Help Women Persevere Through Change

When you support WEN, you help provide an accessible on-ramp to livable-wage jobs and long-term financial stability for Kansas City women.

Building upon the success of the new Three Pillars to Success program launched in summer 2022, this year WEN staff are refreshing popular workshops like Goal Setting and Time Management and launching new ones that will help women improve how they talk to themselves, counteract imposter syndrome, cultivate growth mindsets, and more.

Progress to Date

WEN’s 2023-24 program year runs July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. We have achieved the following outcomes as of October 31, 2023: 

• WEN has already served 1,274 unduplicated clients – nearly to our goal of 1,400!
• WEN welcomed 71 new clients July-October 2023. Our goal is to serve 1,000 new clients in 2023-24.
• WEN has had between 76 and 106 active clients each month, July-October, this operating year. We’re working to serve at least 125 active clients every month.
• 478 clients have attended 33 workshops on a variety of topics including Mastering the “Tell Me About Yourself” Question, Tips for Holiday Spending, and The Isolation Disconnect. Our goal this year is to welcome 1,500 attendees to 110 workshops.
• WEN staff have served 113 unduplicated financial coaching clients. We’re well on our way to providing financial coaching for 200 women this program year!

What Clients Have to Say

A client we'll call Anna is a recent Three Pillars to Success program graduate. Since completing the program in May 2023, she has taken impressive strides toward building a fulfilling career and a bright future.

This year alone, Anna accepted a new job in human resource (where she’s pursuing her passion for building positive and inclusive work environments) and returned to school. She identifies WEN as a powerful force for good in her life:

“I am grateful for the network of supportive women I found through WEN.”

Connection is instrumental for women like Anna, whose journey – which began with a chance meeting with WEN Community Engagement Coordinator Merve Buehler at a Nonprofit Connect event – demonstrates perseverance, ambition, and the powerful of community.

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• 2022-23 Annual Report (PDF)
  

When you support Women’s Employment Network (WEN), you support connection for women. Here, women build rapport with our staff and with one another, forming valuable and lasting social and professional networks.

Our donors’ generous gifts are hard at work: WEN kicked off the 2022-23 operating year with our new Three Pillars to Success program. This three-week in-person course (Tues.-Thu., 10am-1pm) empowers women to focus on themselves, recommit to their goals, and renew their passion as they take steps toward financial independence. Participants receive feedback from HR professionals, learn how to navigate interviews, build their professional networks, and more. With this new program up and running, WEN clients are empowered to choose the program model (fully in-person or hybrid) that works best for their lifestyle.

Progress to Date

WEN’s 2022-23 series of programs and services took place July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. We are thrilled to share the outcomes from another successful year of supporting women in Kansas City:

• WEN welcomed 908 new clients in 2022-23 (goal: 1,000)
• WEN had 1,376 total clients in 2022-23 (goal: 1,400)
• 1,947 clients (goal: 1,500) attended 93 workshops (goal: 110) on a variety of topics including Personal Budgeting Tips; How to Get Back in the Workforce and Address Resume Gaps; and The Resilient Woman: Thriving Beyond Your External Circumstances.
• 103 clients shared with WEN that they have accepted a full-time job; 34 increased their credit scores, 15 increased their monthly net income, and 8 decreased their debt.

What Clients Have to Say

Katrina is a domestic abuse survivor who joined WEN in 2012. "The continuous support is awesome, and I still utilize the tools I've learned. I want people to know that you're not just signing up for a class, you're signing up for a lifelong support system," Katrina shares.

With support from staff, Katrina visited WEN’s Digital Career Center and Job Search Lab to conduct an online job search that led to accepting a full-time position as a placement coordinator at a local healthcare provider. Katrina has thrived in her new career and advocated for her advancement, successfully increasing her hourly pay by $10.

"The resources and networking knowledge I have gained through WEN has been amazing. It has helped me be confident in getting what I want and having the courage to get it."

As she continues receiving support from WEN, Katrina's story continues to evolve. With guidance from a WEN financial coach, Katrina is focusing now on charting a fresh course for her financial success by working to grow her personal savings and fiscal stability.

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