The Women’s Fund’s social change grantmaking program awards grants (typically up to $10,000) to 501(c)(3) organizations in the Milwaukee area.
We support women-led solutions that result in sustainable and long-lasting change for our community. Proposals need to address one of the Women’s Fund’s strategic funding areas - economic justice, social justice, or leadership development - and must have social change and gender impact.
2012 Grant Application Deadlines
- On-line grant application process opens Monday, June 18
- Preliminary Applications due Friday, July 27
- Organizations invited to move to the Proposal phase notified Thursday, August 23
- Full Proposals Due Friday, September 21
Social Change Grantmaking
Social Change Grantmaking provides critical financial support to organizations working to create social change through women and girls.
It is our belief that real, long-lasting change can’t happen until there is greater focus on altering the environment in which we live. Our efforts are designed to remove barriers and systems that perpetuate inequality and oppression. We fund organizations that:
- Focus on the root causes of social, economic and environmental injustices, and
- Include the people who are impacted by those injustices as decision-makers.
This approach moves the conversation further “upstream” and targets issues beyond immediate social service needs. Yes, it’s more difficult. And yes, the return on investment may take longer to realize. But in the end, the rewards too, will be longer lasting.
Principles/values we especially like to see demonstrated:
- Inclusive by valuing all people equally and treating them with respect
- Democratic by involving the full range of constituents in the decision-making process
- Strategic by addressing root causes with innovative and creative approaches
- Collaborative through working in partnership and building bridges
- Accountable to the wider community
- Building local capacity
Social Change occurs when there is a shift in one of the following indicators:
- The issue(s) being addressed is viewed differently in the community.
- People are behaving differently in the community.
- People in the community are more engaged in the issue(s) being addressed.
- Specific organizational, local, regional state, or national policy or practice has changed or is in progress towards change.
- Earlier progress on the issue(s) being addressed is maintained in the face of opposition
The Women’s Funding Network’s Social Change Indicators Matrix explains these shifts in greater detail. The Women’s Fund measures and track these shifts through grant partner reports collected through Making the Case, a platform developed by the Women’s Funding Network, to measure the social change impact of our grant partners.
The Women’s Fund is interested in funding proposals that are consistent with our gender relevant priorities and expects our Grant Partners to have diverse boards and staff. Whether gender-specific or universal, engaging in a process that analyzes gender equity is critical. This includes determining whether or how a program will differently affect women and men. Proposals serving females and males should clearly promote gender awareness and feminist principles.
A program is gender responsive if it:
- Differently affects women and girls.
- Promotes gender awareness.
Other Grants
Each of our grantmaking committees (African American Women’s Fund Project, Latinas en Acción, Lesbian Fund, and Hmong Women’s Giving Circle) decides annually whether to hold an open RFP process based on the available grantmaking budget. This announcement is typically made in mid-September. Email grants [at] womensfundmke.org to be notified of any updates to this process.
