A Fund for Women seeks inquiries from Dane County 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with a focus on women’s economic empowerment. We are interested in increasing opportunities for education and family-sustaining jobs for underserved women and people that identify as women, especially those that experience systemic injustice, including:
- Black, Latinx/e, Hmong, Asian, Indigenous, LGBTQIA2S+, and those with disabilities.
- Single mothers ages 18-40 or girls with adult responsibilities.
- Those living in poverty or unstable economic conditions.
- Those adversely affected by poverty-wage jobs with weak benefits and low/volatile hours.
- Those who hope for a more stable future in which they can both provide for their families’ basic needs and save for future economic goals.
Initiatives eligible for funding may include but are not limited to: workforce development, education programs (not individual scholarships), advocacy, mentorship programs, and support services. Organizations whose work and missions align with that of AFFW may also request unrestricted grants to support their general operations. Multi-year grants will be considered at the discretion of the Advisory Committee.
We focus our giving on funding organizations that:
- Increase accessibility of postsecondary education, thus supporting women to gain careers and job opportunities that result in a family-supporting wage.
- Provide opportunities for women to develop financial literacy skills including but not limited to personal money management, investment skills, and small business development opportunities.
- Reduce barriers for women to access both educational and employment goals, such as accessible and affordable housing, child care, health care, and reliable transportation.
- Advocate for policy changes that support A Fund for Women’s vision and mission.
A Fund for Women does not fund organizations that:
- Do not have a 501(c)3 IRS designation.
- Discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual preference, age, marital status, disability or national origin.
- Are not located within Dane County.
Organizations wishing to apply for a grant in 2025 must submit a letter of inquiry to the GoApply platform by 4:30 p.m. on April 30, 2025.
AFFW’s grantmaking process begins with organizations submitting a Letter of Inquiry (LOI). The Advisory Committee and MCF staff will review these letters to ensure the organizations are eligible to apply and that the requests align with AFFW’s mission and vision. LOIs should be submitted to the GoApply platform by Wednesday, April 30, 2025, by 4:30 p.m.
Apply Here
Organizations with approved LOIs will be invited to submit a full grant application by Wednesday, May 21, 2025. The deadline for full grant proposals is Wednesday, June 25, 2025, by 4:30 p.m.
Full grant application information coming soon.
The Advisory Committee will review the grant applications and forward recommendations to the Board of Governors, which makes the final decision on funding at its August meeting. Grants will be announced after approval by the Board in September.
If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact Angela R. Davis. If you have questions about the new AkoyaGo GoApply platform, please contact Jazzmine Haygood.