FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2009
Contacts:
Carla Oleska, Executive Director, WFWM, 413-529-0087 ext. 11

WE CAN.  WE MUST.  WE WILL.
The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts prepares to award $500,000
in grants to help nonprofits meet the challenge of the current economic crisis.

Easthampton, MA—The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts announces today that it will award $500,000 in grants over the next two years to programs serving the needs of women and girls in the four western counties of Massachusetts, an increase of 150% over their previous grantmaking levels. This unprecedented action is being taken in the face of severe economic challenges to nonprofit organizations throughout the area, and reflects the Women’s Fund commitment to ensuring the survival and continuing health of key programs and services.

According to Women’s Fund Board President Anne Paradis, “The worsening economic outlook is presenting our grantee partners with a double challenge: increased demand for services coupled with decreased funding.  We held listening sessions in mid-December for our current grantees where they described firsthand the ways in which this economic freefall is impacting their work. Our concern deepened for the survival of key organizations for women and girls in our four counties. These programs are struggling to maintain core operations. Many are looking at reductions in services, staff and budgets. It became very clear that this is the time when our grants are needed most and in increasing amounts.”

As part of this 150% increase in grantmaking, the Women’s Fund will continue to award grants for operations and programs but raise the maximum to $20,000 per year, double what is currently awarded. The Women’s Fund will also reinstate multi-year grants to better support long-term planning and viability among its grantee partners. These new funding guidelines are in direct response to the concerns and needs expressed by staff and Board of grantee organizations attending the listening sessions last month. As one grantee stated, “We continue to need funders’ assistance to sustain programs and resources for vulnerable populations, particularly women who in spite of tremendous odds are making remarkable efforts to live quality lives, raise children, achieve economic stability, and engage in building better communities.” 

“We can. We must. We will.” has been the mantra at the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts since last fall, as the Board and staff examined the current economic crisis and its impact on the ability of the foundation’s grantees to continue their programs and services. With today’s Board announcement to increase grant awards to a total of half a million dollars over the next two years, this internal mantra has now become a public call to action.   

Speaking on behalf of the full Board, Paradis says, “Our decision to significantly increase grantmaking is part of a larger strategic plan to fulfill the Women’s Fund mission to improve the lives of women and girls through social change philanthropy. Naturally, the need for higher grant awards was weighed against our current financial resources and the impact uncertain financial markets might have on us. But in the end, the decision was clear, we needed to take action.”

A major gift from a visionary donor serves as a springboard for the Board’s immediate decision to increase grantmaking as well as its long-term commitment to expand strategic advocacy and community collaborations. This anonymous donor says, “I recently received this money from my mother and in the spirit of the Women's Fund's multigenerational vision, I wanted to put it back into the community. It is a gift not only for my daughter, through me and from my mother, but for all the women and girls in our area. I’m giving this gift to the Women’s Fund because it focuses on everything I’m passionate about, and I know the foundation will effect great change with it.”

As Executive Director Carla Oleska observes, “We value all gifts, large and small, because we know when women invest their resources toward a common goal, this collective giving has a dramatic impact. Through   strategic grantmaking in our three focus areas of education, economic justice, and freedom from violence, the Women’s Fund is a stabilizing force in rocky economic times as well as a dedicated advocate for social and economic equality for women and girls.”  
 
Since 1997, the Women's Fund has awarded over $1.2 million in grants to more than 90 programs impacting 25,000 women and girls in the four counties of Western Massachusetts. Over half has been awarded to nonprofit organizations serving Hampden County; more than a third has been distributed in Hampshire and Franklin counties with the remaining portion invested in the Berkshires. According to Sally Livingston, one of the three founders, “When we created the Women's Fund, we all agreed that we had to be bold. This initiative by the current Board of Directors fits right in to our original vision. It's amazing to see how positively the community has responded over the years, and I'm sure they will do the same now when our grants are most needed."

Visit www.womensfund.net for updated 2009 Grant Application and Guidelines.  The application deadline is February 2, by 5 pm.

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