BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S FOUNDATION

WHAT IT DOES
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the non-profit, non-partisan foundation collects, conducts and analyzes research on issues affecting women in the workplace and provides financial assistance to women seeking the necessary education to advance in their careers or re-enter the job market.

The BPW Foundation has awarded nearly $5 million in educational scholarships, grants and loans to more than 7,000 women nationwide, enabling these recipients to achieve career advancement and greater equity in today's work force. Awards are made in three categories:

• Career Advancement Scholarships provide assistance to women over 25 whose careers have been delayed, interrupted or redirected through personal, financial or labor force changes. The scholarships cover a variety of professions including computer science, education, paralegal studies, science, business and health.

• Educational Loan Program provides low-interest loans of between $1,000-$5,000 to women pursuing careers in the high-growth, nontraditional fields of engineering and business management.

• Research Fellowship Program provides grants to support doctoral research on women's issues such as changing employment patterns; gender, race and class; work and family concerns and research promoting equity for the Latinas.

The BPW Foundation conducts Training Programs that provide working women with the opportunity to upgrade their skills and examine workplace issues that directly affect their personal and professional lives. Regional and national workshops and seminars addressing such topics as management skills for women, leadership development, breaking through the glass ceiling, health care, investment strategies for women, and women in small business are available to both BPW/USA members and non-members.

The BPW Foundation operates the Marguerite Rawalt Resource Center (MRRC), one of the first and most comprehensive libraries dedicated to working women's issues. The center provides reference and referral services on issues critical to working women. Two of the many issues that the MRRO specializes in are starting your own business and women's access to credit.

With its Information and Research Program, the BPW Foundation has become a leader in tracking women's progress toward workplace equity. The Foundation also produces and disseminates working papers on current issues such as the glass ceiling, sexual harassment, retirement planning for women, and work and family policies.

WHAT THEY'VE DONE
A survey of BPW Foundation scholarship recipients shows that:

• 92 percent completed the post-secondary program:
• 94 percent were employed immediately after graduating:
• Income increased 55 percent after graduation and 92 percent overall: and
• 75 percent believe their self-confidence and hope for the future increased by receiving a scholarship from the BPW Foundation.

TO LEARN MORE
To find out more about the BPW Foundation educational assistance programs, call the Scholarship Information Line at 202/296-9118.

For more information on the Foundation's Marguerite Rawalt Resource Center, call 202/293-1200 and ask for the librarian.

• A BPW Foundation Information Kit which contains detailed information on Foundation programs and includes a new brochure. A donation of $3.50 to cover postage and handling is appreciated. Please mail to Foundation Information Kit, ATTENTION: Development Dept.

• Educational Program Brochures which include eligibility criteria, procedures and deadlines for scholarships, loans and grants. Send a self-addressed double-stamped business envelope (#10) to Educational Programs Brochure, ATTENTION: Education Dept.