1. Women’s Fund Grant Seeker’s Workshop November 3, 2016
Introductions – self and other WF team members present
Housekeeping items:
Silence phones
informal-ask questions
Restrooms
Sign-in and packets
Have everyone introduce themselves BRIEFLY.
Name
Organization
Your role
What organization does

2. Our Mission Grants Advocacy Education
The Women’s Fund for the Fox Valley Region invests in women and girls through:
Grants
Advocacy
Education
Grants have been the primary means by which we have supported those working to improve the lives of women and girls.
Education and advocacy is something we can do together.
We promote female philanthropy pool gifts of all sizes together to have a meaningful collective impact.

3. History of the Women’s Fund
Established in 1994
Awarded first grants in 1997
Became a supporting organization of the Community Foundation in 2005
Established in 1994 by 100 donors, both women and men, who each made a gift of $1,000 or more.
Our first grants in 1997 went to 5 organizations and totaled $8,800
How do we fit in to the Foundation:
accounting
investment management
office space and access to their resources
We are a separate nonprofit and have our own staff. Information sharing is limited. Don’t assume that I would be familiar with a project funded by the Foundation. We have our own grantmaking authority.

4. Service Area
SERVICE REGION = 4 ½ - COUNTY REGION
The Women’s Fund’s service region includes Outagamie, Calumet, northern Winnebago, Waupaca and Shawano counties.
In northeast Wisconsin, there are other Women’s Funds located in Green Bay, Door County, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac.
We do have the same service area as the Foundation. Our board has reaffirmed our commitment to helping rural women. We would be eager to learn more about programs outside of the Appleton metro area.

5. Funding Priorities Women and girls live in safety.
Women and girls live in safety.
Women and girls meet their basic needs for living, including food, shelter, and access to health care.
Women and girls have the knowledge, opportunity, and self- determination to be economically secure.
Women and girls have opportunities to pursue their dreams and achieve their potential.
Women and girls learn about and experience the value of philanthropy and nonprofit leadership.
These are our Ends Polices, which were determined by our board and are reviewed every other year. Everything we do, including the programs we fund, must address one or more of these policies. The better case you can make for how your program addresses one of these issues, the better chance you have of being funded. We are placing additional limits on which areas we want to fund this year.

6. Our Impact 57 Named endowment funds within the Women’s Fund
More than $1,150,500 in grants made to 196 projects by 78 organizations
$2,079,000 in assets
Total Philanthropic Impact of $3,229,500
Named funds are funds set up by individuals, families, companies, or organizations under the umbrella of the Women’s Fund. Some support the Women’s Fund, some a particular field of interest or scholarship. Small amounts of grant funding may be available.
Any individual or organization can set-up a fund within the Women’s Fund as long as its purpose is to support women and girls.

7. Our Website womensfundfvr.org
Go to website & show grants pages, contact list sign-up.

8. On Our Website E-News sign up – Home page
Newsletter archives – News page
Research Reports – News page
Grant applications & guidelines – Grants & Scholarships page
New website coming in 2017!

9. Research 2015 Status of Women in the States http://statusofwomendata
Research Status of Women in the States Watch for update in 2017!

10. Grant Guidelines Make sure you meet eligibility requirements.
Make sure your organization and/or program align with our funding priorities.
Make sure you meet stated deadlines.
Show back page with deadlines.

11. Funding Restrictions The Women’s Fund will not fund: Individuals
Endowments
Government agencies (educational institutions may qualify)
Projects with religious focus
Political parties, candidates or partisan activities
These are the same types of restrictions you would see from every other nonprofit foundation.
By religious focus we mean anything that would require participants to be of a particular faith tradition or would promote one faith tradition over another. It is OK to be a faith based organization, but the service provided should be provided equally, without regard to individual religious beliefs.

12. Specific Focus for 2017 Priority One
Young adult economic security for women age (up to $60,000)
Priority Two
Mental Health and Wellness for females of any age. (at least $15,000)

13. Phases of Planning
Understand the problem and your role in the solution.
Determine the action you want to take.
Engage stakeholders and funders in your action plan.
Make sure your project is female focused if applying to the Women’s Fund.
Talk about need for female focus. Give example from COTS.

14. What do we mean by economic security?
Address immediate needs and cause of insecurity:
Addiction
Criminal History
Homelessness
Mental Health
Physical Health
Violence & Exploitation

15. What do we mean by economic security?
Provide programs, services and support leading to living wage employment:
Career Services
Education
Job Training
Non-traditional Career Opportunities

16. What do we mean by economic security?
Remove barriers to education and employment:
Childcare
Lack of Encouragement
Lack of Healthcare and/or Insurance
Money Management/Financial Fluency
Need for Mentors
Self-Esteem & Confidence
Student Debt
Transportation

17. What do we mean by economic security?
Social change through policy advocacy:
Cliff Effect of Public Benefits
Education Funding & Student Loans
Equal Pay
Paid Family Medical Leave

18. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Program just needs to move people forward on the continuum. Not necessary to get form bottom to top in one step.

19. Two- Generation Approach
Share desire to improve parenting and Headstart example.
Youth serving orgs. And build partnership with parent programs.
Reduction of ACES.
Example from Literacy Council.

20. Mental Health Priority
Liza Long – Speaker at Women’s Fund Luncheon in September
$15,000 challenge grant from the J. J. Keller Foundation to be used for mental health
Our Grants Committee may allocate additional resources to this priority depending on the number and quality of applications received.
Programs can serve females of any age.

21. Preliminary Application
Focus on what you would do
Constructive feedback early in the process
Opportunities for collaboration, cooperation, and partnership
You may submit applications for each priority area. Please use separate forms.
All Women’s Fund Grants Committee members will review all the applications.
Go through application step by step.

22. Grant Projects Funded 2016
28 Preliminary Applications Received 17 Full Proposals Requested 8 Projects Funded
Our grantmaking is very competitive. Historically we have been able to fund about 40% of the requests we receive, last year it was less than 30%. Fully consider the time involved to complete the application process.

23. What does collaboration mean to the Women’s Fund?
“‘Real Collaboration’ is authentic working together across organizational boundaries toward common goals.”
LaPiana and Associates
“Just work together!”
Becky Boulanger

24. Full Proposal
Notification by January 20 if your Preliminary Application selected to advance
Continued emphasis on what you will do
Budget
Interviews and site visits – not typically done

25. Social Change Indicators Matrix
Shifts in Definition: The issue is defined differently in the community or larger society.
Shifts in Behavior: People are behaving differently in the community or larger society.
Shifts in Engagement: People in the community or society are more engaged.
Shifts in Policies: An institutional, organizational or legislative policy or practice has changed.
Current Position Maintained: Past gains have been maintained.
We encourage you to think beyond social service delivery. What can be done to improve the climate in which you operate? How can you move beyond managing a problem to actually solving the problem?
This type of work often involves working with others.

26. Small Group Conversations
Meet potential collaborators.
Take time to reflect and jot down ideas.
Discuss how Social Change Indicators can be applied to your project.
Ask individual questions.

27. Questions? womensfundfvr.org Becky Boulanger 702-7617