Women’s Fund Luncheon
Women (and Allies) Who Support Other Women
Knowing that every win for a woman is a step forward for us all, our signature Women’s Fund Luncheon is the largest fundraiser event in the Fox Valley and an empowering voice for women and girls in our community. The Women’s Fund Luncheon highlights and fuels the work that we do, uplifting women and girls in our community to reach their limitless potential. With urgency and heartfelt storytelling, we spark hope, inspire action and nurture change.
The 26th annual Women’s Fund Luncheon will be on Thursday, September 10, 2026!
We invite you to partner with us as a sponsor for our 26th annual Women’s Fund Luncheon on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center. As our largest fundraiser of the year, this milestone event attracts 1,000 community members and changemakers dedicated to dismantling barriers, challenging the status quo, and stepping into their limitless potential. We offer a variety of sponsorship tiers designed to align with your organization’s goals, providing valuable brand visibility and community engagement benefits while directly supporting impactful local programs. Your partnership is an investment in the future of the Fox Valley, and we would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can work together to make this our most successful luncheon yet.
Connect with our Development Manager Terri St. Lawrence for questions on supporting the Women’s Fund Luncheon.
Introducing our 2026 Luncheon Speakers!
You heard that right, speakers! For the first time we are inviting three incredible women to the stage to share their story and it perfectly aligns with our mission to empower women and girls in the Fox Valley.
These women have journeyed through life wanting better for other women. Their experiences have inspired them to use their voice to advocate for others who have been in their situation.
Each speaker will align with our mission, to empower women and girls across the Fox Valley to dismantle barriers, challenge the status quo, and step into their limitless potential and how their story connects to it.
We’re excited to introduce you to,
- Alex Klippel, Starting Point graduate and mother who will tell her story of finding belonging.
- Laura Bell, an Electrician by trade and an advocate for women in construction by choice who will share her story of being a woman in a male-dominated field.
- Taylor Vande Vyver, a mother who knew we could do better for our kids and child care centers and chose to be a voice for change.
Frequently Asked Questions!
The Day’s Events
Your support creates real change for women and girls in our community. Whether you give online or send a check by mail, your generosity makes a lasting impact.
10:00 – 10:45 am: Issue Spotlight
Listen to two women, Kristin Bock and Gina Glover, who are experts in body language and communication share how you can speak with confidence and courage.
10:45 – 11:25 am: Connect
Registration opens, visit our grant partners, and network with fellow community members.
11:30 am – 1:15 pm: Connect
Head to your seat and get ready for an afternoon of impact.
Location and Parking Details
For a third year we will be at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center, 355 W. Lawrence St., Appleton.
Doors open at 9:45 for those who are attending Issue Spotlight. Please enter through the front Lawrence Street entrance or through the Hilton Paper Valley.
Parking:
There are four parking ramps located near the Fox Cities Exhibition Center in Downtown Appleton, providing safe, convenient parking. Three of the ramps feature a unique color-code (Red, Green, Yellow) to be easily recognized; the fourth is the YMCA ramp located in Soldiers Square. For parking ramp locations, see map below.
- The Red (Hilton Appleton Paper Valley), Green (PAC/Fox Cities Performing Arts Center) and Yellow (East on Washington St.) parking garages are now pay-as-you-exit and accept cash, credit cards, permits and validated hotel cards. Regular rates are $3 for less than 4 hours, $6 for over 4 hours (up to 24 hours). For closest proximity, we recommend parking in the Red or Green ramps.
- NOTE for those requiring an ELEVATOR from the parking ramp into the Hilton Appleton Paper Valley (such as the elderly and disabled): We recommend utilizing the Green Ramp (entrance located on Division Street by the Performing Arts Center) as it affords easy elevator access to the FCEC and Hilton Appleton Paper Valley via the Skyway over College Ave. and Lawrence St. However, the regular City Parking Ramp rates (see above) would apply in the Green Ramp.
What’s for Lunch?
Lunch will be catered by the Hilton Paper Valley and will serve a Garden Harvest Salad with maple vinaigrette. The salad includes spring greens with grilled chicken breast, cucumbers, dried cranberries, Honeycrisp apple, tomato, butternut squash, and Feta cheese.
The salad will be altered for those that are vegan or vegetarian with a different added protein.
If you are vegan or vegetarian, please reach out to Terri to ensure your meal is correct. We cannot make changes the day of the event, so please let us know as soon as possible.
Tell Me About the Raffle!
This year we have two different raffles. Read more about each raffle below!
Raffle Baskets
We will have three raffle baskets worth over $1,800 each available to win! You can purchase three tickets for $30 and be entered in to win one of three baskets.
Trip Raffle
Back again this year we have our trip raffle! Only 250 tickets available at $100 each to be entered in to win a $5,000 trip voucher that will be planned courtesy of Bon Voyage Travel who are also providing an additional $500 travel excursion experience for the winner.
You must be present to win the basket and claim the trip raffle. Purchase of raffle tickets are not tax-deductible.
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
Visionary Presenting Partner
Inspire Speaker Partner
Donation Match Partner
Soar Partner
Empower Partner
Ignite Partners
Lisa Jermain & Amy Reilly
Elevate Partners
| Culvers of Darboy, Little Chute & Grand Chute Fox Valley Technical College | Herrling Clark Law Firm LTD Knuth Financial Life Planning |
Prosper Partners
Advocate Partners
Uplift Partners
| BelBrands | Wendy Schroeder |
In-kind Partners
Want to relive 2025’s Luncheon?
“I am passionate about all individuals having equal access to opportunities in our community that allow them to thrive. Being involved in the Women’s Fund allows me to put that passion into action.”
Lora Zimmer, Former Women’s Fund Board Member