Women United in Philanthropy Grant

Overview

About Women United in Philanthropy

Women United in Philanthropy (WUIP) is New Jersey’s first women’s giving circle. Since 2004, we have awarded $1,220,000 in grant funds to programs that address chronic problems impacting women and families in Bergen County, NJ. In 2021, Women United in Philanthropy joined forces with The Foundation of Northern New Jersey, to expand our mission to provide needed funding to essential programs that empower women and their families.

Grants awarded by WUIP are unique because they consist of funds exclusively contributed by our members. By pooling our philanthropy, we are able to collectively make a larger impact on the lives of women. Our members vote annually to award funds to an innovative project in Bergen County, NJ, that helps women become economically strong and independent.

Funding Availability

For the current grants cycle,  Women United in Philanthropy will vote to award one grant of between $35,000 to $45,000 to fund the creation or expansion of an innovative program serving the needs of women in Bergen County, NJ. We encourage innovative projects aimed at preventing women and their children from slipping into poverty, with a focus on health & wellness, career advancement, safe & affordable housing, food security, and child care.

WUIP Areas of Funding Focus

Women United in Philanthropy grants help to address the chronic problems impacting women (including girls ages 15 and over) and their children in Bergen County, NJ. The following describes the Circle’s current funding interests.

The following descriptions explain the Circle’s current year funding interests. In each area, the examples given are not exclusive:

* Health & Wellness – Addressing the health and wellness needs of women, including physical and mental illness, improving support systems, providing access to affordable care, and addressing threats to safety such as domestic violence. .

* Career Advancement, Job Training & Placement–Advancing women’s education and careers to help them earn a living wage and improve their financial situation. Strategies include job training and placement, expanding educational opportunities, helping women to seek and retain employment, and creating career pathways and support systems.

* Safe & Affordable Housing – Securing permanent affordable housing and sheltering displaced women and their children. This includes services that address the unique housing needs of women who are elderly, survivors of trafficking, refugees, leaving prison, or in other situations that negatively impact their housing stability.

* Food Security – Fighting hunger and food insecurity by providing women and their children with reliable access to nutritious and affordable food. This also includes solutions that promote self-sufficiency and address the factors that limit access to adequate food resources.

* Child Care – Providing reliable and affordable childcare options to enable women’s workforce participation. This also includes programs that assist mothers in balancing the demands of caring for children and pursuing their career and reduce the burden of rising childcare costs.

* Emerging Needs - Addressing budding women’s issues and areas of emergency need for women in Bergen County. This includes programs that tackle threats to women’s advancement, financial security, rights, and ability to thrive.

Eligibility

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Application Details

2025 GRANT GUIDELINES
About Women United in Philanthropy
Women United in Philanthropy (WUIP) is New Jersey’s first women’s giving
circle. Since 2004, we have awarded $1,260,000 in grant funds to programs
that address chronic problems impacting women and families in Bergen
County, NJ. In 2021, Women United in Philanthropy joined forces with
Women’s Foundation of New Jersey (WFNJ). This merge has expanded our
mission to provide needed funding to essential programs that empower
women and their families.
Grants awarded by the Women United in Philanthropy giving circle are unique
because they consist of funds exclusively contributed by our members. By
pooling our philanthropy, we are able to collectively make a larger impact on
the lives of women. Our members vote annually to award funds to an
innovative project in Bergen County, NJ, that helps women become
economically strong and independent.
2025 Funding Availability
For 2025, Women United in Philanthropy will vote to award one grant of
between $35,000 to $40,000 to fund the creation or expansion of an
innovative program serving the needs of women in Bergen County, NJ. We
encourage innovative projects aimed at preventing women and their
children from slipping into poverty, with a focus on health & wellness, career
advancement, safe & affordable housing, food security, and child care.
Grant Cycle Timeline
Grant Cycle Opens: December 10, 2024
Proposal deadline: January 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM
If invited, full application deadline: March 7, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Site Visits: April 2-11, 2025
Award Decision: May 2025

