The Women's Fund of Central Ohio Grants

The Women's Fund of Central Ohio supports organizations that empower women and girls through various initiatives, including civic engagement, health education, leadership development, and economic security. By prioritizing trust-based and participatory grantmaking, the Fund aims to dismantle gender norms and promote equitable solutions. Grants are awarded annually to innovative programs focused on these areas, ensuring that the voices of those most affected by systemic inequity are elevated and heard.

Civic Engagement And Movement Building
Women deserve equal political access, and their voices are crucial to moving society forward. We fund organizations that give women and girls the tools to influence policy and advocate for change, including programs that support women running for office.
Health And Health Education
Access to comprehensive, medically accurate healthcare is at the foundation of a woman’s ability to be economically secure. We fund organizations that expand access to contraception, provide medically accurate sex education, and deliver programming and services that help women understand and maintain autonomy over their own bodies.
Leadership And Empowerment
Women and girls already have what they need to become leaders. We fund organizations that help women and girls embrace their leadership potential and show up authentically as themselves. We also fund organizations that provide mentorship and community for women and girls, especially women and girls of color.
Social Safety Net And Care Economy
Research shows that access to childcare, paid leave, and other social safety net benefits significantly impact a woman’s ability to build wealth. We invest in organizations that are working on long-term solutions to these pressing issues so that women can lead economically secure lives.
Wealth Building And Career Advancement
A woman’s career and income are two of the biggest factors that contribute to her ability to build wealth. We fund organizations that offer unique solutions to closing the gender pay gap and help women succeed in their careers.
Our Commitment To Trust-based And Participatory Grantmaking
At The Women’s Fund, we incorporate practices from both trust-based philanthropy and participatory grantmaking frameworks to make our process as equitable and effective as possible.
Trust-based philanthropy is a grantmaking framework that puts community needs and expertise first. It means actively pursuing equity and anti-racism, listening to grant partners, and reducing barriers to funding.
Participatory grantmaking is another framework that focuses on decentralizing philanthropic decision making. Those most impacted by systemic inequity are best equipped to create solutions. By elevating their voices, stronger and more equitable funding decisions are made.
Our Theory Of Change
Gender inequity is driven by rigid gender norms.
Gender norms are the implicit or explicit rules and expectations that society places on individuals. These rules dictate how people should act, dress, speak, and show up in the world. The intersection of gender norms and implicit bias often leads to gender discrimination, which is even more harmful when it intersects with other systems of oppression like racism.
When we review grant applications, we look for programs that disrupt gender norms and use an intersectional gender lens in their work.
Annual Grantmaking
Every year, The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio makes grants to innovative programs that focus on economic empowerment and leadership for women and girls.

Eligibility

In order to receive a grant from The Women’s Fund, an organization must:Be a 501(c)(3) organization or have a fiscal agent
Serve women and girls in one or more Central Ohio counties (Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union)

Ineligibility

Funds cannot be used for:

• Organizations that are not welcoming and inclusive of LGBTQIA+ individuals
• Organizations that restrict reproductive rights
• Programs that promote religious beliefs and activities
• Political campaigns or promotion of candidates for public office
• Advancement of capital or endowment campaigns
• Event sponsorship
• Scholarships for individuals
• Co-educational programs that do not specifically focus on women and girls