Engage, Then Ask

Here are six suggestions to help build a successful women’s initiative at your organization:

1. Conduct an audit of your organization. In what ways are women involved? Assess your organizational culture and identify the barriers that might preclude a successful women’s initiative. Are staffing, resources and leadership available for the project? In one instance, women on the development staff wanted to institute a women’s initiative at a small coed college. They had a vision and a plan. They encountered resistance from the predominantly male development and college leadership, and the idea was dropped.