Development

Linda Barker is serving as the Director of Development. As DoD, she keeps us connected with National AAUW and its fundraising goals and opportunities. The Director and Development Committee, in collaboration with the Branch President, suggests a program of philanthropic efforts each fiscal year for the Board of Directors to consider.  Our philanthropy is geared to helping women and girls live their best lives throughout their lives, so it spans pre-school through adult continuing education programs. The Development Director also guides us in making tax-deductible donations to the AAUW Fund and/or our Local Program Fund. She lets us know about the women who have received grants from our two endowments, the Lenore D. Feibel Fund, and the Janetta MacPhail/Harriet Strong Fund. It's always good to hear about the careers of the women whom our grants have helped.

 

Fundraising

Join the AAUW Fundraising Committee – Make an Impact While Having Fun!

 

Do you enjoy organizing events, bringing people together, or just want to make a difference in the lives of women and girls in our community? The Fundraising Committee is a great place to do all of that—and more!

 

Last season, we hosted an inspiring one-woman play about Ruth Bader Ginsburg and two lively Mah Jong socials celebrating the release of the new card. Thanks to these efforts, we helped fund scholarships for 10 outstanding local students selected by our Scholarship Committee.

 

Looking ahead to 2026, we’re excited to present Best Friends’ Variety Hour with Kris and Ali, a dynamic duo of female comedians and improv artists. We’ll have a blast promoting the show and filling the seats with friends and supporters. We’ll also keep the Mah Jong magic going with two spring events—helping with reservations, seating arrangements, and working closely with our Treasurer to wrap up the finances.

 

New this year: we’re adding grant writing to our fundraising toolkit! The goal? Support the BreakThrough Mentoring Program, which empowers ALICE women (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) to build stable, sustainable futures for themselves and their families. It’s an ambitious and exciting initiative that aligns perfectly with AAUW’s mission. Learn more at UnitedForALICE.org.

 

Whether you're a seasoned planner, a creative thinker, or someone who just wants to pitch in for a good cause, we’d love to have you on the team. Your time and talents will go a long way toward lifting up women in Indian River County.

 

Come join us—and help turn fundraising into life-changing support for women and girls.

 

Scholarships

Suzanne Jones is the Director for Scholarships, serving a two-year term through June 2027. She and the Scholarship Committee work with our support partners: Economic Opportunity Council of IRC, Indian River State College, Treasure Coast Technical College and the Vero Beach, Sebastian, and IRC Charter high schools.  They initiate and manage our scholarship support of students in these programs and report to the Board on their status. In 2022,  with the initiation of the high school scholarship program, committee members were involved in the evaluation of applications and recommendation of recipients to the Board.  Several committee members commented that the experience really brought home how impactful our support of these girls is, and just how much need is in our community.