CFW's Rapid Response Fund Grant

The Chicago Foundation for Women's Rapid Response Fund is dedicated to supporting grassroots organizations that advocate for women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals, particularly in light of increasing societal challenges. With a focus on economic security, freedom from violence, access to healthcare, and reproductive justice, this fund aims to provide essential resources during times of crisis. Grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 will assist community-led initiatives, ensuring that voices of marginalized groups are prioritized and their needs addressed.

Chicago Foundation for Women's Rapid Response Fund
Chicago Foundation for Women is a community foundation that has existed for nearly 40 years focused on achieving gender equity, justice, and opportunity for women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals across the Chicagoland area. In its nearly 40-year history, it continues to provide funding for non-profit organizations addressing systemic inequities in its areas of focus: economic security, freedom from violence, access to healthcare, and reproductive justice. CFW believes that when women and girls are secure, whole communities are made better.
Rapid Response Fund Purpose/Approach
Community members fear the whittling away of reproductive health access, the dismantling of LGBTQ protections, and attacks on people of color and immigrant communities. As with the pandemic, community organizations and leaders understand how the changing political climate impacts the community. These leaders will need resources and support to respond.
CFW's Rapid Response Fund was created to support these leaders. This funding opportunity, like our COVID Response Fund, will provide grants for grassroots organizations adapting and responding to the changing environment, protecting and defending our fundamental rights.
Guidelines/Priority Activities
The Rapid Response Fund grants are intended to support grassroots, community solutions and approaches through a variety of advocacy strategies that will protect women, girls and gender expansive people and their families and advance policies and interventions that center communities during this time of uncertainty and attacks against fundamental rights.
The grant will support the unexpected or unbudgeted costs associated with community work and advocacy during a time of crisis and unpredictable change.
Chicago Foundation for Women seeks to leverage this moment to support on-the-ground creative approaches to engage more people. It will support non-partisan activities and efforts in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Process and Eligibility
The Fund of $100,000 will award short-term, one-time advocacy grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to groups, agencies, and organizations with a valid 501(c)3 designation or which have a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor.

Eligibility

Applicants are not required to have been previously funded by CFW.Eligible organizations must: Be a 501c3 or have a fiscal agent with a 501c3Operate in the Chicagoland areaIncludes city and collar counties and in some cases statewideHave an organizational budget under $4MAlign with CFW’s requirements for board and staff leadership demographicsGender and Racial Equity Diversity Guidelines: At least:50% of Staff Leadership identify as a woman, transgender or gender non-binary person40% of Board Members identify as a woman, transgender or gender non-binary person33% of Staff Leadership identify as a person of color25% of Board Members identify as a person of colorBe able to affirm CFW’s Guiding PrinciplesGender lensReproductive JusticeDiversityGender Equity
Funds can be used for unforeseen challenges to cover program expenses and/or operational capacity to support activities that include, but are not limited to:Constituency organizing and mobilizationForming and sustaining coalitions Leadership development and trainingPublic educationLitigationResearchPolicy development and advocacy