Launching Our Second Decade 

The Women's Fund donates $5.1 million since 2004

If you missed the Women's Fund 11^th Annual Presentation of Grants Reception on May 4, it was an emotional event that delivered tears, laughter and inspiration!

In their heartfelt thanks, each of the seven 2014-15 grant recipients stirred us with their impassioned stories of how $460,000 in Women's Fund grants will change the lives of the most vulnerable in our community. Supported by their Women’s Fund grants, these outstanding groups help create new businesses providing child care spaces for young children, feeding low-income seniors and bringing comfort to the terminally ill. They provide an alternative to incarceration for juvenile offenders, offer peer-to-peer support for families of teens struggling with mental illness and provide shelter and assistance to homeless individuals and families. Kristine Schwarz, Executive Director of New Beginnings Counseling Center said:

"We serve those most fragile in our community including the homeless, people with severe and persistent mental illness, domestic violence victims, the elderly, veterans and many more. The funds that we have been awarded today will allow our Safe Parking Program to continue providing overnight shelter for families and individuals who live in their cars. In addition, your contributions will go directly towards transitioning our clients back into permanent and sustainable housing."

For more information about the Presentation of Funds event, read the Noozhawk article by Women’s Fund member and local journalist, Leslie Dinaberg. To view photos of the event, visit the photo gallery on our website.

Seven Nonprofits Receive Women's Fund Grants

The nonprofits receiving 2014-15 grants are:

• Children’s Resource & Referral - $80,000 to increase the number of child care spaces in new, women-owned family child care businesses.
• Community Action Commission - $80,000 to provide hot, nutritious lunches to low-income seniors.
• Conflict Solutions Center - $60,000 to launch a restorative justice program as an alternative to juvenile incarceration.
• Mental Wellness Center - $60,000 to create support groups for families of teens, newly diagnosed with mental illness.
• New Beginnings Counseling Center - $80,000 to assist individuals and families living in their vehicles.
• Sarah House - $50,000 to deliver hospice care to low-income individuals suffering terminal illnesses.
• Transition House - $50,000 to install air conditioning and sound proofing in the family homeless shelter.

To learn more about the grants we awarded on May 4, please visit our website.

Our 2014-15 grantees are pictured above. Front row (left to right) Fran Forman, Community Action Commission; Kristine Schwarz, New Beginnings Counseling Center; Kathleen Baushke, Transition House. Back row (left to right) Debbie McQuade, Sarah House; Michelle Graham, Children's Resource & Referral; Lizzie Rodriguez, Conflict Solutions Center; Annmarie Cameron, Mental Wellness Center.

Grow Your Vote and Grow Our Impact

Let’s continue the momentum and grow our grants pool. With our new Grow Your Vote Challenge, Women's Fund members receive one vote for every $2,500 donated—an individual member receives one vote for every $2,500 donated (up to four votes) and a group receives one vote for every $2,500 a group donates together. 

The money we all contribute in 2015 will make up the grants pool that we'll award in spring 2016. So just as we have been inspired by the remarkable programs we celebrated on May 4, we hope you'll want to renew your membership for 2015 so you can share in choosing and honoring a new group of worthy grantees next spring.

Join or Renew Today!