Grants That Champion the Needs of Women

“We are committed to supporting initiatives that champion the needs of women,” said Stacey Royal, Advisory Board Chair of the WCA Foundation. “When communities make it a priority to meet those needs, everyone benefits.” 

Photos courtesy of Phyllis Wheatley Community Center

One grant will support Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, whose relationship with the WCA Foundation goes all the way back to 1924, when the organization was founded by local women of the WCA. “In our centennial year, this grant feels especially significant,” said Katy Nelson, Senior Director of Development and Communications at Phyllis Wheatley Community Center. “The WCA and Phyllis Wheatley, the oldest African American community center in Minneapolis, share a powerful legacy.” 

The community center will use WCA funding to elevate its Women’s Wealth and Equity Building program, which educates and equips women for financial success in collaboration with BuildWealth Minnesota and Bremer Bank.

Another grant will support a program at Tubman that provides rapid rehousing for victim-survivors of domestic violence. “Everyone deserves safe housing. More than simply a roof over our heads, housing provides a sense of community and a soft place to land that fosters healing after violence and trauma,” said Jennifer Polzin, CEO of Tubman. “This funding will help victim-survivors find and maintain affordable housing and provide supportive services to help reach their goals and increase their financial stability as they continue to move from fear to freedom.”

Photos courtesy of Tubman

The WCA Foundation is led by a group of women volunteers who steward an endowment of approximately $18 million. They come together to learn about issues affecting women in the Twin Cities and review grant proposals from organizations addressing those needs.  

The awards announced today will support organizations that applied for project funding in the WCA Foundation’s 2024 grant round, the first open grant round under the organization’s new program model. Last fall, the WCA Foundation unveiled two new grant opportunities that will guide its investments going forward. 

“WCA members are deepening their commitment to organizations with track records of excellence and innovation in meeting the evolving needs of women and families,” said Julia Ruther, the Minneapolis Foundation’s Program Coordinator for Impact and Collective Giving. “Rooted in their value of responsiveness, this commitment is more important than ever as women-focused organizations face instability across funding sources.”

The following groups received funding in this grant round: 

• 360 Communities received $27,000 for the Lewis House Domestic and Sexual Violence Shelter.  
• The Annex Teen Clinic received $20,000 for its Birth Control Access Fund, which provides birth control to women who experience barriers to care and health disparities.  
• Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio received $30,000 for a training and development program designed to support Latina Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) childcare providers as they launch or strengthen in-home childcare businesses.
• Dress for Success Twin Cities received $30,000 for emPowerU, a workforce development training program. 
• Emma Norton Services received $27,600 for new, expanded programming at Emma Norton’s Restoring Waters, the trauma-informed supportive housing facility replacing Emma Norton Residence.  
• Esperanza United received $30,000 for its Family Advocacy Program, which provides culturally relevent, holistic options to best meet Latinx survivors’ safety needs.
• Family Tree, Inc. received $30,000 to provide sexual, reproductive, and gender care services for 3,000 patients through its clinic program.  
• Family Values for Life received $10,000 for its Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies project, which improves both maternal health and infant mortality outcomes in the Black community through education, financial assistance, and other resources and support.
• Goodwill Industries / Easter Seals Minnesota received $25,000 to increase services to women through its Career Training and Education program. 
• HIRED, Inc. received $20,000 for its Home Visiting program, which helps participants move into work successfully, while receiving parenting support and coaching. 
• Hmong American Partnership received $30,000 for a women’s support group focusing on chemical dependency and substance use/misuse recovery services, as well as sexual and domestic violence services.   
• Literacy Minnesota received $30,000 for its Financial Literacy for Women pilot program, which will offer educational workshops on core financial skills.
• Ostara Initiative received $30,000 to support the Minnesota Prison Doula Project, which provides vital physical and emotional support and education to prenatal and parenting incarcerated mothers through an integrated approach within the prison system.
• Page Education Foundation received $27,000 to address educational disparities by supporting the academic pursuits of female Page Scholars of color.  
• People Reaching Out to Other People received $10,000 for its Menstrual Hygiene Program, which offers menstrual hygiene products to clients as part of their food pickup twice per month.
• Phyllis Wheatley Community Center received $30,000 for its Women’s Wealth and Equity Building Initiative, a program focused on stabilizing families financially and breaking cycles of intergenerational poverty. 
• Power of People Leadership Institute received $27,000 for the Sisters Program, which supports Girls Taking Action alumni with mentoring, leadership and career development, financial literacy, and networking strategies.
• PRISM received $30,000 for its Homelessness Prevention Program, which provides emergency rental and utility assistance to households at risk of homelessness due to a crisis or temporary circumstance. 
• ServeMinnesota received $10,000 for a Housing Resource Navigator within the Women’s Harm and Medical Respite Program at Catholic Charities’ Higher Ground St. Paul Residence.  
• Tubman received $30,000 for a rapid rehousing program that serves survivors of domestic violence.  
• Walker West Music Academy received $29,480 for its Amazing Grace chorus for Black elders living with dementia and their caregivers. 
• Wallin Education Partners received $27,000 for its Emergency Fund and Persistent Fund.  
• WellShare International received $30,000 for expansion and training of community health workers who provide mental health services to Hispanic, Somali, and Karen communities. 
• YouthLink received $20,000 to support its Family Case Manager, who provides services and connects young mothers to resources to stabilize their housing.  
• YMCA of the North received $30,000 for its Enough program, which provides prevention and rehabilitation services to survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking.  
• YWCA St. Paul received $30,000 for its STRIDE program, which ensures stable housing for and teaches independent living skills to young women of color as they transition out of foster care.

The WCA Foundation will hold its next open grant round in late 2024. Learn more about the WCA Foundation and sign up for updates about funding opportunities.