education and quality of life, give voice to issues affecting women and girls, and cultivate women leaders for the future. For more information, visit www.DallasWomensFdn.org, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.