Ripley Memorial Foundation Awards $80,000 in Grants 

The Ripley Memorial Foundation, a donor advised fund at the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, has awarded $80,000 to four organizations. Funding focuses on programming that promotes access to women’s health education and services built on cultural and community strengths. The Ripley Memorial Foundation honors the legacy of Dr. Martha Ripley by funding programs that foster and enhance the health and well-being of women.

This year, the Ripley Memorial Foundation is renewing funding to current grantees to support additional capacity in response to changes in federal funding, which have created ambiguity and uncertainty for organizations.

In this environment, organizations are focused on sustaining their operational capacity and securing the necessary resources to support the communities they serve. Communities recognize the value these organizations provide in navigating complex issues like sexuality and health. The long-term benefits of programs to reduce teen pregnancy rates and foster healthier relationships are increasingly evident as organizations report seeing increased inquiries from parents seeking programs for their children. Continued support has led to measurable changes in the communities served.

Congratulations to these grantees:

Centro Tyrone Guzman (CTG) (Minneapolis) | $20,000 — To continue connecting low-income Latine girls, women, and gender-expansive individuals to high-quality, culturally responsive sexual health education and support within an intergenerational context through the Raíces program. CTG is the oldest Minneapolis-based multi-service Latine organization, committed to the well-being of Latine families through a holistic and intergenerational approach to education, health, and wellness, serving approximately 2,500 individuals annually, from infants to elders.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (St. Paul) | $20,000 — To continue supporting the Seeing and Exploring Life’s Future (SELF)/Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) prevention program, which has reached 118 youth with disability-specific programming and 216 youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) across all programming.

Minnesota African Women’s Association (MAWA) (Brooklyn Center) | $20,000 — To continue supporting the sexual health education programs to prevent teen pregnancy among pan-African girls by providing culturally responsive and effective reproductive health services. MAWA’s mission is to promote the health and well-being of African refugee and immigrant women and their families through research, education, advocacy, and cultural and gender-specific programming.

Our Justice (Minneapolis) | $20,000 — To continue providing vital services such as abortion assistance funds, lodging support, free Plan B, or information about medical care, insurance coverage, and other reproductive care resources. Our Justice is a Minnesota-based reproductive justice organization and abortion fund with a mission to ensure that all people and communities have the power and resources to make sexual and reproductive health decisions with self-determination.

Learn more: wfmn.org/funds/ripley-memorial-fund