WCA Foundation
Grant Opportunity
The WCA Foundation, a Signature Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation, is pleased to announce its Spring 2021 grant round.
What We Will Fund
The WCA Foundation supports organizations and projects that provide direct services to meet the fundamental needs of women 18 years and older in the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area,* with priority given to education, economic stability, shelter, safety, and health. We will fund projects or provide general operating support to applicants that meet the guidelines. Grants will range from $10,000 to $30,000.
- General Operating Support. Organizations must be located in and provide direct services exclusively to female clients who are 18 years and older in the seven-county metro area. In addition, the organization’s mission and primary services must meet the fundamental needs of women in the areas of education, economic stability, shelter, safety, or health.
- Project Support. An organization may apply for project support if the project provides direct services only to female clients, 18 years and older, in the seven-county metro area. In addition, the purpose of the project must meet the fundamental needs of women in the areas of education, economic stability, shelter, safety, or health. Projects are expected to support the organization’s mission. Organizations need not be located in the seven-county metro area in order to be eligible for project support.
*Includes Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington counties.
APPLICATION PROCESS
We will begin accepting applications online on March 1, 2021. All applications must be submitted by the deadline of 1 p.m. on May 3, 2021.
Applications will be reviewed by members of the WCA Foundation, a volunteer-led organization whose board meets monthly. Applicants whose proposals are not chosen in an initial review will be notified roughly six weeks after submission. Applicants that are selected to advance in the review process will be invited to arrange a virtual site visit. Final grant decisions will be made monthly in batches over a period of four to six months, starting in July 2021.
As soon as you decide to apply, we encourage you to log in to ensure that you have access to our online portal and that your organization’s contact information is current. We urge applicants to begin their online application well in advance of the deadline so that any technical challenges are resolved by the deadline.
FURTHER ASSISTANCE
If you have any questions about eligibility or the content of your proposal, please contact Susan Carter, Executive Director of the WCA Foundation, at 612-672-3835 or scarter@mplsfoundation.org. If you have technical questions about this process, please contact our Grants Administration team at grantsupport@mplsfoundation.org or 612-672-8665.
