Karen Peterson on the Women’s Fund of Door County

Karen Peterson.

by Vanessa McGowan, [email protected]

Collective wisdom paired with philanthropy power the Women’s Fund of Door County (womensfunddoorcounty.org) to build, enrich and nurture the lives of women and girls. 

At the helm of this female-focused organization is Co-Chair Karen Peterson. For the past three years, she’s drawn on her business experience – as the owner of the Egg Harbor home furnishings store Maxwell’s House – to encourage aspiring female business owners through the Women’s Fund’s educational support, career planning, financial guidance and funding. 

“Currently I’m co-chair along with the amazing Nikki Hedeen,” Peterson said. “When I became a board member, I wasn’t very familiar with the depth of their work, but when I looked at the names of the women who were on the board or had been, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”  

The Women’s Fund is Door County’s largest nonprofit organization focused specifically on the needs of women and girls.  

“Our grants recognize all aspects of life, from health, to education, to career, to the arts, to an appreciation of self,” Peterson said. 

Its largest grant is a collaboration with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College called Invest-Dream-Achieve (IDA): a program that helps women with finances, education and career planning. 

“The goal of IDA is to use education to help women achieve a career that can put them on a path to economic security,” Peterson said. “The early results have been inspiring!”

If you’re a local business owner who would like to spotlight a local nonprofit by sharing your involvement with it, email Vanessa McGowan at [email protected].