Collective Grants

The Collective Grants are made on an annual basis. The application process begins with an online Letter of Inquiry (LOI), which opens in October of each year after our priorities have been announced at our Annual Meeting. Funding decisions are made and announced each June. Organizations selected for a WA Women’s Collective Grant Awards will be provided with a Letter of Understanding (LOU) that outlines the relationship between the foundation and the grantee.

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2025 PRIORITIES

Our 2025 funding priorities in the thematic areas of Climate & Agricultural Justice, Healthcare, and Education:

Mitigating the Impact of Climate Change: We will invest in alleviating and reversing the effect of climate change on those communities most impacted by its effects in Washington State.

We are interested in learning more about how climate change has impacted communities in Washington State and the solutions those communities are creating.

Youth Mental Health: We will invest in culturally relevant mental health and connection-building services for young people (ages 26 and younger) including organizations with counseling staff or working with a network of external providers.

We are interested in learning more about systems of mental healthcare and how young people (ages 26 and younger) interact and heal within these systems, including systems designed to address youth addiction recovery.

Adult Educational Opportunities: We will invest in non-traditional adult education programs and educational opportunities in support of adults navigating the requirements of employment and civic participation (this may include immigrant and refugee education services).

We are interested in learning more about non-traditional adult education programs and services designed to support adults (ages 18 and older) as they navigate the requirements of employment and civic participation.

In 2025, the Collective and Women & Girls grants will be awarded to organizations working within these priority areas.

ADVOCACY GRANT

In response to feedback from nonprofits and WaWF members, and with the approval of our board, our Advocacy Grants has now been folded into our Collective Grants program. This decision came from our desire to underscore our commitment to supporting advocacy and to acknowledge the critical work advocacy does in manifesting systemic change.

WOMEN & GIRLS GRANT

At WA Women’s Foundation, one of our cherished values is to elevate and amplify the power of all who identify as women. Supported by the WFA Fund for Women, we offer the Women & Girls Grant to organizations and programs focused on women and girls within the year’s chosen priorities. Organizations may opt into consideration for our Women & Girls Grant while applying for the Collective Grant on the LOI form.

Three grants of $15,000 will be made each year through the Women & Girls Grant.

MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Tax Exempt Status. Organization must currently qualify as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) or 7871 of the Internal Revenue Code or be fiscally sponsored by another tax-exempt organization.

Connection to Washington. Organization must operate programs or provide services within the state of Washington. Advocacy organizations may advocate on the local, state, or federal levels but the equitable treatment sought must be for Washington residents and the organizations must operate from within the state of Washington.

WA Women’s Foundation does not fund endowments, pass-through scholarships, or out-of-state projects of Washington-based organizations, except for advocacy work at the federal level on behalf of Washington residents.

GRANT CRITERIA

Our funding is unrestricted and our grants should be used wherever they are most needed except that we do not fund endowments, pass-through scholarships, or out-of-state projects of Washington-based organizations, except for advocacy work at the federal level on behalf of Washington residents.

We are most interested in understanding community needs and how your organization addresses those needs through the delivery of services to those directly impacted by inequity or through advocacy efforts focused on changing the systems that have created or exacerbated inequities.

We seek to support and collectively invest in organizations that are reflective of and embedded in the communities they serve, draw on the strengths and assets of these communities, and are accountable to these communities to achieve the long-term goals of increasing equity and reducing disparities.

This year, we invite Letters of Inquiry from organizations that meet all the following criteria:

Is focused on providing services to or advocating for people affected by inequity due to race and/or gender identity;
Is accountable to the people being served. “Accountable” can mean one or more of the following:
– Ensures that people being served are visibly leading;
– Develops leadership of the people being served;
– Engages the people being served in ongoing decision-making, planning, and assessment; and/or
– Draws on the strengths, assets, and lived experience of the people being served.
Is addressing systemic racial and/or gender inequities in one of this year’s priority areas.
Can demonstrate one or more of the following:
- how they reduce disparities and/or achieve more equitable outcomes through their direct service work
- how the advocacy methods they employ reduce disparities and/or result in more equitable systemic outcomes
- how their work incorporates both services and advocacy to reduce disparities and/or achieve more equitable outcomes both directly and systemically.

We encourage you to review the Frequently Asked Questions below as well as our definition s document before completing your Letter of Inquiry. For more information on the Letter of Inquiry, please click the button below.

Please contact staff at info@wawomensfdn.org if you have questions about eligibility criteria or the application process

Letter of Inquiry

FAQs

Does the Foundation support only proposals relating to women’s issues?

No. Our funding is broad throughout our Collective Granting process. Only our Women and Girls Grant is limited to support for Washington State nonprofits working to improve the lives of women and girls. If you are interested in being considered for our Women & Girls Grant, please make sure to check the Women and Girls checkbox in the LOI you submit for the Collective Grants.

Are requests from religious organizations considered?

WA Women’s Foundation believes that no person should be excluded from agency services, employment or volunteer participation, and will not fund organizations that engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief, or for any other discriminatory reason. We also do not fund organizations that serve an exclusively sectarian purpose.

