April invites us to pause and recognize something truly powerful: the impact of people who choose to give their time, their energy, and their hearts. Volunteer Appreciation Month is more than a moment on the calendar—it’s a chance to honor the individuals whose generosity strengthens our communities and keeps our mission moving forward. Details

Did you know there’s a way to make your gift to Together Women Rise go even further — while also saving on your taxes? If you own stocks, mutual funds, or other securities that have grown in value over time, donating those shares directly to Rise rather than selling them first can be a powerful win-win. Details

Whether you are an employee deciding about your annual benefits at election time or an employer deciding which benefits to offer, make your workplace benefits work for you. Your benefits can maximize your savings for retirement and lower your tax bill. Assuming you already have an emergency fund, consider the following questions to determine in what order to fund your benefit buckets:

Details

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

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