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Women's Funding Alliance

Justice, health and opportunity for women and girls.

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2011 Economic Opportunity Grants

Economic Opportunity Grants address key issues impacting economic opportunity for women and girls in the Puget Sound region as identified through the Women's Funding Alliance's study, A Closer Look. Our intent is to invest at least half of our granting into efforts that increase the overall economic well-being of low-income and underemployed women and girls in the Puget Sound region, particularly single heads of households and females from marginalized communities.

Grants range in amount and focus specifically on:

  • Creating better jobs (up to $25,000)
  • Increasing financial literacy and assets of women (up to $25,000)
  • Business ownership and development (up to $25,000)
  • Policy development (up to $25,000)
  • Other work creating economic opportunity for women (up to $10,000)

  • Apprenticeship & Nontraditional Employment for Women (ANEW), $25,000: Grant supports efforts to increase the number of representatives in the skilled trades profession who receive gender-focused diversity training and retention of women who have been placed in apprenticeships and employment. Project goals include developing a train-the-trainer model for the diversity training and holding a leadership academy for women in the trades focused on safety, engagement, peer support, policy work and ambassadorship.
  • Economic Opportunity Institute, $25,000: Grant supports policy development to ensure paid sick days and family leave are in place for workers in Seattle and Tacoma. As part of this grant, more partners at the grassroots level will be in engaged in low-income and communities of color, and when an expected City of Seattle ordinance is passed an education campaign will be implemented to ensure workers know about these new benefits and protections.
  • Got Green, Women in the Green Economy, $10,000: Grant supports this project which aims to improve the economic status of low-income families by prioritizing the perspectives of low-income women and women of color in development of green jobs and products. Women from these communities will be engaged in these efforts through outreach, education and leadership development.
  • Jubilee Women’s Center, $10,000: Grant provides operating support for this transitional housing facility which provides personalized, holistic services to its residents, including a particular focus on safety and self-empowerment. Additionally, there will be new focus on these women developing their leadership to engage in advocacy around the issues they face.
  • Latinos for Community Transformation, $15,000: Grants will build upon a pilot group started last year, the Economic Development Action Group, which increases the financial literacy and income of Latina women. Through partnership with Highline Community College, this group will work to increase membership and move members’ businesses from informal to structured, successful small businesses.
  • Legal Voice, $25,000: Grant supports policy development through the Economic Justice Program focused on women’s rights in the workplaces. Efforts will focus on increasing awareness of employment rights among women, parents and advocates, and policy development around issues related to paid sick, family leave and safe days, as well as unemployment insurance reform and new protections for violence survivors.
  • Northwest Health Law Advocates, $25,000: Grant supports efforts to ensure the voices and needs of women, low-income women in particular, are reflected in healthcare policy reform. Women will be engaged through surveys and focus groups to help advocate for healthcare that is affordable, accessible and representative of their needs.
  • Open Arms Perinatal Services, $10,000: Grant supports efforts to increase the health of families by making doula care accessible to low-income women and families; including birthing support, early parent coaching and supporting self-advocacy of clients. Particular focus is on the doula outreach program which aims to increase the economic security of low-income women by training and certifying them to become doulas and provide these services.
  • Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights, $15,000: Grant supports work to ensure that policy changes to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and WorkFirst result in better serving low-income women and children. As TANF goes up for reauthorization in 2011, low-income women will be engaged to help reframe the discussion to by telling their stories in effort to ensure past ground is not lost and advances are made.
  • Statewide Poverty Action Network, $25,000: Grant supports efforts to advance policy development focused on preserving funding for TANF and Working Connections childcare. Additionally, funds are being used to ensure the perspectives and needs of low-income women are prioritized in the redesign of WorkFirst.
  • Tierra Madre Fund, $10,000: Grant helps fund a pilot project which aims to increase the participation and leadership of Native women in defining and developing their participation in the green economy. Specifically, the efforts will focus on increasing knowledge, training and economic assets of Native women related to green jobs.
  • Washington Community Alliance for Self Help (WA CASH), $25,000: Grant provides operating support for this program which is tailored to helping low-income women become bankable, grow their assets and develop their own businesses. Specifically, funds will help support 80 women in creating or expanding businesses and 100 in increasing access to bankability and credit.