The reality of our, and I do mean our, situation in a global pandemic is hitting hard. It is hitting so hard, on so many fronts, that if you are anything like me, you're oscillating between moments of wanting to retreat and hide in the crevices of deep trenches, and moments of wanting to throw yourself out onto the battlefield, weapons in hand. It should not be a surprise to regular readers that images of Wonder Woman striding across No Man's Land often come to mind (see my multiple articles on Wonder Woman).

Happy International Women's Day 2020. For over 100 years, March 8th has been a designated day to call attention to Women's Rights. For anyone who needs a refresh, this term is meant to include the "right to bodily integrity and autonomy; to be free from sexual violence; to vote; to hold public office; to enter into legal contracts; to have equal rights in family law; to work; to fair wages or equal pay; to have reproductive rights; to own property; to education."

In other words, Human Rights.

When I graduated from the University of British Columbia back in 1988, I was lucky because I knew what I wanted to do: enter a career in finance. I was also very lucky in that a number of firms, including Goldman Sachs, came to my campus to recruit. That made everything a lot easier. When a graduate takes a well-trodden path, such as banking or consulting, a university can be a big help. But if you're taking the path less taken, not so much. It makes me wonder whether universities are ranked in some way by the support they give in helping their graduates find work. If not, they really should be, especially considering the investment these young people are making in their education. You would think that that would be an important benchmark.

This article is primarily about the non-profit sector, and in particular it is for those who have have a responsibility for raising money, including board members. That being said, many of the principles and strategies mentioned in this piece absolutely apply to the for profit business sector as well, especially social change startups, because let's face it, no one wants to run out of money. However, when you have vulnerable populations depending on the programs and services your organization funds, this issue is particularly critical. Especially when you understand the scope of the non-profit sector in the United States.

It's been 30 years since I made that fateful decision, and let me tell you, a lot has happened in those 30 years. At Goldman, I moved from my initial analyst position into trading mortgage-backed securities, ultimately rising to become the first female trader and youngest woman to ever make partner at Goldman Sachs in 1996. I later transitioned into the executive suite in 2000, helping to manage the careers of the firm's Managing Directors, before finally retiring from Goldman in 2002 after 14 years at the firm.

"Do you find me attractive? If we were not working together would you date me?" This was supposed to be a work dinner, one I had tried to avoid for months. I tried to avoid it because I was warned by other women not to go, but I felt I had to. Correction, he made it clear to me that I had to go if I wanted to continue to have a future at Goldman Sachs. What did I know as a twenty-something in the 1990s that could prepare me for a master manipulator who had decades of experience on how to mess with young women's heads? Nothing. Even knowing what I know now, nothing prepares you for that.

Wonder Woman roared onto the big screen on June 2nd, and began breaking records on its opening weekend when it became the highest grossing opening weekend for a film directed by a woman. Since raking in over $100 million that first weekend, Wonder Woman has gone on to gross over $404 million domestically and over $800 million worldwide. It's the highest grossing film by a female director ever, and its total domestic gross is not only the highest grossing DC Extended Universe film, it's also the top grossing superhero origin story film in history.

I believe in the story of Wonder Woman. I always have. Not the literal baby being made from clay story, but the metaphorical one. I believe in a story where a woman is the hero and not the victim. I believe in a story where a woman is strong and not weak. Where a woman can fall in love with a man, but she doesnʼt need a man. Where a woman can stand on her own two feet. And above all else, I believe in a story where a woman has superpowers that she uses to help others, and yes, I believe that a woman can help save the world.

In total, I worked at Goldman Sachs for 14 years, and even though I left in 2002, in many ways it feels like yesterday. It was there that my passion for women’s inclusion and leadership was ignited, and it led me to my second first; the first President of Women Moving Millions Inc., the only community in the world of women funding women at the million plus level. However, the focus of this article will be my Goldman experience, as without that, the following would likely not have been possible.

This past Saturday morning, in a room full of over 100 amazing, thoughtful, passionate, and committed women, and a few incredible men, something magical happened. It was so special and so moving, I will now refer to my work as before September 17, 2016 and after. I wrote the following article on little sleep, very little sleep, and thought long and hard about whether to post it here on LinkedIn. My rational self was tempted not to (too personal, too long, too story driven, too something...), but instead I am sharing it as is; long and deeply personal.

My industry is the world of nonprofits, and with over 1.5 million registered nonprofits in the United States, I'm not alone in this endeavor. It is estimated that fully 10% of the U.S. workforce is employed by a nonprofit organization, translating to a workforce of over 10.7 million people, and nonprofit employment is the third largest industry in the U.S. behind retail, trade, and manufacturing.

My life’s journey is to become the best person I can be. I know that sounds like something straight out of a Hallmark card, but I really mean it. I want to be the best person I can possibly be, but like most things in life, saying it is one thing. Actually following through with it is the hard part.

In 1999, I had the honor of receiving the Women Who Make a Difference Award from the National Council for Research on Women. I was being recognized for my work in promoting diversity at Goldman Sachs, and when I discovered that none other than Gloria Steinem would be speaking at the event as well, I was overjoyed. Gloria was someone I had long since admired and respected, and it was a privilege to finally meet her in person.

Heading into my first position at a financial services firm at 22, what would I have liked to have known that I know now? What advice would I give my younger self to make it through my final years of college, into my first full-time role as an analyst at Goldman Sachs, and further into my career? Here it goes.

On the front page of yesterday's New York Time's Business Section was an article called "Vivek Wadhwa, Voice for Women in Silicon Valley, Is Foiled by His Tone" by Farhad Manjoo, and needless to say, the headline caught my attention. It also raised immediate concern. The fact that there was a male voice for women in Silicon Valley? Awesome. He was foiled? Decidedly less awesome. Particularly because I have been waiting for a headline like this for forever. Not the foiled part, of course, but the part about male voices standing up for gender bias.

Just before I was about to resign, a senior manager caught wind of it and intervened. In retrospect, leaving would have been the biggest mistake of my life, as only a few years later I made partner, and at the time, I became the youngest woman and first female trader to do so at Goldman Sachs. So why did I think I had to leave? What happened to save me from making such a bad decision? And, what did I learn that made me a better manager of others?

In 2011, Americans donated nearly $300 billion to charitable causes, accounting for about 2 percent of the GDP, and employees of non-profit organizations account for nearly 10 percent of the entire U.S. workforce. Giving drives a huge part of the US economy, and signs show that it will only get bigger. A powerful force that is driving both the growth and the shift in philanthropy is women. As women grow their financial resources, they are also growing their philanthropic impact, and this is resulting in big changes not only in the philanthropic sector, but in the broader business landscape as well.

Last fall I had the pleasure of meeting Molly Melching at the Women Moving Millions Summit in New York City, and it did not take long before I fell head over heels in love with this amazing woman. Melinda Gates once famously declared in reference to her first meeting with Molly: “I have not thought the same way about the work I do at the Gates Foundation since that day", and I feel the same way.

With non-profit companies continuing to provide increasingly vital services, they rely mostly on the generosity of individual donors, foundations, and other grants, but with over 1.5 million non-profit organizations registered in the United States, simply donating money can be a daunting task filled with overwhelming options. That is why many foundations are increasingly hiring professional staff members to help them be effective. Staffed or not, when we asked many women who are giving at the million dollar level what they were hoping to achieve with their giving the most common answer was this. They wanted IMPACT!