Empowering Women and Girls is one of five focus areas for competitive grantmaking in 2019-20.
Women and girls — especially those in at-risk communities — face inequities that can have serious and long-term effects on their earning potential, health and overall quality of life.
For example, women who do not have a degree or industry certification are less likely to be employed than men without a degree or certification. Even with a degree, a woman generally earns substantially less than a man with the same degree.
National studies find that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lives. And women are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression.
We will fund projects that address the unique needs of women and girls related to:
- Safety and security
- Health and well-being
- Economic opportunity
Programs for at-risk women and girls and their families will be given potential funding priority.
Empowering Women and Girls projects may include:
- Support for domestic violence victims
- Access to health and mental wellness resources
- Programs to improve economic status of women and girls.
Most of the grants proposals submitted in the past will still be viable candidates for funding this year. We simply will look at them through a different lens.
For example, Alpha House of Pinellas County received a grant last year in the Health and Human Services category. This year, that same proposal to provide maternity housing would fall under Empowering Women and Girls.
Applications for competitive grants will be accepted through Nov. 22, 2019. The Community Foundation’s additional focus areas are Community Vibrancy, Economic Mobility, Mental Well-Being, and Positive Education.
The Foundation will continue to award its Opportunity Grants. Application for those grants is open throughout the year. Opportunity Grants are not categorized into focus areas.
Learn more about applying for a competitive grant. See summaries of previous competitive grants.
