The Southwest Florida Women’s Foundation recently hosted its inaugural Men of IMPACT™ dinner to recognize SWFL men who have distinguished themselves by elevating the status of women during their career or through community service. The 2019 Men of IMPACT™ are:
Each man recognized has contributed significantly to encouraging, hiring, promoting, mentoring or recognizing women in some unique way. A video was shown that recognized each Man of IMPACT™ for his specific achievements and provided testimonials from many of the women whose lives have been impacted. “All of our Men of Impact™ have made such a difference in the lives so many women in Southwest Florida. They have recognized talent and empowered their female colleagues or employees to achieve their career goals and dreams,” said Southwest Florida Women’s Foundation CEO Brenda Tate. “We are grateful for their support and recognize their contributions.”
More than $300,000 was raised from corporate sponsors, including BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Florida Community Bank/Synovus, FineMark Bank, and many other individuals and corporate sponsors. Florida Prepaid College Foundation provided a Challenge Match of over $100k to leverage the funds raised during the event’s cash call. Proceeds from the Men of IMPACT™ outreach will support hard working Earn to Learn FL™ students to achieve their educational goals.
Less than 20% of Southwest Florida women and men over age 25 have earned a bachelor’s degree. Earn to Learn FL™ empowers low to moderate income students to complete their college or career and technical education. The result: students become investors in their own future, breaking the cycle of limited family income and improving their earning potential. Students are required to compete financial literacy training and to save and invest $500 of their own earnings, which is matched with $4,000 in Earn to Learn FL™ financial aid. Students, who remain eligible, renew and save up to $500 each year to be matched by up to $4,000 until they graduate.
“The impact of mentoring on a student’s success cannot be under estimated,” stated Florida Gulf Coast University President Mike Martin during his keynote address. “We see students who’ve had the benefit of mentors paying it forward by mentoring other students, colleagues, and family members.”
For additional information about opportunities to invest in Earn to Learn FL™ students contact: Brenda Tate at (239) 908-0301 or Brenda@EarnToLearnFL.org or visit https://earntolearnfl.networkforgood.com/projects/58432-earn-to-learn-fltm
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About Southwest Florida Women’s Foundation
The Southwest Florida Women’s Foundation, serving Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades counties, is the only non-profit in Southwest Florida focused on women and girls and was the first to publish academic research assessing the status of women in the area. The Women’s Foundation invests in programs that educate, boost entrepreneurship and advocate for policies to elevate the status of women and girls. For more information, visit https://earntolearnfl.org/ or email contact@EarnToLearnFL.org. Follow the Women’s Foundation online at https://www.facebook.com/EarnToLearnFL/ and on https://twitter.com/earntolearnfl.
About Earn to Learn FL™, an initiative of the Southwest Florida Women’s Foundation
Earn to Learn FL™ supports low to moderate income students in earning a post-secondary degree or certificate while escaping the burden of student loan debt. The program is structured so that students contribute mandatory savings of up to $500, which is then matched with up to $4,000 in financial aid funds through Southwest Florida Women’s Foundation. Earn to Learn FL™ financial aid will be renewed on an annual basis until graduation for students who remain eligible and continue to save up to $500 each year to secure up to $4,000 renewal matches. The program incorporates financial literacy training for each of the students to ensure that they are prepared for long-term success. Not only does it assist students to achieve graduation on time, but also helps them enter the job market with little or no student loans.
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