DCWW FAQ
To help you better understand what DC Web Women is all about, we've put together this organizational FAQ to answer our most common questions. Read through it and if you still have questions, let us know! We're always happy to hear from new people!
- What is DC Web Women?
- How do I become a member?
- How did DC Web Women get started?
- A little history: So you were DC Webgrrls at one time?
- Do you charge dues?
- Do you have workshops or meetings?
- OK, I admit - this IS cool! How do I get involved?
- I have a job listing to share. How do I send it?
- I have more questions, who should I talk to?
- I'm moving out of the DC area! Are there similar groups to DCWW elsewhere?
First and foremost, DC Web Women is a community. DC Web Women is a 501(c)6 non-profit professional organization for women that provides opportunities to educate, learn, network, and serve our community. We strive to be role models for young women and girls and to promote women in technology. While the mission of DC Web Women is to provide a forum for women involved or interested in new media, it is our strong sense of and commitment to community that helps us achieve our goals. And, well, dammit, we are just fun!
2| How do I become a member of DCWW?
It's easy and free! Just sign up for our e-mail list (regular or digest version) and — presto — you're a member. Read the list FAQ to find out more about signing up and list guidelines. And as our name suggests, our membership is open to women only.
3| How did DC Web Women get started?
DC Web Women started off in the summer of 1995 with a Starbucks meeting between two web-women wannabes, Debbie Weil and Catherine Buzzell. Later, Three more wannabes, Softaid's Cathy Ganssle, Shellie Holubek, and Miriam Jaffe, attended our first "unofficial" meeting on Nov. 29, 1995 at Softaid Net Works, a woman-owned ISP in Columbia, MD. It was decided at that time to adopt the DC Webgrrls moniker; twenty-one women attended our first official meeting on January 30,1996 and more than 50 attended the kick-off meeting on March 26, 1996.
Our organization has grown tremendously, and our activities and services have greatly increased. In addition to our highly popular and ever active mailing lists, we are currently offering at least one general meeting per month, one networking event, and usually two educational workshops per month. Various special events are also held through out the year. We are also very proud of our Girls Rock on the Web (GROW) event which happens in the spring.
4| A little history: So you were DC Webgrrls at one time?
With our growth came complications. DC Webgrrls did not have a legal relationship with Webgrrls International in New York. This prevented our local group from creating an independent incorporated organization and it left our many volunteers who organized our meetings and workshops personally liable for any problems that may have resulted at said events.
The volunteers who make up the steering committee of our group felt it was vital to establish a legal structure and formal organization to support the evolving community of women working on the web in the DC-metro area. A legal structure under a different name, DC Web Women (DCWW), was established to protect members from personal liability. Also, this incorporation allows us to set up bank accounts under the organization's name, to protect members against tax liability, and to have our own tax ID number. Many of you active in the non-profit realm will understand that more companies in this area have been willing to sponsor our events now that we are a non-profit group.
DC Web Women launched officially in February of 1999.
No. At this time, we do not charge dues nor do we intend to charge dues, as we do not believe it will be necessary. Of course, if our group triples in size again within a year you never know. For now, we want to keep this community accessible for a broad range of members with different financial resources. As always, the mailing list is and will remain FREE. We have also arranged for free web hosting through the sponsorship of Heller Information Services. We will continue charging small fees at such things as workshops and meetings to cover bigger events and any organizational overhead costs. We plan to keep the group lean, to use volunteer efforts and our own community's resources as we have to date, and to seek sponsorships to help defray our costs.
6| Do you have workshops or meetings?
Well, of course! Not only do we have educational workshops, but we have monthly meetings on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. We offer special speaker events, networking sessions, and many outreach programs including Girls Rock on the Web and a really fun holiday party at the end of the year. Be sure to check the calendar for the latest events!
7| OK, I admit - this IS cool! How do I get involved?
Volunteer! DC Web Women needs all the help it can get as it works to—do we dare say it?—upgrade. We are always looking for help from the rest of the membership, particularly now as we continue to expand and move in new directions. If you have an interest in assisting with our workshops, want to help with PR, or have time to code for the web, contact us and let us know what you are interested in! Or, please join our mailing list and you'll receive emails when new volunteer opportunities open up. Another way to contribute is to have your company or organization sponsor DC Web Women. Look into it today! DC Web Women needs you!
8| I have a job listing to share. How do I send it?
If you are a member and suscribe to the DCWW Listserv, you can post directly to the listserv. Be sure to start the subject header with the word JOB in ALL CAPS. Not a member? Send a plain-text email, including contact information, to jobs@dcwebwomen.org.
9| I have more questions, who should I talk to?
A really good place to start is our Leadership section. It lists all the different volunteer committee leaders (Listmoms, Workshops, Technology, Public Relations, etc.) plus the organizational officers (President, Treasurer, etc.). If you're not sure who the right person is, check out our contact page and email us.
10| I'm moving out of the DC area! Are there similar groups to DCWW elsewhere?
Online networking opportunities for women in technology and new media elsewhere include the following:
Women in Technology International
WebGrrls International
Digital Eve (has chapters across the US, Canada, UK and Japan)
San Francisco Women on the Web
Wise Women
Raleigh-Durham area:
tw2 at Yahoo! Groups
InternetWorkers (both sexes)
You can also find other technology groups on Meetup.com.