Brief Description
In 2002 the Women’s Fund was established as a component fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation to benefit women and/or girls within a 30 mile radius of St. Cloud. The Women’s Fund seeks to leverage the efforts and dollars from local nonprofits to provide resources that will make a difference to single individuals or systems.
What We Fund
- Capital projects
- New or expanded programs/projects
- Other strategic Investments that will have a lasting impact
Eligible organizations: 501(c) 3 nonprofit Organizations, schools or government entities.
Geographic Area: Grants must serve women and/or girls within 30 mile radius of St. Cloud.
Funding Amount Range: $3,000 – $15,000
Focus Areas
- Girls – Ages 10-18
- Women Experiencing Adversity
- Elder Women
Favorable Considerations
- Girls Ages 10-18 – The Women’s Fund seeks to support programs to assure equality, success and health for girls. In evaluating proposals for girls, priority will be given to programs with goals aligned with one or more of the following emphases: (These goals may be addressed through culturally specific programs where appropriate.)
- Building self-esteem and helping girls make smart choices to avoid risky behaviors, make good relationship choices, and maintain a healthy body image.
- Increasing girls’ access to mentors and role models to help them increase their aspirations and envision success, make good educational and career choices, and choose healthy behaviors.
- Encouraging and preparing girls to pursue higher and/or post-secondary education, including math, science and other nontraditional education.
- Developing leadership skills and providing venues in which to practice these skills.
- Women Experiencing Adversity – The Women’s Fund seeks to focus its grants on building the capacity of women who have experienced significant change in their lives. These goals may be addressed through culturally specific programs where appropriate. Priority will be given to proposals for programs with goals aligned with one or more of the following:
- Fostering women’s economic self sufficiency by increasing access to job training, education, support for searching for jobs, resume building and coaching.
- Encouraging low-income women to pursue job training or education to improve their financial status.
- Increasing access to quality, flexible childcare and/or early childhood education.
- Increasing access to support services, mentoring and mental health services for women during and after transitions.
- Supporting immigrant women and refugee women to achieve their aspirations and successfully integrate into the community.
- Elder Women – Through its grants for elder women, the Women’s Fund seeks to focus on issues unique to women as they age, striving to improve the status of life for midlife and older women. These goals may be addressed through culturally specific programs, where appropriate. Priority will be given to programs with goals aligned with one or more of the following:
- Encouraging and increasing access to economic security, including information and support for employment opportunities in later life, financial planning, budgeting and saving.
- Encouraging healthy lifestyles and increasing access to reliable transportation allowing women to maintain an independent lifestyle as long as possible.
- Increasing access to quality health care coverage and mental health services, which includes access to direct fitness and exercise components and preventive care to help keep people active and healthy.
- Addressing the needs of older women living alone and/or caring for elderly parents, all facing major life changes, which could result in depression, loneliness, chemical abuse etc. Provide support for coping with life changes in a healthy manner.
- Encouraging lifelong learning, including non-traditional education, language classes, tutoring young students, to maintain an active mind and contribute to the community.
- The Fund seeks to leverage the efforts and dollars from local nonprofits to provide resources that will make a difference to single individuals or systems.
- Projects/Programs that support diversity, equity and inclusion. (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy)