IF: Womxn and Girls Grant

IF: Womxn and Girls Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Island Foundation
Last Updated: January 17, 2026

Summary

The Island Foundation's Womxn and Girls Grant aims to support organizations that address the root causes of inequality for womxn and girls in the U.S. By focusing on innovative, community-driven solutions, the Foundation seeks to empower womxn and girls of color through initiatives that enhance access to healthcare, economic security, and political representation. With a commitment to systemic change, this grant fosters intergenerational collaborations and prioritizes sustainable organizations working towards gender equity.

Overview

NOTE: To determine if your request could be considered for funding by the Foundation, you may either call or write to the Foundation to discuss your project idea or renewal request and to obtain an application form access code. About the Island Foundation The Island Foundation was founded in 1979 by W. Van Alan Clark, Jr. and Mary H. Clark. They envisioned a family foundation that was capable not only of reacting to the needs of the community, but also providing leadership grants and taking chances other foundations might be unwilling to consider. Van Clark believed in solutions. He believed that the world could be managed for the better. He believed that bright people, dedicated to a common goal would inevitably achieve that goal. He was an activist who was willing to, in his own words, “Step up to the plate and make a good cut at the ball.” A restless and imaginative man, he fought for better outcomes in all of his endeavors. Over the years, the Island Foundation has alternately talked and listened, but always with the goal of motivating action and creative solutions. There is a challenge embedded in every opportunity. Grantmaking Priorities The Foundation supports projects in coastal areas of Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island and selected international locations. For the last two decades, the Foundation has focused a significant portion of its financial resources on Southeastern Massachusetts, where its office is located. Here the Board seeks to understand how communities grow sustainably and equitably, how to increase educational opportunities, how rural and urban economies are intertwined, and how to best protect working landscapes and the people who rely upon these areas for their livelihoods. In funding in a few specific areas, the Board believes it will have the most impact. Womxn and Girls Grant The Island Foundation works with organizations addressing root causes of inequality for womxn and girls in the United States. The Foundation works to strengthen and support the work of womxn- and girls-led and focused organizations across sectors and funding interests, particularly for womxn and girls of color. The Foundation supports intergenerational collaborations and organizations at the forefront of innovation and systems change for gender equity and inclusion.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The Island Foundation supports 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The Board funds some groups outside of these areas when their programs relate to work the Foundation is supporting within its programmatic and geographic priority areas. On a case-by-case basis, the Foundation provides funding to groups without nonprofit status that use a fiscal sponsor.The Island Foundation accepts both general operating and project-focused grant requests and occasionally makes multi- year grant commitments to organizations it has supported for many years.On the path to equality, the Foundation currently seeks proposals for initiatives that:Ensure access to healthcare, including but not limited to prenatal and menstrual care,Establish economic security, stability, and mobility within the context of class, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation,Promote mechanisms that give and amplify womxn and girls’ voices in politics and government institutions,Provide safe spaces, legal assistance, and trauma healing services,Uplift womxn and girls’ access to participate in and lead the social and economic life of their community.

Ineligibility

The Foundation does not support proposals outside its priority areas (issue and/or geographic) or requests from individuals, for-profit businesses, or religious groups.