Funding Opportunities

Community Response Fund

Through the Community Response Fund, the Women’s Foundation responds quickly with grants to organizations and programs that ensure women’s safe and healthy lives. Applications are invitation only. For more information and eligibility, please contact Erika or LaCora through their community office hour times: Schedule a 1:1 Connect Meeting.

Fund for Safety

The Fund for Safety resources innovation to end gender-based violence, a continuum that includes sex trafficking, domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. For more information about this program, view the informational webinar or contact Erika Idrovo-Cuesta at erika@wfmn.org or 612-236-1814.

girlsBEST (Building Economic Success Together)

Since 2002, girlsBEST has supported girl-led programs in Minnesota that increase the readiness of girls (ages 12-18) to achieve economic well-being. For more information about this program, contact Erika Idrovo-Cuesta at erika@wfmn.org or 612-236-1814.

Holistic Well-being & Reproductive Justice

WFM is making $50,000 grants through the Reproductive Freedom Fund to invest in programs that increase access and expand reproductive justice, which includes the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities, in addition to work that advances systems change for reproductive justice as it intersects with race. As part of each grant, $10,000 will be dedicated to supporting staff wellness and development. Grants will be announced in late February 2025.

Ripley Memorial Foundation

The mission of the Ripley Memorial Foundation is to honor the legacy of Dr. Martha Ripley by funding programs that foster and enhance the health and well-being of women. Our funding focus is programming that promotes access to women’s health education and services built on cultural and community strengths. For more information about this program, contact Erika Idrovo-Cuesta at erika@wfmn.org or 612-236-1814.

We Thrive

Through We Thrive, the Women’s Foundation funds schools and education programs that teach workforce development, and entrepreneurship as pathways to wealth-building for low-income women, Black, Indigenous, and women of color, and women and gender-expansive people in greater Minnesota. With community investments, We Thrive will increase access to education in high-wage jobs with benefits and support pathways to entrepreneurship. For more information about this program, contact Erika Idrovo-Cuesta at erika@wfmn.org or 612-236-1814.

Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota

With the close of the first phase of Young Women’s Initiative programming (2016-2023), WFM is transitioning our grantmaking to Investing in the Field organizations to create additional cohort opportunities for the Young Women’s Cabinet in Greater Minnesota.

The Young Women’s Cabinet is appointed by the Office of the Governor and Lt. Governor and is open to young women and gender-expansive leaders (ages 16-24) from eight Minnesota communities. The Innovators program provides direct investments to young leaders (ages 16-24) and supports their projects and professional development with in-person convenings. For questions about these programs, contact Janet Jimenez at janett@wfmn.org or 612-236-1825.