Subject: Today! You Can Lead the Change in 2025 (Let Me Explain)

This is my last message of 2024. And, yes, I am going to ask you to make a year-end gift to Take The Lead. But please read to the end, regardless, because there’s important information.

A decade ago, after I found that despite being half the workforce, women held only 18% of senior leadership positions, I co-founded Take The Lead with a bold vision: to prepare, develop, inspire, and propel all women — of all diversities and intersectionalities — to take their fair and equal share of leadership positions across every sector by 2025.

Thanks to supporters like you, we’ve moved the needle by 10 points, or 56%, in 10 years, despite the pandemic and a tsunami of political and economic challenges.

I’m sure it’s obvious to you, as it is to me, that there is so much more to do. The good news is we know how to do it. We have the programs and the proof they work.

But it’s work we can’t do without your help. Because, you see, until women have equal positions of power and pay, we will keep fighting the same old battles and never fully winning them.

What’s the secret? Through deep research, I discovered that while many external barriers to women’s leadership have been removed, the most stubborn obstacles lie within — those culturally learned barriers in our own minds. Chief among these is an ambivalence about power itself.

Women have long been burdened by the worst aspects of power — wars, objectification, sexual violence, and discrimination. No wonder so many of us hesitate to embrace that kind of power.

That’s why Take The Lead’s approach is revolutionary. We redefine power not as oppressive “power over” but as generative “power TO.”

This simple but profound mindset shift unlocks women’s potential to lead with confidence, authenticity, and joy instead of fear and resistance. We then teach the skillset to equip women with the tools to elevate their leadership intentions — not as authoritarians who seek control in the old power ways, but as visionaries who inspire trust and unleash the power of those around them. They make a plan for their next steps, and they build a community to support each other.

And here’s the truth: Gender parity in leadership isn’t just good for women — it’s good for everyone. Studies consistently show that when women lead, businesses perform better, communities thrive, and families are stronger. It’s a win-win that uplifts us all. It’s about creating, innovating, and expanding the power of our participants to see there is an “infinite pie” of the most important resources in today’s economy, like empathy, intelligence, and creativity.

But transforming the leadership landscape doesn’t happen overnight. It takes sustained effort, resources, and the unwavering belief that together, we can achieve parity.

This is where you come in. Your end-of-year gift is not just an ordinary donation; it’s a powerful investment in a future where every woman — no matter her background or circumstances — has the training, mindset tools, and support she needs to define her own terms, speak in her authentic voice, and embrace her phenomenal power TO.

Here’s how your support makes an impact:

· Expands access to our proven training programs, coaching, and cohort building. For example, your gift of $497 scholarships one woman who needs the help to participate in our 9 Leadership Power Tools to Advance Your Career course.

“This class was life changing for me. I feel more empowered than ever to take the lead, lean in and embrace the POWER TO own my career and development. Got my dream job 3–5 years sooner than I expected.” — Meg Middleton, Manager, Sales Training.

· Every donation large or small (maybe you’ll start with a recuring gift of $10 a month to honor our 10th anniversary) develops the next generation of diverse women leaders ready to take their place at the table.

I was getting stuck and not realizing my value Because of my work with you, your 9 Leadership Power Tools, Take The Lead training, and (your book) No Excuses, I made the leap for a promotion. THANK YOU for your leadership, you encouraged me to step out, market myself, and personally drive the next step in my career. –Erica Miles, tech industry

· Fuels thought leadership and innovation to break down remaining barriers to parity.

One of the most important and powerful things I learned was to connect with my own story and how to use that as fuel to elevate my own power.”- Alicia Ontiveros, Writer/Director

This work matters. Will you join in making 2025 the year women’s leadership reaches full parity?

Make your tax-deductible gift today and become part of this transformative movement.

Thank you for believing in this mission and for being a champion for women’s leadership. Together, we can propel women — and the world — forward.

With gratitude and determination, and power TO you in the Brave New Year,

Gloria Feldt
Co-founder and President
Take The Lead

P.S. Do check whether your company matches your gift because that would double your impact! You can also help by bringing Take The Lead’s programs into your company. Contact me here for more information.

Thank you again for all you do.