The Beginning.
Demoiselle 2 Femme (D2F) was founded in December 1994 by Sherida Morrison and Romanetha Looper at Faith Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago.
Born out of a deep concern for the personal and social challenges facing teen girls in the Englewood community, D2F was created to provide positive role models and meaningful support to help girls successfully transition into womanhood. With just a $500 annual church budget, the program was sustained in its early years by the unwavering dedication of community partners and a powerful sisterhood of Femme mentors who poured their time, wisdom, and love into each girl they served.
“We didn’t start D2F to create an organization—we were just meeting the needs of girls in our community and congregation. What began as a small program is now a movement and a legacy.”
— Sherida Morrison, Co-Founder
Expanding the Vision
In 1997, Demoiselle 2 Femme (D2F) formed a pivotal partnership with the Family Centered Educational Agency (FCEA), based in Chicago’s south suburbs. That year, FCEA adopted D2F as its official prevention education program for high school girls. The collaboration quickly bore fruit—by 1998, FCEA was awarded a grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services. This milestone allowed D2F to transcend the walls of the church and expand into the broader community by launching after-school programs in School District 205, which serves Thornton, Thornridge, and Thornwood High Schools.
By the year 2000, D2F received its first federal grant, doubling its impact by increasing the number of girls served annually from 50 to 100.
In October 2004, Demoiselle 2 Femme took a bold leap of faith and officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization—Demoiselle 2 Femme, NFP—with Sherida V. Morrison serving as the inaugural President and Chief Executive Officer. This formal recognition marked the beginning of a new era of growth and impact. D2F expanded its reach across 14 Chicagoland high schools and two community-based sites, ultimately serving more than 7,000 girls. The organization also established a robust network of partners and coalitions, conducted and published research, trained professionals nationwide in its 3-D Curriculum (an evidence-based, holistic youth development model), and successfully managed over $13 million in public and private funding.
Nationally recognized as a model for gender-specific and responsive programming, D2F has presented its work at leading conferences and continues to inspire organizations serving girls across the country.
Over the years, D2F has offered a rich portfolio of programs, including:
The D2F Signature Program, G-WAVE, Femme 2 STEM, The Leadership College, T3 (Transition, Transform, Transcend), Money Smart Girls, College Connection, D2F PHIT, D2F Power Lunch, Parent School for Success, Bodyguard/Dads, and a host of other community-centered initiatives.
Beyond marketplace programming, a central focus of D2F has always been ministering to the spiritual lives of teen girls. This has included annual citywide lock-ins attended by over 300 girls, “Friday Night Live” Bible study experiences (in partnership with the Ray and Joan Kroc Center), and “Hope Sunday for Girls,” a live-streamed worship and encouragement event.
The work of D2F has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, Chicago Defender, The STAR Newspaper, N’DIGO, ABC 7 News, ABC Heart and Soul, Fox Morning News, and Ebony Magazine. The organization and its leadership have received over 50 awards, commendations, and acknowledgments from faith-based and community organizations, universities, elected officials, corporations, sororities, and civic leaders.
Building Legacy, Broadening Impact
In 2015, Demoiselle 2 Femme (D2F) received its founding location as a generous donation from Faith Temple Church of God in Christ (COGIC). With $79,000 in community-raised funds and appliance donations, the property was fully renovated and renamed the Theace Goldsberry Community House, honoring the legacy of the late First Lady Theace Goldsberry, wife of Bishop H.W. Goldsberry, the founder of Faith Temple COGIC.
D2F quickly moved into the space, embracing its role as an “organizational resident” and collaborating with neighbors to form the South Englewood Community Action Group (SECAG). Under D2F’s guidance, SECAG has led several community-based initiatives, including PlayStreets, the Annual Back-to-School Fest, seasonal food drives, and is actively developing a comprehensive social and economic development plan for the south corridor of Englewood.
Beyond program delivery, D2F has served as a convener of bold, forward-thinking collaborations. D2F leads the Chicago Coalition on Urban Girls (formerly the South Side Coalition on Urban Girls) and co-founded the Partnership for a Better Roseland with the late Dr. Virginia Bishop of Northwestern University. D2F also launched the 40 Under 40 Young Women’s Professional League, now known as the Black Women’s Professional League, and in 2017 established the HOPE Network of Schools to address gender inequities in STEM education and foster academic excellence, leadership, and 21st-century learning skills in girls.
The vision continues to grow with plans to open the Katherine G. Johnson S.T.E.A.M. School for Girls, envisioned as the nation’s first K–8 STEAM (STEM + Arts) school for girls.
The success of D2F is evident in the lives of its alumnae—trailblazing women who have become doctors, nurses, educators, IT specialists, attorneys, researchers, accountants, nonprofit executives, corporate leaders, philanthropists, and more. D2F’s longitudinal model builds lasting relationships with girls and their families that have endured across three decades.
That enduring commitment is evidenced by the over 1,000 first-generation college graduates and more than $65,000 in academic scholarships awarded to date. D2F remains a beacon of faith, empowerment, and generational transformation.
Continuing to Blaze Trails.
In 2018, Demoiselle 2 Femme (D2F) was invited by the McCormick Foundation to receive capacity-building support, which included a comprehensive organizational assessment. At the time, D2F had been discerning its next phase of existence. It came as no surprise when the evaluation confirmed that the organization had reached the “Renewal 6 Stage”—a pinnacle point of purpose and transition in the nonprofit lifecycle.
This affirmation aligned with what leadership had already discerned: after 25 years of impactful community and school-based service, it was time to reimagine, deepen, and expand the mission. D2F embarked on a new journey—one rooted in legacy, led by faith, and focused on sustainability, innovation, and lasting generational impact.
In 2022, D2F launched a small pilot cohort to refine its girl-centered model and officially inducted the first group of girls into the Alpha Chapter of Demoiselle 2 Femme, NFP. As “Alpha” signifies the beginning, it marked a powerful new chapter in D2F’s legacy—one that honors the past while forging a bold future.
This commitment to legacy leadership came to life in 2023 with the installation of 14 new board members—all alumnae of D2F who have transitioned from girls to women and now lead the organization into its next era. Their lived experiences, professional achievements, and deep connection to the mission ensure D2F remains relevant, rooted, and revolutionary.
As we continue to expand our impact and embrace our role as a transformative agent of change, one truth remains clear:
The only limit to the future of D2F is the sky.
Historical Timeline and Milestones
