In The News

Women’s Money Matters Welcomes New Board Member, Valerie Galvao

A program graduate becomes a board member 

Women’s Money Matters proudly welcomes Valerie Galvao to its Board of Directors, marking a remarkable journey from program participant to esteemed board member. Valerie’s trajectory epitomizes the transformative impact of financial wellness and empowerment. 

Valerie Galvao brings over a decade of dedication and excellence in  human services to her new role. Valerie’s unwavering commitment to social work and community service shines through her extensive volunteer work with organizations like One Family Inc. and Agassiz Village Summer Camp, as well as her involvement in legislative testimony and city. 

With a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Salem State University on the horizon, Valerie’s academic achievements, including making the Dean’s List, member of several Honor Societies and active participation in the Student Advisory Council for the School of Social Work, underscore her commitment to excellence.  

Her personal journey with Women’s Money Matters, from participant to board member, speaks volumes about her passion for financial empowerment. Her ongoing relationship with her coach, Anita, extends beyond financial wellness into various facets of life, emphasizing the profound impact of mentorship and support.

Reflecting on her time as a participant, Valerie highlights the sense of community fostered by Women’s Money Matters and the pivotal moment of creating a budget during workshops which allowed her to actualize short and long term financial goals. This experience catalyzed her journey towards financial stability and ultimately motivated her transition to a leadership role. 

Transitioning to the board was motivated by Valerie’s desire to bridge participant experiences with board decisions. Her dedication to civic engagement and advocacy, fueled by her background in social work and personal experiences, underscores her commitment to systematic change. She gained hands-on experience in legislative advocacy initiatives and community organizing during her BSW internship in Macro-Social Work with the National Association of Social Workers-Massachusetts Chapter.

Valerie envisions Women’s Money Matters continuing to empower women through free programs, one-on-one coaching, and advocacy efforts. Her message to others embarking on a similar leadership journey is one of empowerment and resilience, emphasizing the importance of representation and using one’s voice to uplift others. 

In joining the board, Valerie finds empowerment and healing, embracing her voice and story to inspire others. She acknowledges the supportive environment of Women’s Money Matters and the transformative mentorship she’s received, propelling her growth as a leader. 

Please join us in welcoming Valerie Galvao to our Board of Directors. Her journey exemplifies the transformative impact of our programs and the unwavering commitment to empowering women through financial education and community support. 

About Women’s Money Matters: 

Women’s Money Matters builds the financial wellness, confidence, and security of women living on low incomes through a unique program that combines instructional workshops and personal, one-to-one coaching. For more information about Women’s Money Matters and its programs, please visit https://womensmoneymatters.org/

BOSTON – Women’s Money Matters, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women with essential financial skills, is thrilled to announce the receipt of a significant grant from Womenade Boston. This generous support will bolster the organization’s Life Launch program, enabling more young women to establish a strong financial foundation and gain the confidence necessary for future success.

Financial education among young women is of utmost importance, yet the statistics surrounding this issue are alarming. According to the Office of Economic Empowerment, less than 20 high schools in Massachusetts currently mandate a full semester of financial literacy education. Furthermore, a mere 12% of girls feel very confident in making financial decisions, despite a striking 90% expressing a strong desire to learn how to better manage their money, according to research conducted by Girl Scouts.

Recognizing the urgent need to bridge this educational gap, Women’s Money Matters has been steadfast in its commitment to empowering young women through its comprehensive financial wellness programs. The Life Launch program, in particular, focuses on equipping participants with vital financial skills and building their confidence to make informed financial decisions.

Thanks to the generous grant from Womenade Boston, Women’s Money Matters can expand the reach and impact of the Life Launch program. The grant will facilitate the development of tailored curriculum materials, recruiting and training volunteer coaches, and workshops designed to empower young women with practical financial knowledge. This financial education as well as the ongoing support will serve as a solid foundation for young women, equipping participants with the tools needed to navigate financial challenges and achieve long-term financial security.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Womenade Boston for their invaluable support of our Life Launch program,” said Danielle Piskadlo, Executive Director at Women’s Money Matters. “This grant will make a tremendous difference in the lives of the young women we serve, enabling them to establish a strong financial foundation and gain the confidence necessary to thrive in their personal financial and professional lives.”

Through ongoing collaboration with partners like Womenade Boston, the organization continues to provide life-changing resources and guidance that inspire financial independence, resilience, and success among young women.

For more information about Women’s Money Matters and its programs, please visit https://womensmoneymatters.org/

 

About Women’s Money Matters:

Women’s Money Matters, formerly Budget Buddies, builds the financial wellness, confidence, and security of women living on low-incomes through a unique program that combines instructional workshops and personal, one-to-one coaching.

Media Contact: Ariana Contreras 

(acontreras@womensmoneymatters.org) 

520-456-5965

 

Women’s Money Matters Welcomes New Board Members

Nina Charnley and Paula Leca 

 

BOSTON – Women’s Money Matters, a non-profit organization that builds the financial wellness, confidence, and security of women living on low-incomes is pleased to announce its two new members of the board of directors, Nina Charnley of Boston, MA and Paula Leca of Dedham, MA. 

 

Danielle Piskadlo, Executive Director of Women’s Money Matters, shares, “We are growing and innovating our financial wellness programs and how we reach more women so this is a pivotal time to bring on two new board members with such amazing qualifications and experience.” 

