We are dedicated to funding programs that support the health, well-being, and advancement of African American women and girls in greater Milwaukee. The African American Women’s Fund Project (AAWFP) is about women helping women and being responsible for African American women who represent the future.
AAWFP became a reality in 1999 when 29 African American women convened to share their vision of how women could help other women and girls improve the quality of life in greater Milwaukee.
The idea was simple but a decade later, we continue to fund programs that increase the life skills of African American women and girls, expand philanthropy and encourage giving, build a network that is a catalyst for positive change, and encourage the self-sufficiency and well-being of African American women and girls in need.
A gift to the African American Women’s Fund Project supports our commitment to funding programs and services that address critical issues for African American women in our community.
Consider PEARLS for Teen Girls, a program funded by AAWFP, where 600 middle and high school girls work collectively to identify issues and challenges in their communities, and then plan, organize and execute specific community action projects. “Overall, they aim to teach young girls to look inside of themselves to develop the inner strength, character, and skills that it takes to be a true leader. These are the qualities the AAWFP strives to support,” says AAWFP founder and steering committee member, Thelma Sias.
Current Grant Partners
Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee
$1,000 | Reproductive Justice Project: Meets a matching grant from Groundswell’s Catalyst Fund of the Tides Foundation to support Milwaukee’s reproductive justice movement.
Founding Donors
Gwen Jackson, Founder Emeritus
Vel Phillips, Honorable Founder
Dr. Eve Hall, Co-Founder
Deryl Davis Fulmer, Co-Founder
Steering Committee Members
Martha Love, Co-Chair
Linda Graves, Co-Chair
Danae Davis
Deryl Davis Fulmer
Cecelia Gore
Eve Hall
Michelle Hinton
Jeanette Mitchell
June Perry
Joan Prince
Thelma Sias
Note: The Women’s Fund retains a percentage of all restricted gifts.