CFSW The Women’s Fund Grant

CFSW The Women’s Fund Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin
Amount: US $500 - US $10,000
Last Updated: September 09, 2025

Summary

CFSW The Women’s Fund, part of the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, is dedicated to enhancing the lives of women and girls in Rock County through permanent endowment funding. The Fund supports non-profit organizations addressing crucial mental health needs, such as anxiety and depression, while encouraging community involvement. By fostering leadership opportunities for donors and reflecting diverse perspectives, the Women’s Fund aims to empower women, ultimately benefiting the entire community and breaking the cycle of poverty.

Overview

What We Do The Community Foundation is a repository for more than 700 charitable funds worth more than $50 million. Each of these funds was created by donors to enhance the quality of life in Southern Wisconsin. We service these funds by managing the investment, encouraging and supporting additions, overseeing the disbursement of grants and scholarships, and managing the requisite government paperwork. The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin serves communities in nine Southern Wisconsin counties: Crawford, Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, and Walworth. We provide services to donors, non-profit organizations, and students in each of these counties. CFSW The Women’s Fund Our Mission To provide a permanently endowed funding source to non-profit agencies serving the needs of women and girls in Rock County.To provide hands-on grant-making and leadership experiences through volunteer opportunities for Fund donors. The Women’s Fund seeks to reflect the population it serves in its make-up of donors and volunteers. Donors who wish to participate in activities will be encouraged to do so regardless of their political views, sexual orientation, race, age, economic status, political or religious views. How does the Women’s Fund work?The Women’s Fund is a component of the Community Foundation. The Advisory Board is comprised of community volunteers and Community Foundation staff. The Advisory Board raises money for the endowment as well as recommends grants from the Women’s Fund in support of priorities they set related to the current needs of women and girls in Rock County Wisconsin. Are you interested in serving on the Advisory Board? Call Deedra Williams, (608) 758-0883. In 2007, a Task Force of the Women’s Fund developed the Status of Women in Rock County report to include basic demographics, employment and earnings, social and economic autonomy, health and wellbeing. Why women and girls? Why not a fund for women and children? Or women and families? Forty years of research shows that social investments in women reduce poverty, raise productivity and accelerate economic growth. Encouraging women to build on their strengths increases self-worth. In addition, a higher level of self-esteem is passed along to future generations. Investing in girls yields even higher returns in terms of the effect on women’s wages, the decisions better educated women make about having children, and their capacity to raise healthy, educated children who go on to make good wages, choose smaller family size and invest in their own children. Support for women and girls ultimately benefits men and boys, too. By strengthening and enabling women, we can break the cycle of poverty in our community.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. 501(c)(3) charitable Rock County organizations and municipalities offering projects or programs that serve the mental health needs of women and girls. Services and programs eligible for grant funding may include but are not limited to depression, anxiety, caregiver stress, addictions, work/family stress, isolation, and human trafficking.