The Context

The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio has been giving voice and visibility to the women and girls throughout central Ohio since 2001. Consistent with its mission to “transform the lives of women and girls, by mobilizing the collective power and passion of all people working together,” WFCO and its partners (Battelle, The Columbus Foundation, and Fifth Third Bank) commissioned an innovative research project to better understand how the concept of economic security is manifested among central Ohio women.

The Critical Question

How many central Ohio women are economically secure? What are some of the key factors that influence a woman’s economic security?

Our Solution

After reviewing a wide range of relevant literature, we obtained population and economic data for the counties that comprise central Ohio, analyzed these data, and used compelling visuals and narratives to communicate the key stories in the data.

Illumination

As detailed in our research report, we found that 1 in 4 female householders in central Ohio were not economically secure – meaning their household’s annual incomes were not high enough to provide for their basic needs. Family structure (e.g., female-headed households with very young children) and childcare costs were identified as having a large impact on women’s economic security.

Resolution

Key findings from this research were shared at a sold-out community forum arranged by the Columbus Metropolitan Club. The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio used the results from this study to convene additional community conversations regarding economic self-sufficiency, to inform future grant-making efforts of the organization, and to guide the development of programs, advocacy and further research.