 

Charnley is a retired bank executive, a financial coach, and Public Co-Board Member at Berkshire Bank. She brings a unique and diverse set of executive leadership, digital transformation, financial, risk and regulated industries, customer experience and consulting expertise to the board room. She has successfully grown, restored and built businesses in every division of Fortune 100 financial services companies serving millions of customers. Nina served as Head of Enterprise Customer Experience for TIAA, a Fortune 100 financial services company with over $1 trillion in assets under management and 5 million customers. As a Senior Managing Director, she was a member of the Executive Leadership Group, a leader for the Digital Transformation Team and Chaired the Customer Experience Board which she created as a governance entity. Over her career in financial services she has run multi- billion dollar businesses, reported to the Board of a large, public regional bank as head of Risk, developed and launched an online bank and several digital products and capabilities. While at Bank of America she created the strategy, infrastructure, template and accountabilities matrix for Bank of America’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program. 

 

Leca is Chief Counsel, Specialty Business Units and R&D at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. She joined Takeda in 2015 as associate general counsel and became vice president and head counsel, Oncology in 2019. Previously, Leca held positions at the New York Genome Center, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Goodwin Procter. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School. Leca also serves on the board of directors for Pine Street Inn, New England’s largest nonprofit serving people who are homeless with the intention of providing them with permanent housing.

 

To learn more about Women’s Money Matters or to get involved with the organization, please visit www.womensmoneymatters.org.    

Women’s Money Matters Awarded $25K Grant from the Women’s Fund of Essex County

The award is in honor of WMM’s exemplary work to financially empower women  

Women’s Money Matters, formerly Budget Buddies, which builds the financial wellness, confidence, and security of women living on low-incomes, today announced it received The Women’s Fund of Essex County’s 2022 Above and Beyond Award in Honor of the Founders’ Circle. This unrestricted $25,000 grant is awarded annually to a non-profit whose exemplary vision, leadership and impact sets an exceptional standard in addressing complex and overlapping social issues impacting women, families, and communities. Women’s Money Matters Executive Director Danielle Piskadlo shares, “We are honored to have been chosen for this award and will continue to empower even more women in Essex County on their financial wellness journey.” 

Trish Moore, co-president of The Women’s Fund said, “WMM has consistently demonstrated excellence in their programs that promote women’s economic self-sufficiency, which is a core funding priority for The Women’s Fund of Essex County.” Moore added, “We are thrilled to make this grant to WMM because we know they will go above and beyond to help create positive change in women’s lives.”

Women’s Money Matters provides financial wellness programs for women that include interactive expert-led workshops, one on one coaching from a trained volunteer, and small supportive peer cohorts. Women’s Money Matters connects participants to direct financial relief, community resources, and financial experts. Women’s Money Matters has served nearly 400 women in Essex County to date. 

 

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About TWF:

Since 2003, the Women’s Fund of Essex County has raised and awarded more than $3 million to more than 150 high-impact non-profit partners that provide local women, girls, and their families with the resources they need to find success at work, school, home, and life. The organization has been recognized with the George Peabody Award for Leadership in Philanthropy by the Essex County Community Foundation and the Champions Award for Community Impact by North Shore Community College, and the Constance Grasso Award from the YWCA of Greater Newburyport. The Women’s Fund of Essex County is an all-volunteer organization supported entirely by generous donors whose philanthropy supports a portfolio of programs impacting local women and girls. (thewomensfundec.org)

The Women’s Fund of Essex County is a field of interest fund of the Essex County Community Foundation.

 

Women’s Money Matters Welcomes New Board President & Executive Committee

Robin Toof is stepping down after 10 years of dedicated service

 

BOSTON – Women’s Money Matters, formerly Budget Buddies, is pleased to announce its new President for its Board of Directors. Robin Toof, Co-Director at the Center For Community Research & Engagement at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, who has supported Women’s Money Matters for ten years will be replaced as Board President by Brandie Conforti, Chief Global Development Officer at JA Worldwide.

 

“It is perhaps cliché to say this is with a heavy heart that I step down, but it has been rewarding to be a part of something so real and so good, to get to know the Board members and the Executive Director, and to know I may have had a hand in the successes of this great organization,” Toof said. “I have had a front row view of an organization, first led by two remarkable women with a dream, passion, and energy, grow from serving women in a few groups a year to reaching hundreds through innovative flexible methods.”

 

“Robin has had a profound impact on the growth of Women’s Money Matters over the last ten years and it has been a pleasure working with her,” said Danielle Piskadlo, Executive Director of Women’s Money Matters. “We are so grateful for Robin’s dedication to our mission and success.”

 

Toof is succeeded by Conforti, who served as the vice president of the Board. 

 

“I am excited to step into this role and to support Women’s Money Matters as it continues to expand its work and reach through innovative new techniques and methods,” Conforti said. “I am proud to support an organization that is so deeply dedicated to empowering women and ensuring they have the resources they need as they take control of their financial future and work to create a more secure future for themselves and their families.” 

 

In addition to this change, Women’s Money Matters is pleased to announce it’s additional Executive Committee members:

• Senior Credit Analyst with First Republic Bank Anne Muita of Acton will now step into the role as Vice Chair.
• Managing Principal & Chief Investment Officer at Mission Park Capital Enrique Perez of Cambridge will now serve as Clerk.
• Chief Financial Officer of Massachusetts Commission for the Blind Shandra Gardiner of Boston will take over as the board treasurer.