Katie L. Dixon Women & Girls Leadership Endowed Fund


About the K.L. Dixon Fund


The College of Social Work established the Katie L. Dixon Women & Girls Leadership Endowed Fund in 2006 to help meet the growing need for leadership programs tailored to young and adult women. The K.L. Dixon Fund operates under the direction of Dr. Helen Graber, the Belle S. Spafford Endowed Chair, and with the programming work of coordinator Dianne Cunningham.

The mission of the Katie L. Dixon Women & Girls Leadership Endowed Fund is to support leadership initiatives and activities that encourage the varied and important roles young and adult women have in their families and in their communities. The Dixon Endowed Fund provides financial support to current College of Social Work sponsored leadership programs including:

  • Girls Leadership Forums - School-based programs that bring diverse groups of young women together to share experiences, learn skills, and discuss life goals.
  • Women's Leadership Summits - Forums in which prominent women leaders gather to identify and deploy strategies to increase the influence and visibility of women in Utah.
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Additionally, the Dixon Endowed Fund will make it possible for the College to develop new leadership programs such as:

  • Mentoring Seminars - Sessions that provide opportunities for young girls to meet with adult women mentors in their communities.
  • Collaborative Efforts - Activities that foster collaboration among women's organizations and advocacy groups for the purpose of discussing issues and implementing solutions to problems women face today.
  • High-Risk Outreach Programs - Expansion of current Girls Leadership Forums to additional junior high and high schools across the state, particularly to schools in higher risk areas where girls face especially difficult challenges. Round Table
  • Multigenerational Roundtable - Encourages girls to bring their sisters, mothers, aunts, and grandmothers together to discuss leadership skills and self-esteem issues, consider service opportunities for their communities, and address many of the issues that have affected generations of women.