An Extraordinary Gift: Twink Frey Establishes Visiting Social Activist Fund at CEW (CEW News, 2005)

With great delight and much appreciation, CEW announces the Twink Frey Visiting Social Activist Fund, created to support a visiting social change activist hosted at CEW annually. A generous endowment by Twink Frey and James McKay established the program that will allow CEW to tap the expertise of social activists committed to combining research, theory and social practice into action that leads to social change, strengthening the work of CEW. This is the largest gift to CEW in The CEW Difference campaign.

Visiting Activists Will Enhance CEW’s Research and Advocacy
This program will create exciting new opportunities for CEW to leverage its activities on behalf of women and equity issues. The Visiting Activists themselves will enhance CEW’s research and advocacy as they interact with CEW staff as well as with students, other policy activists and University faculty and scholars. Additionally, the program will stimulate collaboration with relevant departments and units across the University, increasing the attention paid to gender equity issues campus-wide.

Outreach Activities to be held in Michigan Communities
One of the most exciting aspects of the Twink Frey Visiting Social Activist program is that it includes a component of service to out-state Michigan, especially the Grand Rapids area. As part of the Visiting Activist’s efforts while in residence at CEW, community and academic outreach activities will be held
outside of Ann Arbor. Thus, Frey has ensured that social change remains vital in communities throughout Michigan, not simply within our University.

Long Term Supporters of CEW
Twink Frey and James McKay have been long term supporters of CEW. Frey has contributed to CEW through her service on our Leadership Council and her
support of leadership training projects, research, and publications. In addition both Frey and McKay have provided solid, consistent annual fund support. In the early 1990s, Frey established the Nokomis Foundation (www.nokomisfoundation.org), which specializes in projects related to women and girls throughout the state of Michigan as well as nationally. She also founded the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council and serves the Grand Rapids community in numerous ways.
As an alumna of the University of Michigan, Twink Frey says that she is delighted to work with CEW to move gender equity issues and social change into the forefront of UM’s activities across the state, and to promote this important aspect of higher education. Herself a Michigan woman committed to social change, Twink now aims to broaden her impact by partnering her resources with those of CEW.