Sondra Shaw-Hardy, a national authority on women's philanthropy, will be the guest speaker at the first Women and Philanthropy Program luncheon hosted by Coastal Carolina University on Friday, March 30 at noon in the Wall Building Board Room. Shaw-Hardy's presentation is "Realizing the Potential of Women's Philanthropy." The luncheon is open to the public and the cost is $12 per person.

For more than 20 years Shaw-Hardy has been working to increase women's involvement in philanthropy during her career in development, management, adult education and public relations.

She is co-author of Reinventing Fundraising: Realizing the Potential of Women's Philanthropy, which won the 1996 Grenzebach Award for Outstanding Published Scholarship from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the American Association of Fundraising Counsel (AAFRC).

Shaw-Hardy is a founding board member of Women's Philanthropy Institute (WPI). WPI is a nonprofit organization that educates, encourages and inspires women to effect positive change in the world through philanthropy.

Shaw-Hardy earned a law degree from Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich., is an adjunct professor of public affairs at Western Michigan University (WMU). She previously was assistant vice president of external affairs at WMU where she was responsible for all fundraising efforts.

For more information, contact Coastal's Office of Special Events at 349-2569.