This year, United Way of Salt Lake celebrates the 20th anniversary of Women United, a group of passionate individuals who come together to remove barriers and create opportunities so everyone in our community can thrive.
The donor network was founded in 2005 as the Women’s Philanthropic Network when a small group of determined women had a bold vision and a desire to make meaningful change. The group’s name evolved to Women United in 2017, but the passion and purpose behind their mission remains the same.
Over the years, Women United members have been the voices, hands, and hearts behind many impactful efforts such as providing resources and support for immigrants and refugees, mentoring and tutoring with a focus on college and career readiness, and meeting with legislators to advocate for policies that benefit Utah children and families.
Nearly 50 members gathered on November 6 for the Women United Annual Luncheon to reflect on the group’s inspiring legacy, highlight recent impacts, and look ahead to next year. The event was a wonderful celebration of Women United’s advocacy, volunteerism, generosity, and leadership.
Reflections from Founding Members
Deborah Bayle founded Women United in her role at the time as President and CEO of UWSL and was one of the first members. “I’m really proud that Women United is celebrating 20 years.” Bayle said. “When we started it 20 years ago, as the Women’s Philanthropic Network, we had no idea that it would continue to grow and expand. One of the original missions of the group was to give women power and a strong voice with their philanthropy, to be able to make decisions with their dollars that would have a measurable impact on our community. So, I’m really excited that here we are, 20 years later, and Women United is still going strong.”
One of the programs that Women United members have chosen as a focus to support is the Deborah S. Bayle Scholarship Fund for Youth, a scholarship benefiting students whose lives have been impacted by the work of United Way of Salt Lake. Established in 2015 to honor Bayle’s retirement, the scholarship has provided resources for over 100 Utah students to attend college or university—many of whom are the first in their families to do so.
Becky Potts is another founding member and served as the first Women United chair. “Deborah and I knew from the start: we wanted this group to reach every corner of our community, inviting women who wanted a strong voice in making their own philanthropic decisions,” Potts said. “From our very first meetings, we got to work supporting programs for immigrants and refugees, and soon after, funding scholarships that opened doors for so many. In those early years, the real credit goes to the original founders who took a chance on something new, determined to make a difference.”
Under the leadership of Bayle and Potts—and with major support from Rebecca Dutson, then-COO and Vice President of Resource Development at UWSL—the founding members of Women United rolled up their sleeves to bring their vision to life and establish the group that has been making a difference for women, children, and families in Utah for two decades.
Looking Ahead: Creating a Better Tomorrow
In addition to the Deborah S. Bayle Scholarship Fund for Youth, Women United embraced the Promise Baby & You program as a priority to focus their volunteerism and philanthropy. This nine-week program empowers parents and caregivers of children ages 0-3 with knowledge and skills to support their child’s development.
Over 100 families have graduated from the Promise Baby & You program so far, with more cohorts planned through next year. Attendees at the Women United Annual Luncheon had the chance to hear about the program’s impact firsthand from a parent who completed the program in the spring.
Jamie Issowits is the current chair of Women United and shared how this and other initiatives are building a better future for kids and families in Utah.
“Whether you’ve been with us for 20 years or recently gotten involved, every member strengthens our movement and together we are building opportunity, creating change, and lifting our community,” Issowits said. “It’s big work, but we’re not afraid of the challenge. In fact, we welcome it! The strength of this group and the heart of this organization has always been in our collective power, the power of coming together, supporting each other, and lifting others up in the process.”
Women United members support United Way of Salt Lake’s annual Year of Action Events by promoting literacy in elementary schools during Read Across America Day, providing school supplies to ensure students start school ready to learn during our Stuff the Bus campaign, and hosting a carnival for preschoolers at The Children’s Center Utah as part of Day of Caring. Women United also hosts the annual Power of Your Purse fundraising gala, providing resources to support United Way of Salt Lake’s basic needs and education initiatives.
Written by Jenna Fischer, Content Strategist
