Philanthropy

Helping Our Community

Seven forward-thinking women founded The Cincinnati Woman’s Club more than 125 years ago with the mission of education and philanthropy. In keeping with this mission, the CWC undertakes many philanthropic projects each year.  The Club's philanthropy is broadly divided between Scholarship and Community Impact. Community Impact encompasses Service Projects, Collection/Recycle Projects, and Handicraft Projects, in addition to providing grants to eight worthy non-profit agencies each year through the Gift Research program. 

Service Projects: "Can Do" and Super "Can Do" Events

Members participated in more than a dozen "Can Do" projects in the past year:

  • Assembled care packages for active duty soldiers.
  • Cooked nutritious meals for Center for Respite Care, Lighthouse Youth & Family Services, Angie's House of Freedom & Miracles, and Joseph House
  • Created 280 fleece blankets distributed to eight agencies in Greater Cincinnati.
  • Assembled holiday gift jars for Fernside Center for Grieving Families and Welcome House of Northern Kentucky.
  • Made flower wreaths for the residents of The Victorian Covington Ladies' Home.
  • Joined the women in recovery at Off The Streets for dinner and an evening of fellowship with women.
  • Heard from founder Megan Fisher about the good work of Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank and donated hundreds of diapers for the March Super Can Do.

Collection/Recycle Projects

During the past year, members have recycled and collected items for several projects:

  • More than 60 tall kitchen garbage bags of empty pill bottles were donated to Matthew 25: Ministries in Blue Ash, where they are cleanaed for reuse or recycled for income to support their ministry.
  • Almost 100 pairs of eyeglasses were collected for LensCraftersOneSight volunteer program, where they are recycled to bring better vision to underserved communities throughout the world.
  • Collection Corner spearheaded the donation of personal hygiene articles, toiletries, books, diapers, sheets, and note cards for service agencies the Club supports throughout the year.
  • More than 500 pairs of socks, mittens, hats, and underwear for children were donated by members and distributed to St. Elizabeth Florence Pediatrics, the Care Closet, and the Salvation Army.
  • For many years, Ronald McDonald House Charities has sold donated aluminum pull tabs as scrap metal to fund their activities. This year 55 pounds of pull tabs were donated by CWC members.

Handicraft Projects

The clever and talented members of The Cincinnati Woman's Club happily share their crafting and needlework skills to embellish ball caps, make quilts and pillowcases, knit sweaters and prayer squares, sew doll clothes, and create assorted other beautiful items to help brighten the lives of those less fortunate.

Gift Research Grants

Each year, The Cincinnati Woman's Club members research and share information about eight non-profit agencies doing good work in our area. The agencies are nominated by members and then members vote on the two they think are making the biggest difference in lives in the tristate. The Gift Research grants are shared among all eight agencies, with the top two vote getters receiving the largest grants. The following agencies received grants from CWC for the year 2023-2024:

  • Your Store of the Queen City
  • Casa de Paz
  • Project Connect/ABC
  • The Help Program Cincinnati
  • Cincinnati Type & Print Museum/Bloc Ministries
  • Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub
  • Cornerstone Renter Equity
  • Ken Anderson Alliance
     

Philanthropy projects at The Cincinnati Woman's Club follow the motto carved and hanging above the fireplace in the Club's Library: "Let us be such as help the life of the future."