Overview back to top
The Women's Fund will award grants (typically up to $10,000) to those nonprofit agencies and organizations that are doing the best social change work in our strategic funding areas. Funding for social change facilitates the changing of attitudes and institutions that perpetuate the problems that social service tries to alleviate, by addressing the underlying causes of social and economic inequalities.
Our grantmaking priorities provide a unique funding niche for the Women's Fund and partner relationships with grantees. We are a social change grantmaker seeking to create progress toward our vision of an equitable community for everyone. What is social change?
Proposals will need to address one of the Women's Fund's strategic funding areas and have social change and gender impact. Additionally, proposals will need to specify organizational experience or capacity in doing strategic social change that is gender responsive
Additionally, the Women's Fund will consider multi-year funding commitments to projects that take an innovative and ground-breaking approach to creating social change, provide a high level of participation and visibility for the Women's Fund and/or leverages funding from multiple sources.
Gender Impact
The Women's Fund is interested in funding proposals that are consistent with our gender relevant priorities and expects grantees to have diverse boards and senior staff. Whether gender-specific or universal, engaging in a process that analyzes gender equity is critical. This includes determining whether or how a program will differently affect women and men. Proposals serving females and males should clearly promote gender awareness and feminist principles.
Application Process back to top
The process begins with the submission of a preliminary application. Selected nonprofit agencies and organizations will then be invited to apply for a Women's Fund grant through a more comprehensive application/grant proposal. An invitation to apply for funding does not guarantee funding.
Timeline back to top
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| June 1 | Grant application process opens. |
| August 4 | Preliminary applications due via the website by 5 p.m. |
| August 31 | Women's Fund invites proposal submissions from organizations selected through the preliminary application process. |
| October 15 | Proposals from selected agencies due via the website by 5 p.m. |
| December 31 | Organizations who were invited to submit full proposals are informed of the Women's Fund's decisions by December 31. Funds will be distributed by mid-January 2010. |
Strategic Funding Areas back to top
Proposals need to impact at least one of the strategic funding areas listed below:
Note: The charts included below demonstrate the difference between social change and social service programming in each funding area and are for purposes of illustration only.
Economic Justice back to top
The creation of fair economic policies that work for everyone, that enable employment to be a way out of poverty rather than another form of poverty, that provide an adequate safety net, that guarantee workers a voice, and that allow workers to be good employees and good members of their families and communities. A just economy is one that protects and sustains the dignity of humans while benefiting the health, natural resources and cultures of the larger community.
| Most Likely to Fund Social Change |
Not Likely to Fund Social Service |
|
|---|---|---|
|
"Just Us" is a newly formed advocacy organization for women. It advocates for the needs of women and issues such as rebuilding the safety net for working families through living/minimum wage strategies, improving caregiver jobs and creating community-based apprenticeship programs. It also offers an educational series that looks at the intersection of poverty, race, class and gender. It collaborates with women, poverty and labor groups. |
"Training Place" is a suburban agency providing job training in clerical, secretarial and accounting skills. It recently identified diversity as a strategic direction and is interested in recruiting women of color for suburban job placement. It is seeking funding for staff development in cultural competency and diversity training. |
Social Justice back to top
Working for a just redistribution of power and resources, by changing the circumstances, systems and attitudes that create inequalities and prevent people from participating fully in society.
| Most Likely to Fund Social Change |
Not Likely to Fund Social Service |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Agency "One World" is committed to supporting broad-based movements for social change by building the capacity of peace and social justice organizing through direct training and assistance. One World seeks funding for the Dismantling Racism Initiative that challenges grassroots groups to examine the structures, policies and attitudes that allow racism to exist within organizations and to explore strategies for change. Facilitators will be recruited and trained from diverse backgrounds and issue work. |
Agency "New Neighbors" has just opened its doors. Its main purpose is to encourage homeownership in a community that has a high percentage of non-owner occupied housing. It plans to counsel prospective homeowners and help them clear up their credit issues in preparation for homeownership. |
Leadership Development back to top
Encouraging new leaders and existing leaders among women and girls through knowledge/skill acquisition and practice in ways that help them use their power to effect social change and promote the value of equity, social justice, self-knowledge, personal empowerment, collaboration, citizenship, and service.
| Most Likely to Fund Social Change |
Not Likely to Fund Social Service |
|
|---|---|---|
|
"Tell A Friend" is dedicated to eliminating domestic violence. The group initiated a program where teens who are victims of dating violence recruit other teens to lead prevention workshops on dating violence and sexual harassment. Teen leaders also help design workshops, conduct outreach in the community and guide the direction of the program. |
Agency "Goodfoot" is running an after-school program for teen girls that educates and involves them in civic government issues and encourages services projects. Girls are recruited throughout the metropolitan area and work with community volunteers who talk about their volunteer experiences. They are encouraged to work as a volunteer in one of the sponsoring agencies. |
For a PDF of this chart, click here.
Frequently Asked Questions back to top
- Q. Do you grant money to individuals?
- A. No, we do not grant money to individuals for any purpose.
- Q. Do you fund direct-service-only organizations?
- A. No. We generally do not unless there is a conscious effort to educate about the root causes of societal injustice.
- Q. Do you fund for-profit efforts?
- A. No. We award funds to 501(c)(3) type organizations/projects that are trying to effect social change.
- Q. What do you mean by social change?
- A. Social change focuses efforts on altering the circumstances and the social and institutional systems that create barriers, inequalities, and oppression. It works to redistribute power and resources, and to eliminate barriers that keep people from participating fully in society. Social change grantmaking seeks to address the root causes of social and economic inequalities in society, directing grants towards organizations advocating the interest of disadvantaged or underrepresented groups. More information on social change.
- Q. Do you accept preliminary applications by Email or Fax?
- A. We accept preliminary applications and proposals online only. You must sign-in to start your application.
- Q. Will my submission be acknowledged?
- A. Yes. An automatic email will be generated that acknowledges the receipt of your application or proposal.
- Q. When will final decisions be made?
- A. You will be notified by automatic email regarding the status of your preliminary application by September 15. Organizations that are invited to submit full proposals will be notified by December 31 of our funding decision
Checklist for Completing Online Form back to top
- All fields are required.
- Print the entire application before you begin.
- Click on the “Save and Continue” button before you leave the page you are working on, otherwise you will lose your inputted data. Once you have done this, you can move back and forth between the pages.
- You may return to this form as many times as you wish to make changes to it before you submit your application. You have till 5:00 p.m. August 4, 2009, to submit the preliminary application.
- You may print your saved application for your records.
- After you submit your application you may log-in to this website to download a copy for your records.
- There is no spell check function with this online application. We suggest that you compose your answers to the narrative questions in a Word document that you can review and spell check and then cut and paste your responses into the online application.
- If you have questions, you may contact the Women's Fund at info@womensfund.com or 414/290-7350.
- By completing this form, you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions.