Eos Grantees in the News

Center for Women & Enterprise: Helping Families Succeed in the Downturn

In challenging economic times, research shows that women are often hit the hardest. With unemployment rates reaching the double digits, more women than ever are turning to the Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE), an Eos grantee, in order to launch their own businesses and learn the skills they need to prosper.

Since 1995, the nonprofit CWE has helped women (50% of whom are low-income) start and grow businesses by providing education, training, technical assistance, legal counseling, and access to capital. CWE has aided more than 20,000 women and helped them secure more than $33 million in business loans—and in turn, those new businesses have generated nearly $630 million in wages.

On April 10, CWE is hosting its annual auction and gala dinner to celebrate these entrepreneurs and raise vital funds. The event features a three-course dinner and blockbuster live auction along with friends, clients, supporters, and leaders from New England’s educational, legal, finance, educational, venture and IT communities.

The funds raised will help CWE reach its five-year goal to eventually assist 10,000 women per year, and will bolster the organization’s successful, in-depth business education trainings, such as the Community Entrepreneurs Program and PowerUp!. The former is a 14-week program that helps aspiring entrepreneurs develop a business plan and learn the basics of financial projections, market research and bookkeeping, while PowerUp! is a 13-week intensive for clients with business experience they seek to transfer to their own ventures.

In a world where women are still earning an average of $12,000 less per year than their male counterparts, CWE provides critical resources that help businesses thrive and families succeed.

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