Three. Whole. Years.
Written by Chelsie Walter. Photography by our AMAZING team.
Women of Cincy began on a whim on January 20, 2017, as a way to document stories from the Cincinnati Women’s March. We were a few 20-somethings with cameras, recorders, and an Instagram account. We had no idea what we were creating, how much it would evolve, or how much it would change our lives.
Since that day, we’ve reached over 93,000 people, graduated 18 students from our residency program, expanded our volunteer team beyond 70 people, and so much more. We’ve grown, evolved, refined our mission, refined our mission again, and started to carve out a space for this work to become a permanent part of the fabric of our city. It’s been one helluva ride, to say the least.
Over the last three years we’ve seen our fair share of ups and downs, and it’s been a lot to juggle. We ask our interviewees week after week to open up and not to sugar coat their struggles… and damn, that’s a brave thing to do. So in the spirit of being open, honest, and real, there have been days that I didn’t think we were going to make it. It makes me squirm in my seat to write those words, but it's true. About a year ago, I was ready to quit. I didn’t know how we’d pay our bills, I was exhausted, and on a personal level, I felt financially irresponsible and guilty for showing up to work week after week without bringing home a paycheck to do my part in supporting our family. It just felt like we’d never be able to find the stability we needed. I was in a funk. I spent one awful sleepless night thinking about how I’d tell the team we were done. I thought about all of the events I needed to cancel, how I’d word the emails and parting announcement, all of it. Your girl was D.O.N.E., done.
This is not, however, that farewell letter. It’s quite the opposite. While my head was running through pretend conversations, I started to think about what our city would lose without Women of Cincy. How many folks we’d never be able to recognize, all of the stories we’d never tell, all of the laughs and future friendships we’d miss out on… You get the picture. It was in that moment that I came to realize that Women of Cincy never belonged to me in the first place. It wasn’t mine to quit on. It’s yours. What we (you, me, our community) have created here is something special. That realization lifted a huge weight off of my chest. I stood up, walked into the bathroom, started a shower, and broke.
So in the longest shower known to woman, I picked myself up and I started to form a plan. We’d start our nonprofit paperwork. We’d hand everything over to you. We’d bring more folks into the leadership fold. We’d reassess who we were, how we would finance things, and start planning for a long-term existence. Operating in a scarcity mindset, living month to month, and saying “yes” when we should say “no” could no longer serve us.
And we f***ing did it.
I am so proud of this team and all of the folks who’ve supported us. We survived and started putting our plan into action. I am proud to announce that we are officially a 501(c)3. OUR COMMUNITY OWNS WOMEN OF CINCY!
What does this mean? It means we’re here to stay as long as you’ll have us. It means we’re expanding our circle by bringing on a nonprofit board and building up an advisory council. It means we’re working toward paying a small full-time staff living wages and raising money to do the same for our residents. It means we are working toward officially hiring (feeding) an executive director (that’s me!). It means we are thinking critically about our long-term vision and expanding our storytelling and community building capacity.
We believe that citizens have the power to create a more equitable, inclusive city. That journey starts with taking control of our narrative, our story, and understanding one another on a deeper level.
Women of Cincy is a collective built to awaken and amplify change-makers through storytelling, community, and mentorship. We are guided by four focus areas:
1. Promoting inclusive communities
2. Amplifying social equity
3. Building community muscle
4. Expanding pathways for women
We believe that everyone can be a change-maker. Each of us has a story and each of us has power. We’re here to support and celebrate that power.
So, what do you need to make this happen?
Yepp, you.
2020 is a big year for us. We’ll be learning a ton and figuring out what this next phase has in store. We’ll be fundraising like crazy, because we are not out of the woods, and sustainability requires funds. We’re jumping into a big new partnership (stay tuned), continuing our This Is Entrepreneurship series, and growing feature and Community Mix content. We’ll be welcoming new residents into the mix and planning more community-building events. Basically 2020 is already chock-full of new friends, new plans, and a ton of other great stuff. To make it happen however, we need you. This is yours after all!
Here’s a quick rundown on how you can make a difference:
1. Give money. This work takes time and resources: no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Give here.
2. Nominate. Tell us about an awesome Cincinnatian we should interview! Our stories are 100%-driven by community nominations. All interviewees are welcome regardless of gender identity.
3. Give your time and talent. Learn more here.
4. Share. Share. Share. The quickest, easiest way to make a BIG difference for us is to share our stories. Tell your friends about the amazing change-makers we feature each week. (Oh look! Some links right here: Instagram. Facebook. Twitter. Newsletter.) Show up online + in person.
5. Sponsor. If you want your business to reach an audience that cares deeply about their city and show them that you do, too, then this is the place for you. Interested? Email me at chelsie@womenofcincy.org.
6. Grants. So, we’re new to this whole nonprofit thing. If you see a grant out there that you think we’d be a great fit for, pass it along to hello@womenofcincy.org.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
–Chelsie Walter, executive director