All participants of WOCFI are women of color from New England who are predominately low-income or working class. WOCFI tries to maintain as much diversity within the participant class as possible with respect for age, race, ethnicity, immigration status, etc. Our participants also represent a diverse group of community and grass roots organizations organizing for change. Graduates of WOCFI represent a wide range of ages, women in their twenties to senior citizens, and over half of our participants are natives of other countries, including Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, Liberia, Congo, Nicaragua, Somalia, Haiti, Chile and Mali. Many of the women consider English as their second, third or even fourth language. About two- thirds of each year's class represents communities in the greater Boston area, and the remainder is from other communities throughout New England.
In many cases, WOCFI graduates go on to leverage significant funding for their organizations from foundation sources, and their grassroots fundraising strategies have become more sophisticated and successful. It is the goal of WOCFI that our graduates take on leadership positions within their organizations, the community and in philanthropic institutions.
Below represents some of the organizations that have participated in the Institute.
WOMEN OF COLOR FUNDRAISING INSITUTE ROLL CALL
Asian Family Services
Association of Haitian Women in Boston
Boston ACORN
Boston Black Women’s Health Initiative
Coalition for Asian Pacific American Youth
The Cambridge Sisters Program
Christian Community Action/Mothers for Justice
COFEX
Cooperative Economics for Women
Council for Children, Inc.
Direct Action for Rights and Equality
Harbor COV
Immigrant Worker’s Resource Center
In the Spirit/Mishkan Tefila, Inc.
Liberian Community Association of Rhode Island
Maine Coalition for Food Security
Massachusetts Asian AIDS Prevention Project
Network for Battered Lesbian & Bisexual Women thenetworklared.org
New Hampshire Minority Health Coalition
Orchard Park Tenant Association
Peace at Home
Prosperous Africa, formally Bamako Workers Association
Rhode Island Parents for Progress
Roofless Women’s Action Research Mobilization
Sisters Overcoming Abusive Relationships
Somali Women and Children Association
Survivors, Inc.
Universal Human Rights Center
Women of Courage
Women in Leadership Development
Women’s Theological Center
Warriors of Real Welfare Reform