As many of you know, as of July 1, 2009, the Foundation for the Advancement of Women in Religion will be dissolving. In its place, we will continue to operate this site as a blog and to post important information in the field of women in religion. We welcome your participation.
Below is the letter that was sent to our supporters and donors announcing this decision by the Board of Directors.
Dear FAWR Supporters:
In these tough economic times, it is no surprise that many organizations are struggling to stay alive. The Foundation for the Advancement of Women in Religion was started in 2006 to help women religious scholars and activists achieve greater prominence and to support the excellent work being done in the field. It was always the unofficial policy of the organization to dissolve after three years if significant fundraising and membership had not been achieved. This policy reflects the understanding that it is better to pool scarce resources rather than splitting them between smaller, less successful ventures.
After three years, it is clear that FAWR can no longer expect to meet its goals and do the work that it set out to do. We are very grateful to our supporters and our members who were as enthusiastic as we were in helping women in religion.
In the three years that we operated, we were able to support a summer program led by JFSR, Inc., and WATER, and we were able to give scholarships to women who are doing excellent work in religion. Prof. Rosemary Carbine, our 2009 Magdalen Scholar, wrote to thank us and informed us that our scholarship had been matched by her department. We are proud to have been able to help. This is exactly what we hoped to do and in some measure we did succeed. However, the financial circumstances are such that it is clear we cannot continue.
It is with sadness that FAWR’s Board of Directors has voted to dissolve the organization. But we continue to hope for the advancement of women in the field of religion and the formation of another independent funding source for progressive scholarship in the field.
Let me take the opportunity to thank the Board of Directors: Nahid Angha, Jill Hammer, Carol Lee Flinders, Macha Nightmare, Patricia Monaghan, Jan Willis and Ben Hamlin for their efforts, their guidance and leadership.
We are also extremely grateful to our members who supported our work with donations, enthusiasm and hope.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, it has been an honor to serve this community. Thank you and best wishes for a just and peaceful future.
Sincerely,
Cyra Akila Choudhury
Executive Director &
President
