General Federation of Women's Clubs Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
General Federation of Women's Clubs

Founded	1890
Headquarters	General Federation of Women's Clubs Headquarters 1734 N Street NW Washington, D.C.

Federation Of Women's Clubs, D.C. Leaders Of Delegation To White House, 1914: Mrs. Ellis Logan; Mrs. H.W. Wiley; Miss E. Shippen; Mrs. R.C. Darr; Miss M. McNeilan

The General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC) is a large group of women's clubs in the United States. It was started in 1890, during a time when many people were working to improve society. The GFWC helps communities by encouraging women to volunteer.

Local clubs organize projects to help their communities. They also work with GFWC's partner organizations. The GFWC has almost 60,000 members across the United States and in other countries. It is one of the world's oldest and largest groups for women volunteers. It does not support any political party or specific religion. The GFWC main office is in Washington, D.C..

History of the GFWC
- The Ruffin Incident
- Women's Voice and Influence
What GFWC Clubs Do
- Supporting Libraries
- Helping Native Americans
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
See also

History of the GFWC

The GFWC was founded by Jane Cunningham Croly, a well-known journalist from New York. In 1868, she helped start a club called Sorosis for women who worked in professions. This club became a model for the GFWC, which began in 1890.

In 1889, Jane Croly held a meeting in New York. Delegates from 61 women's clubs came together. These women decided to form a lasting organization in 1890. Charlotte Emerson Brown became its first president. In 1901, the U.S. Congress officially recognized the GFWC. The group's motto became "We look for unity, but unity in diversity" (meaning working together while celebrating differences). Women from the Southern states played a big part in the early years of the GFWC.

At first, local women's clubs joined the GFWC directly. Later, they joined through state groups that started forming in 1892. The GFWC also includes clubs from other countries.

The Ruffin Incident

In 1900, the GFWC held a meeting in Milwaukee. Josephine Ruffin, a Black journalist, tried to attend. She was representing three clubs from Boston. However, some Southern women, led by president Rebecca Douglas Lowe, said Ruffin could only join as an honorary guest for the two white clubs. They would not let her represent a Black club. Josephine Ruffin refused this unfair offer. She was then not allowed to attend the meeting. This event was called "The Ruffin Incident." Many newspapers across the country reported on it, and most supported Ruffin.

Women's Voice and Influence

In the past, women had very few rights. State GFWC groups worked hard at the local level to make sure women's voices were heard. They held monthly meetings and annual gatherings. Important women in their communities could share their ideas. They met with state officials to influence community events. Before women could vote, these clubs were a main way for women to be heard and taken seriously.

Women's clubs grew very quickly after 1890. They often filled a gap left by other groups. At first, many local clubs were reading groups that focused on books. But more and more, they became groups of middle-class women working to improve their communities. They met weekly in each other's homes. The clubs tried to avoid topics that might cause arguments, like religion or the issue of alcohol. In some parts of the country, like the South, women's right to vote was also a very dividing topic. However, in the West, many clubwomen supported it. In the Midwest, clubwomen were careful at first, but after 1900, they increasingly supported women's right to vote.

GFWC clubwomen outside N Street headquarters, Washington DC, ca.1920s

What GFWC Clubs Do

GFWC clubs have done many important things for their communities.

Supporting Libraries

Across the country, GFWC clubs helped support local public libraries. They also helped create traveling libraries for people in rural areas. They pushed for state laws to fund and support libraries, especially programs that brought library services to more people. GFWC groups worked with big library organizations and universities. They gave important support to programs that trained people to work in libraries.

Helping Native Americans

Many clubs were very concerned about the challenges faced by Native Americans. They brought John Collier into the discussion. In 1922, they made him a research agent for their Indian Welfare Committee. The GFWC took a leading role in speaking out against policies that tried to force Native Americans to give up their culture. They supported returning Native American lands and promoting more religious and economic freedom for them. For example, clubs in the Southwest helped support the Museum of Northern Arizona. They also encouraged people to buy real Native American arts and crafts. Even more importantly, in Western states, GFWC groups worked with John Collier when he was in charge of Indian affairs from 1933 to 1945. He worked to change federal policies that aimed to make Native Americans act like the rest of the country.

In May 1925, Edith Brake West did a survey of county organizations. This survey was recognized by the National Federation of Women's Clubs. For the first time, the achievements and structure of these groups were clearly shown.

The GFWC had the most members in 1955, with 850,000 members in 16,000 clubs. Since then, the number of members has gone down to about 70,000. This is partly because more middle-class women now work outside the home. During the Cold War, the GFWC promoted the idea that American women could help keep world peace. They also believed women could make the nation stronger by volunteering locally, nationally, and internationally.

Today, the remaining 70,000 members are older. They have less influence in national matters. However, the clubs in every state and over a dozen countries still work locally. They support the arts, protect nature, improve education, promote healthy living, encourage people to be active in their communities, and work for world peace.

In 2009, GFWC members raised over $39 million for more than 110,000 projects. They also volunteered over 4.1 million hours in their communities.

General Federation of Women's Clubs logo in 1902

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC) is one of the oldest women's volunteer organizations. It aims to build global communities where people come together from all backgrounds. They want to dedicate their service to changing lives. GFWC celebrates the involvement of people from all walks of life. They believe in creating a welcoming and fair environment where everyone can succeed. (Adopted on June 9, 2023)

General Federation of Women's Clubs facts for kids

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