About WIF

Mission:

Women In Focus, Inc. envisions a world in which dreams are fulfilled through a worldwide partnership where all barriers to education are erased for students of color.

Who we are:

  • Women in Focus, Inc. is a local organization composed of passionate women who are
    single-minded in their promotion of educational excellence and healthy development
    of children of color.
  • We are a sisterhood of women striving to provide support for each other and to celebrate
    the gifts that each woman brings with her presence. Membership brings a commitment to
    these values.
  • Established in 1983, the Founding WIF Members created an active force in the Madison community to inspire young students of color to emulate successful role models of color.

What we do:

  • We award a significant number of scholarships to both high school seniors and adults returning to continue post-high school education. Since 1986, our scholarship awards to students of color in Dane County have totaled over $500,000. Please see our Scholarships page.
  • We celebrate our scholars in two ways: we publically applaud their accomplishments at our Scholarship Award Reception, and we invite former recipients to be our guest speakers at the annual fundraiser and the reception.
  • We partner and collaboratively support other organizations seeking to improve literacy and education for students of color.
  • We actively demonstrate our support of educational excellence through our literacy programs, which encourage reading and literacy-related games and activities. We accomplish this at the YWCA, book fairs, and at the Juneteenth celebration each year. Please see our Literacy page.
  • We share and support each other in our individual, pursuits and life experiences.

How we do it:

  • Our signature fundraising event is the “I Have a Dream” Scholarship Ball celebrated each January on the Saturday preceding Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. The timing of the event highlights our firm belief in living out the values expressed by Dr. King through our commitment and support for students of color. We have been hosting this event since 1986.
  • We are the grateful recipients of support from numerous organizations and individuals who have embraced our cause. Please see our Sponsor page.
  • We also partner with and collaboratively support other organizations with similar literacy and educational goals for students of color.