The NY Women’s Foundation held their Stepping Out and Stepping Up 2009 Fall Dinner at Gotham Hall (1356 Broadway & 36^th St) last night.  The event, hosted by Deborah Roberts, honored philanthropist’s couples, Elizabeth and Herb Sturz and Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas D. Kristof and featured a performance by the always riveting, Mary J. Blige.   The work of the NY Women’s Foundation is to “be a voice for woman and a force for change.” Through funding of various community-based programs, the foundation addresses the myriad of issues that low-income women and children face.

Co-Chairs for the evening included:  Hyatt Bass, Sayu V. Bhojwani, Aiyoung Choi, Susan R. Cullman, Grace Hightower De Niro, Somers W. Farkas, Margaret Munzer Loeb, Carolyn Buck Luce, Jean Shafiroff, Diana L. Taylor, Jacqueline P. Togut, and Barbara Brizzi Wynne with distinguished guest Mayor Bloomberg.

Over the past twenty-two years, NYWF has surpassed $20 million ($20,350,445) in grants to over 240 nonprofit organizations, improving the lives of five million women and girls in New York City.   This year, NYWF responded to the economic crisis by launching RISE-NYC!, a partnership initiative and increasing its grant-making by more than 20%.

NYWF funds programs in that promote economic security and justice, health and sexual rights, positive development of girls and young women, and safety.

I was very impressed to learn of the extraordinary philanthropic work done by both the Sturzs, and Sheryl and Nicolas.  Sheryl gave such an amazing speech and a call to action around the issue of child trafficking that it brought tears to my eyes. And I absolutely adore Mary!   She is one of the most down, nicest gals in the business, and always treats everyone like her BFF!  She’s just a truly class act!

For further information about the NY Women’s Foundation, go to:  http://www.nywf.org/

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