Grant Process Timeline
| June 2, 2008 | Online preliminary application. open. |
| June 18 & July 9, 2008 | The Women’s Fund will hold a free workshop, “Social Change Grantmaking and Application Orientation,” for grant seekers on June 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and July 9 from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at the YWCA of Greater Milwaukee, 1915 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. |
| August 4, 2008 | Preliminary applications due via on-line process by midnight. |
| September 17, 2008 | Women's Fund invites proposal submissions from organizations selected through the preliminary application process. |
| October 15, 2008 | Proposals from selected agencies due via website by midnight. |
| December 15, 2008 | Organizations who were invited to submit full proposals are informed of the Women's Fund's decisions. Funds will be distributed by mid-January 2009. |
Grant Process
Background and Overview
The Women's Fund seeks applicants for its grantmaking program. 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.
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.
The Process
The process begins with the submission of a preliminary application. Selected nonprofit agencies and organizations will then be invited to apply for a Fund Grant through a more comprehensive application. An invitation to apply for funding does not guarantee funding.
Strategic Funding Areas
Proposals need to impact at least one of the strategic funding areas listed below:
Economic Justice
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.
Social Justice
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.
Leadership Development
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.
The following chart demonstrates the difference between social change and social service programming in each funding area and is for purposes of illustration only.
Strategic Funding Area : Economic Justice
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 are interested in recruiting women of color for suburban job placement. It is seeking funding for staff development in cultural competency and diversity training.
Strategic Funding Area : Social Justice
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.
Strategic Funding Area : Leadership Development
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.
