Lunch for the Girls celebrated 20 years with its first virtual event in November 2020, featuring writer, activist and feminist icon Gloria Steinem. Over the past two decades, LFTG has hosted a string of remarkable and accomplished speakers including former President Barack Obama, politician, lawyer and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond M. Tutu, Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and barrier-breaking tennis player and social justice activist Billie Jean King.
Attracting an average of more than 800 guests per year (and as many as 3,000 for several high-profile speakers, including Michelle Obama in 2012), Lunch for the Girls consistently meets and exceeds its fundraising goals. In fact, over the past 20 years, LFTG has raised more than $2 million.
LFTG also provides an excellent opportunity for a variety of GIO clubs and support organizations to share their programs and build awareness and support. Girls Inc. of Omaha’s Guild ‘girlFRIENDS’ and its Pathfinders Mentoring Program, along with the girls STEM projects, Eureka! Externships, media literacy and health education have all taken center stage at different times during the history of Lunch for the Girls. These groups and programs have been able to add members and raise funds to support the mission of inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold.
In addition to coordinating most aspects of the annual LFTG, VGA assists with fundraising, researches and writes grants and develops and implements a comprehensive marketing campaign to build awareness and promote both individual programs and the overall event.
