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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THIS YEAR’S PRIORITIES

Our 2023 funding priorities in the thematic areas of Climate & Agricultural Justice, Education, and Healthcare:

Food Sovereignty & Security: Investing in communities’ access to culturally appropriate food via sustainable food systems, and food security created through ecologically sound production lines.

We are interested in learning more about the relationship between people, power and food production, and the impact that relationship to the land has on climate and agricultural justice.

Early Childhood Education: Investing in both formal and informal education and opportunities for early learners from birth to age 8, which may include the development of literacy skills.

We are interested in learning more about how a focus on our youngest community members during a period of fundamental development impacts their growth.

Reproductive Justice & Maternal Healthcare: Investing in the ability to maintain personal bodily autonomy, control reproductive choices, and access healthcare during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

We are interested in learning more about the many ways reproductive matters impact our community, with a holistic approach to maternal health.

In 2023, the Collective, Advocacy, and Women & Girls grants will be awarded to organizations working within these priority areas.

ADVOCACY GRANT

We have come to understand that systemic transformation is only possible with a wider coalition of voices demanding change. For this reason, we offer a grant to organizations that work in advocacy within each of our year’s chosen priorities. Organizations may opt into consideration for our Advocacy Grant while applying for the Collective Grants on the LOI form.

Three to nine grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 will be made each year through the Advocacy Grant.

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.

WA Women’s Foundation does not fund endowments, pass-through scholarships or out-of-state projects of Washington-based organizations.

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.

We are most interested in understanding community needs and how your organization is addressing those needs through the delivery of services to those directly impacted by inequity.

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 in order 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 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 how they reduce disparities and/or achieve more equitable outcomes.

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

Please contact Aviva Stampfer, Grants & Programs Director, at aviva@wawomensfdn.org if you have questions about eligibility criteria or the application process

Letter of Inquiry

FAQs

Why are we calling our Pooled Fund Grant the Collective Grants now?

WA Women’s Foundation is a membership organization of people who identify as women and give collectively for greater impact. The renaming of the Pooled Fund Grant to the Collective Grants is simply an effort to incorporate our vision and mission more thoroughly into our granting lexicon.

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

No. Our funding is broad throughout our granting process. 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.

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 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 people affected by inequity. We believe this focus on providing services to 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.

What about other kinds of inequities?

We have intentionally decided to prioritize funding organizations that provide services to 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 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.

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 an Advocacy grant?

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

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 recently made changes to our grant sizes in response to feedback from nonprofits and members and will now make grants at multiple stages of the process.

Here’s how that works: After the LOI stage 30 organizations will move forward to the Research phase. After the Research phase, 15 organizations will move forward to the Conversation phase and all organizations not moving on will receive a $1,500 grant. After the Conversation phase, 6 organizations will move forward to the Ballot and all organizations not moving on will receive a $3,000 grant. All 6 organizations on the Ballot will receive a $5,000 Leadership and Self-care grant. After member voting, the 3 organizations with the most votes will receive a $100,000 grant, and the remaining 3 organizations will receive a $25,000 grant.

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 30 organizations to continue in our Collective Grants process, and 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 Advocacy or Women & Girls Grants will still be considered for those grants regardless of their progress in the Collective Grants.

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Grantmaking

THIS YEAR’S PRIORITIES

ADVOCACY GRANT

WOMEN & GIRLS GRANT

MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

GRANT CRITERIA

FAQs

Learn & Connect

BLOG

From Convening to Grant Award Celebration: A Glimpse at the Collective Grants Process

Introducing our 2023 Advocacy Grantees

Announcing our 2023 Convening Panelists

Join our Work