Amid an unexpected and significant decrease in funding from both foundation grants and corporate gifts, the nonprofit Women’s Economic Ventures is facing a $200,000 budget gap for 2010.

At a time when WEV’s self-employment and small-business training programs and small-business loans are needed more than ever, WEV program clients and graduates are stepping up to help ensure others in the community have access to these critical services. WEV alumni are hosting a series of events at their own businesses from now throughout December to benefit WEV programs.

In 2010, WEV is experiencing the impact of major budget cuts across private funding sources. Foundation grants are down 60 percent, and corporate gifts are down 40 percent.

“If you know of WEV, you probably already know about all the great things they do and lives they touch,” said Talia Wunder, owner of Devone Design Perfect Fit Jewelry and a founding member of the WEV Alumni Fundraising Committee. “I know firsthand as WEV helped me on my journey from stalled to success after I lost my full-time job last year.”

The goal is for alumni to individually give and/or raise $500 each or $3,000 per team of alumni toward a goal of $100,000. WEV’s board and staff goal is to match that $100,000 with grants and major gifts.

The WEV Alumni Challenge events range from a jewelry raffle by WEV Self-Employment Training graduate Maurice Moreno of MM Personal Jeweller, to a cut-a-thon put on by WEV graduate Shanna Sisney, hairstylist at 19 Blue Salon & Spa, to convenient online fundraisers. Santa Barbara Axxess owner and 1999 WEV loan fund recipient Karim Kaderali will donate $5 to WEV for every membership purchase.

This month, at The Women’s Conference in Long Beach, hosted by California first lady Maria Shriver and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, WEV alumni Talia Wunder of Devone Design Perfect Fit Jewelry and Ana Rojas of Comfy Commuter will donate to WEV 10 percent of sales made at their exhibitor booths, sponsored by Shriver’s WE Invest initiative and WEV.

“We are so grateful to our alumni who are banding together to make sure WEV can continue to serve others in the community,” said Marsha Bailey, Women’s Economic Ventures founder and CEO. “These women and men are the ones who best understand what WEV does, why we do it and how it helps.”

A calendar of WEV Alumni Challenge events is below, along with information on how to RSVP for the events.

For more information about the events, how to join or create a fundraising team, make a gift or to RSVP, click here or call Shana Pearson at 805.965.6073 x105. Also on the Web site are resources to contact with an idea or are looking for a way to help.

Calendar of Women’s Economic Ventures Alumni Fundraising Events

Carpinteria

» Oct. 16, wine and chocolate tasting (sold out). All proceeds benefit WEV. Hosted by WEV Loan Fund recipients Jill Marie and Jean Michel Carre at Chocolats du Cali Bressan in Carpinteria.

Los Olivos

» 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Los Olivos Day in the Country. WEV graduates Amy Dixon, Karen Walsh, Terry Merritt, Dawn Peters and Liz McDermott will host a WEV booth, with all profits donated to WEV. Click here for more information.

Ventura

» 6 p.m. Oct. 23, birthday fundraiser and auction hosted by WEV board member Brenda Allison at Ruby’s Café, 350 S. Oxnard Blvd. in Oxnard. Cost is $25, and includes wine, cake and appetizers, or $150 VIP couples reserves VIP seating, a bottle of wine and a “fab” bag. RSVP to Leslie at 805.644.4740 or e-mail reception@allisonbroker.com.

» 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 6, Devone Design Perfect Fit Jewelry business launch and reception at the Santa Paula Art Museum, 117 North 101 St. in Santa Paula. Hosted by Devone Design owner and WEV Self-Employment Training graduate Talia Wunder, with 10 percent of all sales donated to WEV and the Santa Paula Art Museum.

» Dec. 4, Underground Dinner hosted by WEV Self-Employment Training graduates Lynne Castillo and Talia Wunder. Location and time to be determined.

Santa Barbara

» 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 24, cut-a-thon at 19 Blue Salon & Spa, 19 W. Ortega St. Hosted by WEV Self-Employment Training graduate Shanna Sisney. Cuts for adults are $25 and $15 for kids, with 100 percent of net sales going to WEV. Call 805.965.8200 to book an appointment.

» 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 4, First Thursday Jewelry and local business owner’s raffle at Bella Rosa Jewelers, 1103 State St. Hosted by WEV Self-Employment Training graduate Maurice Moreno.

» 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 10, Oreana Winery WEV fundraiser hosted by WEV Self-Employment Training graduate Kristin Anderson. Entrance fee is $30. Poets and musicians will perform, and beverages and appetizers will be served by local chef Eric Stenberg.

» 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 2, First Thursday Jewelry and local business owner’s raffle at Bella Rosa Jewelers, 1103 State St. Hosted by WEV Self-Employment Training graduate Maurice Moreno.

Online

» wevonline.givezooks.com/grassroots_fundraisers/wev-alumni-fund

» wevonline.givezooks.com/grassroots_fundraisers/wev-fall-fundraiser

Other

» Santa Barbara Axxess is donating $5 to WEV for every membership purchase. Click here and be sure to select “Women’s Economic Ventures” when purchasing online.

» 5 percent of all Lime Green Monkey sales from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 will go to WEV. Click here to purchase online.

— Candice Tang is a publicist.