AREAS OF FUNDING FOCUS
Women United in Philanthropy grants help to address the chronic problems
impacting women (including girls ages 15 and over) and their children in Bergen
County, NJ. The following describes the Circle’s 2024 funding interests.
Health & Wellness
Addressing the health and wellness needs of women, including
physical and mental illness, improving support systems, providing
access to affordable care, and addressing threats to safety such
as domestic violence.
Career Advancement
Advancing women’s education and careers to help them earn a
living wage and improve their financial situation. Strategies
include job training and placement, expanding educational
opportunities, helping women to seek and retain employment,
and creating career pathways and support systems.
Safe & Affordable Housing
Securing permanent affordable housing and sheltering displaced
women and their children. This includes services that address the
health & Wellness
unique housing needs of women who are elderly, survivors of
trafficking, refugees, leaving prison, or in other situations that
negatively impact their housing stability.
Food Security
Fighting hunger and food insecurity by providing women and
their children with reliable access to nutritious and affordable
food. This also includes solutions that promote self-sufficiency
and address the factors that limit access to adequate food
resources.

Child Care
Providing reliable and affordable childcare options to enable
women’s workforce participation. This also includes programs
that assist mothers in balancing the demands of caring for
children and pursuing their career and reducing the burden of
rising childcare costs.
Emerging Needs
Addressing budding women’s issues and areas of emergency
need for women in Bergen County. This includes programs that
tackle threats to women’s advancement, financial security,
rights, and ability to thrive.
ELIGIBILITY
Organizations must meet the following criteria to be eligible to apply.
Organizations should serve women living in Bergen County, New Jersey.
Requests will only be considered from nonprofit organizations certified
as tax exempt under Sections 501(c)(3) or 170(c) of the Internal
Revenue Code and are not classified as a private foundation under
Section 509(a). Hospitals, churches, educational institutions meeting
these requirements are eligible to apply. Organizations that have
completed and filed Form 1023 but have not yet received a
determination letter from the IRS are not eligible to apply.
Funding requests should support the creation or expansion of a new
program or new innovations in an existing program. Allowable expenses
include administrative costs and salaries, program expenses, or capital
requests.

ELIGIBILITY
As a general practice, we do not provide funding for:
Annual funds, galas, or other special-event fundraising activities;
Capital campaigns;
Debt reduction;
Dissertations or student research projects;
Loans, scholarships, fellowships, or grants to individuals
Sectarian religious activities, political lobbying, or legislative activities;
Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, creed, or sexual
orientation in policy or in practice.
Please also note that:
Preference will be given to those proposals that leverage grant funds by
expanding an organization's ability to secure itself, its programs, and its
funding.
Collaborative proposals that help to strengthen organizations, such as
joint staffing, advocacy, shared space, fundraising expertise, etc., will
also be given favorable consideration.
Organizations may only submit one proposal per year.
All applicants should request the full award amount.
Agencies may request funding be paid out in increments over a one- or
two-year period to ensure sustained program funding for multi-year
programs.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Step 1: Initial Proposal Submission (Deadline: January 17, 2025)
All interested applicants are invited to submit an initial proposal using
the provided template. Once finished, please save the document as a
PDF and email it to patricia@womensfoundationnj.org. Please note that
hard copies will not be accepted. Initial proposals must be submitted by
11:59 PM on January 17, 2025.
The Grants Committee will thoroughly review all proposals submitted
by the deadline. If your agency’s proposal is selected to move forward,
you will receive a copy of the full application by early February.
Step 2: Full Application Submission (Deadline: March 7, 2025)
Invited applicants must complete the full application and submit it by
March 7, 2025 at 11:59 PM. Ensure all necessary documentation is
included with your submission.
Step 3: Site Visit (April 2025)
If your application advances to the finalist stage, a member of our
Grants Committee will contact you to arrange a site visit. During the
visit, committee members will discuss your proposed program in detail
and request any necessary clarifications.
Step 4: Member Vote and Grant Award (May 2025)
Finalist’s proposals will be shared with the full membership. Finalists
may have the opportunity to present to WUIP members in advance of
the member’s vote in May 2025. By a vote of the membership, WUIP will
award one grant, estimated at $40,000 to one applicant.
Questions and Clarifications
If you have questions about the application process or eligibility
requirements, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Administrator,
Patricia Klecanda, at patricia@womensfoundationnj.org.