Melinda Pedersen is the founding chapter leader of the CA, Humboldt-1 chapter. The chapter has raised over $49,000 for Together Women Rise since its inception in 2013, but up until 2026, had never hosted a fundraiser. The chapter decided to take on this new venture, and the results were incredible. In February, Melinda led her chapter in hosting a production of The Vagina Monologues which brought in close to 900 people, and raised over $5,000, over the three-night run.  

(Pictured above from left to right:  Andrea Armin, Nancy Ihara, Melinda Pedersen, Robin Wolff, Anita Gilbride-Read.) 

Kia: You hosted your first Together Women Rise fundraiser this February. What was inspiration?

Melinda: Our chapter is very steady with monthly contributions, but I wanted to spice us up a bit. I proposed a fundraiser to the group and when they asked what I had in mind, I suggested hosting a production of the play The Vagina Monologues! I saw The Vagina Monologues in 2009 and just loved its powerful, funny, and inspiring content. Our chapter members all thought it could be great. No one knew what the effort would be, but we just committed to the adventure.

Kia: Why did you think The Vagina Monologues would appeal to Rise members and potential new members?

Melinda: V-Day is a nonprofit that The Vagina Monologues playwright started. It is a global activist movement to end violence against all women and girls. It is a grassroots movement, much like Together Women Rise. It was easy to align what Rise does and the messages from the monologues. There is even a specific monologue about female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) for example. We knew this would be a great way to support Rise and support a local domestic violence service organization as well. 

The first thing we needed to do was find a director who was motivated by the mission of Rise and passionate about The Vagina Monologues. And we did!  Our director was actually the first to bring The Vagina Monologues to our community in 2001, so our production was the 25th anniversary. And we scheduled it – as is tradition – on Valentine’s Day weekend.  

Kia: So, then you started the planning. How did you get your chapter members involved in this endeavor?

Melinda: Our chapter meets monthly, so I would just keep everyone updated on what was going on at every meeting. We planned this fundraiser months and months in advance. We also had a chapter-wide email thread where I asked people to follow up with certain tasks. I tapped specific people who said they would help. We had one member cold-call a bunch of local businesses to sponsor the show and support us. Someone else put hundreds of labels on the Rise brochures we gave out encouraging people to join or start a chapter. We also had people physically put flyers across the county. We even had a digital billboard ad on highway 101! 

There were also a lot of costs we had to take on. I had to pay for the copyright of the play and event insurance. I was basically the producer until sponsorship dollars came in and I was reimbursed. 

Kia: It sounds like there were many moving parts!

Melinda: Oh yes, especially the night of the performances. Tabling at the event was a big deal. We had members handing out Rise brochures and encouraging attendees to donate or join a chapter. We also had a silent auction. We even brought snacks or made meals for the staff for all the rehearsals and show nights.

Kia: So, tell us more about the performances.

Melinda: We chose a large venue, thinking, ‘if you build it, they will come.’  It was the same theater where the show sold out in 2001.  Back then, they wouldn’t allow the word “Vagina” on the marquee until the wives of the board members found out and pulled a Lysistrata moment. Our performance included music and original monologues written by members of the cast alongside the traditional award-winning script.

We had musicians in the lobby of the theater welcoming everyone, and our chapter members sold concessions like beer, popcorn, and candy. We had an art installation and people posed in front of it all night like it was the Grand Canyon. At the Rise table, we had volunteers wearing sashes and telling people all about our organization! We also had a sign-up sheet so we could follow up with folks interested in joining us. We raised about $23,000 in sponsorships and ticket sales and had about $12,000 in expenses. We split the total for Rise and another local nonprofit. We also had 20 people express interest in joining or starting a new chapter. We invited the cast to our March brunch to celebrate our joint success. It was a full house! 

Kia: Wow! What a success. Do you have any words of advice for other chapter leaders who may be interested in hosting a fundraiser?

Melinda: Make sure you have support, and make sure you have core people around you who you enjoy and work well with. I think you need to be prepared for some chapter members to not 100% dig in, and that is okay. It was helpful to make a list of things to do, or a sign-up list for people who want to get involved or help.  

At the end of the day, it’s ideally about getting the word out about Rise and not necessarily making a ton of money. Figure out what your motivation is. Check in from time to time during the planning process… are your needs being met? How are we doing? Reconnect with your purpose. And have fun! I work in HR, so I don’t get a lot of opportunities to be creative, and I also don’t get thanked a lot for my work. This project really filled my cup to be seen as a capable, kind person from really wonderful people. In my job, I don’t lead a lot, and in this role, I was the leader. 

I also got to be on the radio! I promoted the event twice on local radio stations. I was able to do things I had never done before. It was exciting and yes – challenging at times.  Every time I got frustrated, “for the glory” was my motto to get through it. I am looking forward to other ways to get involved. I plan to help start a few new chapters here, since we received so much interest from the show. 

Additional photos from the Rise fundraiser, courtesy of Melinda Petersen: 

(Pictured left) Melinda putting on makeup at a vanity in the 1940s apartment above the theater. (Top right) Nine cast members, including three trans women. (Bottom right) The theater provided a prosecco toast after the show.