Curious about how grantmaking works at Washington Women’s Foundation (WaWF)? If you’re interested in our grantmaking philosophy, we recommend reading the grantmaking page of our website. If you’re looking for logistics, read on for a quick overview of our process.
Convening 2023 is our signature full day learning event and is a crucial first step in determining our 2024 grantmaking and learning priorities. Convening features a variety of speakers, with deep knowledge of our three thematic areas, and is free and open to all. Together, we learn about what is happening in each of our themes in Washington State.
After the Convening, attendees are invited to share suggestions for priorities within each of our three themes. Staff then collates the responses, and WaWF membership votes on the top 3-4 suggestions in each theme. The top pick is selected in each theme to become our priority for grantmaking and learning for the next year.
Watch our 2023 Convening panels here and email programs@wawomensfdn.org for the survey link where you can suggest priorities for consideration!
Once we know our priorities, we invite nonprofit organizations to submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) form as an entry point to our annual grant process. Applications for the 2024 Collective Grants will open on October 26th. We host two info sessions in November for nonprofits interested in learning more about the process. These sessions, called Let’s Talk: Collective Grants, are an opportunity to meet WaWF staff, volunteer leadership, and a grantee representative. Sign up on our programs & events page.
Beginning in January, our Collective Grant Committee made up of WaWF members reviews the LOIs to determine which organizations continue in our grantmaking process. We notify organizations at every stage, and do our best to share feedback when it is available. The final stage of the process is the ballot, in which all WaWF members have the opportunity to learn about the final two organizations in each priority and submit a vote. For more on our grant criteria and eligibility, click here.
The Collective Grants conclude with our Grant Award Celebration, held in June of each year. This free, public event is our opportunity to gather as a community, connect with each other, and celebrate the incredible new grantees as well as the dedicated Collective Grants Committee.
We hope this overview gives you a sense of how our process works and how to get involved. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to Aviva Stampfer, Grants & Program Director, at aviva@wawomensfdn.org.