2011 Ripple Fund Grants
The Women's Funding Alliance (WFA) facilitates a giving circle, the Ripple Fund, in which individuals contribute $5,000 to fund specific organizations. Members learn first-hand about issues affecting women and girls in our community, participate in the grantmaking process, expand their personal philanthropy and extend WFA's grantmaking capacity to even more organizations.
This year’s grants focus on working to improve the lives of women and girls through efforts of prevention, education and training. The Fund prioritizes the following populations for its grantmaking: low-income, immigrant/refugee, at-risk girls, older women and formerly incarcerated women.
- Catherine Place, $10,000: Grant supports the We-Can Circles, which aim to advance personal growth and leadership development among low-income, refugee/immigrant women and women and girls who have been or are at risk of becoming incarcerated. Goals of these Circles are achieved through group work which supports the women in creating action plans to advance their own leadership development and life goals.
- Mary’s Place, $8,000: Grant provides unrestricted operating support to this day-center for homeless women. Funds will be used to ensure homeless women have a safe space during day-time hours and receive support in developing and implementing personalized action plans to increase their overall well-being and to help move them from homelessness into stable housing.
- Seattle Police Foundation, The If Project, $5,000: Grant provides operating support to this project in which previously incarcerated women use their own voices, experiences and stories to help the girls who are at risk of becoming or are currently court-involved to better understand their own situations and access the help and support they need. This grant is made as a continued investment to a grant made by fund members last year.
