The Sophia Society

Lucia Woods Lindley was a pillar of Chicago’s philanthropic community. Lucia was a Founding Mother of CFW, and it was her Sophia Fund, named after the Greek archetype of feminine wisdom and the only fund in the country at the time that focused on women’s issues, that ultimately established CFW.

“It was a way to inspire other donors to become more public about their giving to women’s organizations and to encourage lots of people, especially women, to use their resources to support women and girls’ issues,” Sunny Fischer, CFW Co-Founder and former Executive Director of the Sophia Fund, remembers.

In the Sophia Fund’s last annual report, Lucia wrote “I look forward to our continuing the journey—to our working together in varying ways, individually and together, to enhance women’s lives for the benefit of all.”

It was this commitment to enhancing women’s lives that inspired Lucia’s $10M testamentary donation to CFW – the largest in the Foundation’s history – helping CFW’s recovery efforts to ensure women emerge from the pandemic stronger than before. CFW is proud to have named the Foundation’s planned giving society, The Sophia Society, in honor of Lucia and her dedication to investing in women and girls.

The Sophia Society recognizes those who have chosen to leave a lasting charitable legacy with CFW by including the Foundation in their estate plan. Including a planned gift to CFW in your estate is not only an investment in the Foundation’s current efforts but will allow CFW to
continue the journey of enhancing the lives of women and girls for years to come.