GRANTMAKING  | girlsBEST Fund

History

In 2002, the Women's Foundation of Minnesota launched the girlsBEST (girls Building Economic Success Together) Fund, a grantmaking and public awareness program to build the economic power of girls, ages 10-18. In 2008, the girlsBEST Fund became the first permanently endowed fund of its kind at any women's fund in the world.

Grantmaking

Grants go to girl-driven programs that have the support and involvement of women, mentors, community organizations, schools and other organizations serving women and girls. Priority is given to underrepresented and underserved girls and communities across the state, including low-income girls, girls of color, and girls from Greater Minnesota.

girlsBEST Fund grantees demonstrate a strong focus on girls’ economic development and girls are involved in all aspects of the program, including planning, implementation and evaluation.

girlsBEST Fund grantees' programming falls in one of five program tracks: academics, entrepreneurial, employment development & high-paying/high-skill careers, public education & advocacy, or sports & arts.

Today

Our girlsBEST grantees knock down roadblocks to girls' future economic success, like low wages and job discrimination, sexist academic and career tracking by schools, poor body image and self-esteem, teen pregnancy, lack of leadership and athletic opportunities, and violence against girls.

The girlsBEST Fund has shown time and again that when girls define their priorities and create change in their own lives, they expect more from themselves now, and later, as adults.

Evaluation

After 10 years of girlsBEST Fund grantmaking, we know girlsBEST Fund model programming is effective.

Take these three key findings from the latest independant program evaluation of the girlsBEST Fund (2007-2010):

1. High School Graduation: girlsBEST participants have a solid 95% high school graduation rate, compared to 65-93% for girls of similar ethnicity statewide.
   
   
2. Post-Secondary Enrollment: Rates of post-secondary enrollment for girls in girlsBEST programs was 86%, far exceeding post-secondary enrollment rates for girls of similar ethnicity statewide of 34-54%.
   
   
3. Teen Pregnancy: The teen pregnancy rate among girlsBEST participants was 8 per 1,000, significantly lower than statewide pregnancy rates for girls of similar ethnicity at 32-132 per 1,000. Plus, teen pregnancy among girlsBEST girls is lower than the rate of teen pregnancy for white girls, who typically have the lowest rate in the state.

Strong Futures

girlsBEST girls represent hope for tomorrow. And at the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, we know it will be the next generation of social changemakers -- like the girlsBEST girls -- that will ultimately make sexism, racism and poverty in Minnesota history.

GRANT SEEKERS >> No open grant rounds at this time.

Grantees:

2011

2010

2008

2007

2006