Bergen County’s legacy of powerful women leaders continues to inspire the next generation. Each spring, The Community Chest recognizes young women with its Young Women’s Leadership Award, a program designed to uplift and empower emerging changemakers.
For nearly 100 years, The Community Chest has supported nonprofits and initiatives that strengthen the communities of eastern Bergen County. However, it wasn’t until the nonprofit’s 85th anniversary that the idea for this initiative emerged.
“We (the board) wanted to highlight an issue we had noticed—there were relatively few women in leadership roles in the nonprofit sector,” said Executive Director Dr. Shelley Wimpfheimer. “We also wanted to celebrate the legacy of influential women from our area, like Elizabeth Cutter Morrow, our founder.”
The award, initially called the Elizabeth Award, was created to encourage young women to take on leadership roles. Over time, the award's focus shifted from solely honoring Morrow’s family members to recognizing multiple women who had made an impact in the nonprofit space. The name was eventually changed to the Young Women’s Leadership Award to reflect a broader celebration.
The award’s focus expanded to include not only high school seniors but also juniors, allowing even more young women to participate. The process is straightforward—students are nominated by their principals and guidance counselors, submitting applications that reflect on their leadership journey and the women who inspired them.
A group of volunteer women leaders evaluates each application using a scoring rubric that considers factors like financial need and personal achievements. The result is a deserving winner who embodies the qualities of leadership within the community.
One such winner was Gia Shin. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shin noticed an increasing sense of isolation among her peers and took action by creating a website where teens could express themselves through art. The site became a global platform for young artists to connect, share poetry, music, and visual art.
Impressed by Shin’s work, The Community Chest invited her to collaborate on their 90th-anniversary campaign addressing loneliness, leading to her receiving the Young Women’s Leadership Award. “This award gave me an opportunity to connect with women who had paved the way for me,” said Shin. “It’s proof that you can make an impact no matter your age or where you’re from.”
The Community Chest’s program is more than an award—it’s a beacon of hope for young women seeking leadership roles in the nonprofit world. Wimpfheimer emphasized the significance of offering young women a clear path in the nonprofit sector.
“The nonprofit world doesn’t always offer leadership opportunities for young women,” she explained. “But this program shows that women can succeed and thrive here, with role models to guide them.”
The Young Women’s Leadership Award is just one of the many programs The Community Chest sponsors to support women in Bergen County. Others include partnerships with the YWCA-NNJ and Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, which provide nature therapy and counseling to victims of trauma, and the Women’s Rights Information Center, which aids women in need throughout the region.
Ultimately, The Community Chest’s mission is simple: invest in the future of Bergen County by empowering young women today to build a brighter tomorrow.
To learn more about The Community Chest and its volunteer opportunities, visit their website thecommunitychestebc.org or call (201) 568-7474.