Women's Fund of Greater Chattanooga

We had a great time at the local Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade last month (above) and have upcoming advocacy events!

• On Tuesday February 10th from 11:30 am - 1 pm, Elaine Patterson, WFGC Advocacy Chair, and Melody Shekari, WFGC Executive Director, will be talking about bills at the state level & local updates. This online meeting is open to everyone interested in learning about our advocacy work, and the second year of the 114th General Assembly (2025-2026). RSVP at the link below! 
• On Thursday February 12th from 6:30 pm - 8 pm, join us with Post Script Pizza to learn about local legislation that affects you and your community and write to our legislators about your support or opposition. It is really important that they hear from their community, and effective advocacy is impactful! This family-friendly monthly group learns, eats pizza, and writes and/or calls legislators together at the Society of Work (110 Somerville Ave, Floor 2r). Drop in - No experience required! 
• On Monday, March 2nd from 5:30 - 7 pm, join us at the Chattery for Unfiltered Conversations: Mental Health (RSVP here). Our Unfiltered Conversations series explores topics that feel “off-limits” or challenging for women. Whether you are looking for information for yourself or others and/or resources in our community, bring all of your questions and hear from a panel of talented local women as they discuss trends and what they are seeing. 

Join us for our first Nightingale Network social hour of 2026! This month we’ll meet at Home Bar Chattanooga (409 Market Street) on Wednesday February 18th from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.

You do not need to be a member of the Nightingale Network to attend this free event, and we encourage you to bring a friend! There will be time to enjoy a drink or two and connect with like-minded individuals working together to have a positive social impact in our community.

To learn more about the Nightingale Network or to join, please visit our website: chattanoogawomensfund.org/be-a-nightingale

We are celebrating Black History Month with amazing events throughout the community this month!

• Notably, you can visit the Bessie Smith Cultural Center with free admission this Saturday February 7th, as well as attend other events this month. 

• The Chattery is also hosting a series of events - check it out! 

• The Chattanooga Venturing Study Group is a group that meets to learn about Chattanooga Venture, how it did what it did, and whether the Chattanooga Way might be useful today, to address current issues, using today’s technology. Their first dialogue session in 2026 will be on Monday, February 23, at Adelle’s, 400 East Main St. The topic will be “Community Engagement” with Ron Littlefield, former Mayor of Chattanooga and a key leader of Venture, and others. This is an open invitation, and you can register to attend at https://luma.com/cz0hwuhv. To see videos of the dialogue sessions last year and learn more about Chattanooga Venture, visit here.

We are excited to invite you to participate in our upcoming Bold and Brave Day of Advocacy, on March 24, 2026 in Nashville. “Bold and Brave” is hosted by the Tennessee Women’s Fund Alliance (Women's Foundation for A Greater Memphis, Women's Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Women's Fund of Greater Chattanooga, and Women's Fund of East Tennessee). 

We are focused on building a more just, equitable, and inclusive Tennessee for all women and girls through philanthropy and advocacy, and we host Bold and Brave to introduce women and girls to the Tennessee legislative process as well as to advocate on issues we care about. No experience is necessary to join us, and we hope to see you in Nashville!

This year as we celebrate Black History Month, we remember and honor former Tennessee House Rep. Tommie Brown, who passed away last month. 

Brown was the known for her work in government and education. Notably, she served as the lead plaintiff in a civil rights case against the City of Chattanooga in 1984 - the court order found discriminatory intent in city elections and resulted in fairer elections and a more representative City Council. She was a pillar of this community and effective advocate for women, people of color and equality. Her life and work serve as an inspiration to future generations. Read more about her life and legacy here and here. 

Photo credits: Times Free Press (above), Chattanoogan.com (below) 

Phone: +1.904.385.8721 E-mail: admin@chattanoogawomensfund.org

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