By Emma Segrest
Women of Cincy hosted approximately 50 guests at its first ever fundraising event recently and raised $2,700 to support the organization’s digital storytelling platform.
The event, held at Fibonacci Brewing Company, involved brunch and a silent auction, featuring a variety of community-donated prizes: signed sports memorabilia, interior design consultations, camping trips, 50/50 split-the-pot prizes and more.
Women of Cincy is a nonprofit media organization dedicated to creating more connected, empathetic, inclusive communities by centering the diverse voices in the city.
The organization was founded in 2017 as a response to the Cincinnati Women’s March of that year and the collection of photos, videos and stories collected from that. Since then, the group has continued to grow. in Oct. 2020, WOC published a series focusing on the economic mobility of Black women in Cincinnati. The group has also continued to be a platform for women identifying as small business owners, this past April they launched their directory book UPLIFT to highlight local women businesses.
The fundraiser offered both an in-person and virtual element for guests to place bids for items. Guests who could attend in person enjoyed a variety of craft beers and food from Foster Foodies truck. Also included in the event was a musical performance from Aprina Johnson, a social activist who uses music as a platform for sharing her message.
With funds raised from the event, Women of Cincy plan to continue building their platform. Their long term goals include being able to hire more full time staff, pay their interns a living wage and continue to expand their storytelling abilities. The nonprofit received their official 501(c)3 status this past year. This fundraiser was their first under this new status.
“This work isn’t just about documenting the lived experience of women in our communities; it’s also about shaping our future. Over the last year, millions of women have been impacted by the pandemic,” said Executive Director Chelsie Walter. “Women of Cincy is created for our communities, by our communities and it belongs to all of us. We are so thankful to our community for all of the support and encouragement they’ve shown us and for attending our first fundraising event.”
The next opportunity to support Women of Cincinnati is Charitable Suds Night – Sept. 8, 5-8 p.m. – at Rhinegeist Brewery in Over-the-Rhine.