2026 - Together Women RiseTogether Women Rise

Headshots of Debra Berman and Jean Wohlever

Debra Berman and Jean Wohlever are co-chapter leaders of the MI, Ann Arbor – 2 chapter. Debra, a Rise member for 6 years, and Jean, a member for 4 years, also serve in additional volunteer roles with us. Debra is a member of the Featured Grants Committee and former Regional Leader, and Jean Wohlever is a current Chapter Support Liaison. A former ICU nurse, business owner, and Technology Customer Experience Manager, Debra left corporate America to travel the world with her wonderful husband in 2016. Jean had a career as an economics advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and has lived all over the country including Connecticut, California, and now, Michigan. Details

Vinola Vincent Munyon, Recipe Co-Curator

Recipes

Chicken, Kenya, The Proven Platter, Proven Platter

The Proven Platter—Kenya, February 2026

This month we feature Freely in Hope and their work in Kenya that focuses on ending sexual violence by equipping survivors and advocates with the tools, resources, and support they need to take the lead in breaking the cycle of abuse. Details

A woman works on a computer and calculator surrounded by financial forms

Together Women Rise

Qualified Charitable Distributions: Savvy Charitable Gifts

With the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the use of Qualified Charitable Distributions [QCD] from your Individual Retirement Account [IRA] remains a tax-savvy option for making charitable gifts and, for many people, is now an even more appealing choice. Making QCDs can lower your taxable income and reduce the tax due on withdrawals from your IRA, all while benefiting your favorite charity.

A QCD is a direct gift from your IRA to a qualified charity. Once you reach the age of 70.5, you can use QCDs for your charitable planning. A gift made through a QCD also counts toward your annual Required Minimum Distribution [RMD]. (Your RMD is taxed as ordinary income.) Reducing your RMD total by the QCD amount lowers your adjusted gross income and taxable income and, therefore, your income tax due. A QCD also provides an opportunity to leverage your charitable gift: you deposited the money into the IRA without paying taxes, the money grew tax-deferred for the time it was in the account, and the money is received by the charity as a tax-free gift. Details

Beverley Francis-Gibson, CEO

Together Women Rise

A New Year, A Shared Commitment

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed some special moments with your loved ones this holiday season. I was thrilled to have my nine-month old grandson visiting for the holidays, along with my three daughters and their partners!

As we kick off 2026, I am filled with deep gratitude for the commitment and generosity of everyone in our Together Women Rise community. 2025 was a difficult year … in fact, in 23 years of Rise, we have never faced a more critical moment of need. Yet, even in the face of this crisis, our community stepped up! Many grantees found ways to adapt, streamline, and continue their essential work with remarkable creativity and courage. Our members rose to meet the moment with generous year-end gifts to support our ambitious annual appeal goal. While we are still tallying all the year-end donations, I can already report that our 2025 fundraising results are historic – we raised more funds than ever before with our Annual Appeal! I look forward to sharing our final results with you soon. Details