Are out-of-state projects considered by WA Women's Foundation?

No. We only fund organizations with a presence in Washington State unless the advocacy practiced by your organization takes place at the federal level to benefit Washington State residents.

Are requests from other grantmakers considered?

No.

Does WA Women's Fdn fund Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives?

While we believe that integrating DEI practices into your work is key for all organizations, we are focused on organizations that already meet the above criteria. For that reason we are not funding DEI initiatives at this time.

Does my organization need to meet all four elements of the grant criteria?

Yes. We believe that all four elements will help us assess an organization’s fit with our goal of funding organizations working to increase equity and reduce disparities in Washington State.

My organization is open to everyone, and because of that, we do provide services to/advocate on behalf of people affected by inequity. Does that work?

We are looking for organizations that intentionally work with people affected by inequity, not organizations that work with the general population, and thus, happen to provide services to or advocate for people affected by inequity. We believe this focus on providing services to or advocating for specific communities indicates your organization’s understanding of the disparities experienced by people affected by inequity and your organization’s resolve to help reduce these disparities.

What do you mean by "providing services"?

We know that services can include many different kinds of community support. If you consider your work to be service-providing, please apply and make the case.

How does WA Women's Foundation define advocacy?

Our understanding of advocacy is work that seeks to advance an idea, argue a position, and/or enrich the debate about an issue of public concern. This could include education, research, litigation, campaigning, or nonpartisan political work. If you consider your work to be advocacy, please apply and make the case.

What about other kinds of inequities?

We have intentionally decided to prioritize funding organizations that provide services to or advocate on behalf of people affected by inequity due to race and/or gender identity, because we know that race and gender identity are key factors that create inequity. Within this focus, we review applications with an intersectional lens approach, and acknowledge the many ways other characteristics historically linked to discrimination and/or exclusion compound to create more inequity.

How does WA Women's Foundation define women & girls?

Our working definition of gender identity is a person’s internal, deeply held sense of their gender. As such, we define women and girls as individuals whose gender identity is as a woman or girl. For the Women & Girls grant program, we intend to fund with an intersectional lens and will be looking to support organizations that foster more equitable opportunities for women and girls.

How does my nonprofit apply for a Collective Grant?

We encourage nonprofits that fit within our funding guidelines to submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) online. We only accept LOIs submitted using our online form – we do not accept mailed letters or emails.

How does my nonprofit apply for a Women & Girls grant?

All applications are funneled through our Collective Grants LOI. If your organization fits our criteria, works in one of our priorities, and works with women and girls, please opt-in on the LOI form when applying for a Collective Grant.

What is the typical Collective Grant amount?

The total amount available for our Collective Grants is determined by the number of members who contribute to the Foundation each year. Because our grants are dependent on membership, grant award size may change year to year. That said, we now make grants at multiple stages of the process, with a minimum gift size offered at each stage:

After the LOI stage, up to 30 organizations will move forward to the Learning phase. After the Learning phase, up to 15 organizations will move forward to the Conversation phase and all organizations not moving on will receive a grant of $500 or more. After the Conversation phase, 6 organizations will move forward to the Ballot and all organizations not moving on will receive a grant of $1,500 or more. All 6 organizations on the Ballot will receive a Leadership and Self-care grant of $2,500 or more. After member voting, the 3 organizations with the most votes will receive a grant of $50,000 or more, and the remaining 3 organizations will receive a grant of $15,000 or more.

Are Collective Grants paid in a lump sum or in installments over time?

A funded organization may choose whether to receive a Collective Grant in a single lump sum or in annual installments payable over 2 to 3 years.

What are the reporting requirements for grantees?

We do not ask for any written reports. Instead, two members from our Grantee Engagement Team (GET) will regularly follow up with grantees to check in and offer our continued support.

If an organization was funded by WA Women’s Foundation in the past, can it be considered again?

Yes. There is no timeline eligibility for our grants. If your organization works within more than one priority and is eligible, please apply.

Is it necessary to have a member recommend or endorse my organization?

No. We strongly recommend that organizations do not solicit endorsements from Foundation members.

Can I apply in collaboration with another nonprofit?

Yes, collaborations, coalitions, and partnerships are welcome to submit an LOI. We encourage you to be clear about each entity’s role in the work to avoid confusion.

How many LOIs can my organization submit?

We ask that each organization submit only one LOI to the Collective Grants each year.

How do organizations learn the status of their Letter of Inquiry?

In February, the Foundation invites up to 30 organizations to continue in our Collective Grant Process. We will email all other applicants, notifying them that they have not been selected for further consideration for the Collective Grants. All organizations who have opted in on the LOI for the Women & Girls Grants will still be considered for those grants regardless of their progress in the Collective Grants.

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Grantmaking

2025 PRIORITIES

ADVOCACY GRANT

WOMEN & GIRLS GRANT

MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

GRANT CRITERIA

FAQs

Learn & Connect

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2024 Women & Girls Grant Announcement

Reflecting on the Grantee Engagement Team’s Third Year

Reflecting on 2024 Collective Grants –

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