Our grant funding is focused on women and girls.
Currently, less than 7% of philanthropic dollars are directed to programs that specifically support women and girls, and women are disproportionately affected by many issues such as poverty, lack of healthcare, pay inequity, and violence.
By supporting programs that create opportunities to improve the economic, educational, physical health, and emotional well-being of women and girls, we can improve the overall quality of life in our community.
Grant funding for The Women's Fund is focused on building economic security for those who identify as women and girls in Forsyth County. Organizations can submit one application for a maximum of $15,000.
The Women's Fund believes having economic security is key for all women and girls in our community to thrive. Our 2020 Through A Gender Lens research report highlights some of the systemic barriers that have led to the gender and racial disparities we see in our community and provides data related to Business and Employment, Economic Self-Sufficiency, Education, and Housing and Homelessness.
The Women’s Fund is a strategic initiative of The Winston-Salem Foundation, and this grant program directly aligns with the Foundation’s focus area to build an inclusive economy.
The Women’s Fund will support grant proposals that:
Priorities
While The Women’s Fund’s membership vote ultimately determines the final grant decisions, applicants that meet one or more of the following criteria will receive priority during the review process:
*Note on led by women of color: The Women’s Fund defines led by women of color as organizations with more than 50% of the organization’s decision-makers identifying as women of color. This can include executive leadership, board, program managers, etc.
**Note for gender focus: The Women’s Fund defines an organization or a project that has a gender focus as one that goes beyond the number or percentage of women/girls served. A gender focus entails considering the unique and varied experiences of those who identify as women and girls during the design and/or implementation of the proposed program or work.
We do not support:
Kaisha works as the Regional Manager for NCWorks at Goodwill and as a social advocate through the city’s Partnership for Prosperity (PFP), an initiative to raise awareness about the causes of poverty and coordinate the fight against it.
$12,500 to provide baby items, support services, and educational workshops for new and expecting mothers.
Anuli Pregnancy Center strives to promote and empower healthy transitions into parenthood through enhanced support services and education on pre-and post-natal care, nutrition, and positive parenting through shared experiences. Anuli works to address a service gap by providing transitional social support services to at-risk individuals and communities with a focus on women of color. Staff relies on their social work experience in combination with lived experience to provide individualized wrap-around services, including community referrals and building trusting relationships with Anuli clients.
$15,000 for programming for women, such as case management and rental assistance to help women obtain permanent housing.
Bethesda Center for the Homeless works to provide a supportive environment for homeless individuals and strives to provide the wraparound services each guest needs to obtain permanent housing. Case managers work to ensure women who come to the shelter have their basic needs met by finding resources within the community with the goal of helping them secure permanent affordable housing. Bethesda Center’s supportive services include, but are not limited to, development of individual case plans, referrals to collaborative partners, connecting to resources, community outreach, and ongoing monitoring of needs and services.
$15,000 to support domestic violence survivors in evaluating their needs/barriers and connecting them to community resources.
The Children’s Law Center provides legal advocacy for children, focusing on those involved with domestic violence or high-conflict custody cases. The Children’s Law Center and the Winston-Salem office of Legal Aid of NC partnered to create Stepping Forward, a program that helps domestic abuse clients create stable lives away from their abusers. The Stepping Forward program helps women address issues common in domestic violence cases, including gaining access to housing, applying for government assistance programs, obtaining employment, mental health services (including therapy/counseling for their children), and any additional client needs.
$15,000 to support a women's peer support program for women experiencing homelessness, including one-on-one and group support to address unique challenges and trauma, such as partner and sexual abuse.
City with Dwellings seeks to end the homelessness crisis by building a sustainable and supportive community through relationships and mutual support. City with Dwellings maintains connections with individuals who visit their overflow shelters year-round through street outreach, case coordination, advocacy, and programming. The peer outreach specialist leans on her lived experience to offer hope, shared resilience, and encouragement to women on their journey toward housing and recovery.
$9,000 for a professional coaching and mentoring program for women.
Dress for Success offers long-lasting solutions that enable women to break the cycle of poverty, providing support to women facing the challenges of underemployment, financial duress, and the effects of systemic bias and gender inequity. Dress for Success is taking strategic steps to move “beyond the suit” and help women achieve financial security and self-defined success through various services and programs designed for every step of the professional journey. With this funding, Dress for Success will pilot a Mobility Mentoring program to support women in acquiring the resources, skills, and sustained behavior changes necessary to attain and preserve their economic independence.
$15,000 for the PEARLS program.
PEARLS (Preparing Eager Achievers to Redirect their Lives Successfully) provides holistic support, counseling, workshops, and activities for girls to improve social, emotional, and career development opportunities. This program serves African-American and Latina/Hispanic girls ages 12 – 17 and includes one-on-one counseling, equine therapy, and group sessions that cover topics such as social/communication skills, multicultural awareness, self-esteem, anger management, financial education, and exploring career options.
$12,500 to implement a program that includes individualized financial counseling, coaching, and education for single women who are heads of households.
The Pathways to Savings Program (PSP) is a pilot-matched savings program for low- to moderate-income female heads of households with the goal of increasing financial literacy and creating a foundation to build wealth. Financial Pathways of the Piedmont's (FPP) mission is to improve individual and family financial stability and overall financial well-being. Financial Pathways counsels individuals through crisis, coaches families to reach their financial goals, and provides financial education to improve financial health in the community.
$15,000 to support programs designed to help middle school girls develop critical social and emotional skills.
LEAD Girls is guided by a mission to provide the tools that under-resourced preteen girls must have to become productive citizens and active leaders in their community. Through various programming, LEAD Girls gives girls the foundation they need to find their voices to counter bullying and challenge peer pressure; avoid risky behaviors such as smoking, dropping out of school, and teen pregnancy; and lead them to chart a positive course for their futures. Their research showed that 95% of program participants are thinking about their future, and 94% report they are more motivated to do good things.
$15,000 to support local Hispanic/Latino families with what they need to achieve their life goals.
Mi Casa provides little-to-no-cost legal services, such as assistance with applying for legal status and filing tax returns. Mi Casa also provides translation and interpretation services, help with completing job or FAFSA applications, as well as referrals to trusted health providers and other community partners. In 2021 alone, Mi Casa served more than 4,000 families with only three full-time and two part-time staff. Mi Casa prides itself in never turning anyone away who cannot afford legal fees and will often take on filing fees to submit legal documentation for those who cannot afford it.
$15,000 for the Girls Rise Up and Succeed program.
This program provides tutoring, mentoring, educational workshops, and health and wellness activities designed to help girls of color ages 6-18 improve their confidence and emotional well-being. Neighborhood’s Hands is committed to meeting the needs of individuals and families in east Winston-Salem neighborhoods through free tutoring and mentor services, GED and job readiness skills programs, and food distribution through its food pantry. In 2022, the Girls Rise Up and Succeed program impacted the lives of over 70 girls of color in the Piedmont Circle and Cleveland Avenue Homes neighborhoods.