Women’s Foundation Awards $300,000 in girlsBEST Grants to Support Future Economic Prosperity

The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota has awarded 19 multi-year grants and two planning grants totaling $300,000 to nonprofit organizations through its girlsBEST (girls Building Economic Success Together) Fund. The grant period is June 15, 2017, to June 14, 2018. Multi-year grants will be renewed for up to three years, based on an annual grant review and approval of progress towards goals. Planning grants are limited to one year.

Launched in 2002, the girlsBEST Fund awards grants to programs that build the future economic success of Minnesota’s girls, ages 12-18. Priority is given to programs that include outreach to underserved, underrepresented populations of girls around the state, including low-income girls, girls of color, and girls from Greater Minnesota.

Multi-Year Grants:

Bagosendaan (Mahnomen) | $14,000 — To support Talking Circles in the White Earth area that will teach financial literacy through a book/learning materials business.

The Best Academy (Minneapolis) | $18,000 — To support SISTER Academy, an all-girls education and enrichment program for grades 5 – 8 designed to build, nurture, and strengthen academic, moral, and social development in preparation for a successful transition into high school, college, and career.

Centro Tyrone Guzman (Minneapolis) | $14,000 — To support Jóvenes Latinas al Poder, a Latina leadership training program to advocate for justice, inclusion, and equity in the Twin Cities.

Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio, Inc. (St. Paul) | $14,000 — To support Jóvenes en Acción – ¡YA! Program (Youth in Action), a holistic, culturally appropriate leadership development and college access preparation program.

Dakota Wicohan (Morton) | $14,000 — To support the year-round Dakota Youth Leadership Program, which connects Dakota youth to their community and helps prepare them to contribute academically, economically, socially, and culturally.

Girl Scouts – Dakota Horizons (Sioux Falls) | $18,000 — To support hands-on learning with a focus on life skills, STEM (science, technology, science, and engineering), the outdoors, and financial literacy.

HAP (St. Paul) | $14,000 — To support the needs of a new generation of Hmong girls and women with group mentoring, an internship program with stipends, financial literacy training, and career exploration.

Isuroon (Minneapolis) | $14,000 — To support culturally appropriate employment preparation, sexuality and AIDS education, mentoring, and academic achievement training for African immigrant girls that includes the involvement of family and other caring adults.

Kwanzaa Community Church, PCUSA (Minneapolis) | $18,000 — To support the 21st Century Academy, which provides quality learning and mentoring, developmentally appropriate activities, and leadership development for girls. The program will emphasize reading, writing, math, and technology.

The Link (Minneapolis) |$14,000 — To support the Career and Leadership Development Program to increase girls’ leadership skills, provide mentoring partnerships, and prepare youth for paid internship opportunities.

Men as Peacemakers (Duluth) | $18,000 — To support the Girls Restorative Program (GRP) in expanding leadership opportunities and skill building through education and career preparation.

Neighborhood House (St. Paul) | $14,000 — To support the Gang Reduction and Intervention Program (GRIP) and the Girls Realizing Our Worth 2.0 (GROW 2.0) group in preparing young women for economic readiness and financial stability through training in confidence, cultural awareness, critical thinking, and life skills.

OutFront Minnesota (Minneapolis) | $18,000 — To support a youth-led, statewide Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Network, which will support adult advisors of GSAs and LGBTQ youth; train and support Minnesota educators to create inclusive school environments; and advocate for public policies and practices that affirm and support LGBTQ students.

Peacemaker Resources (Bemidji) | $18,000 — To support the Girls Lead on the Go! program, which includes leadership development to build community and advocate for change.

Project FINE (Winona) | $14,000 — To support economic development and education for youth from refugee and immigrant families through the Girls Reaching Above and Beyond (GRAB) program.

Range Engineering Council (Hibbing) | $14,000 — To support #EngineerLikeAGirl, a girl-led, overnight awareness and mentorship program with a series of outreach events, including job shadowing and Engineering Mentor Night.

uCodeGirl (Fargo) | $14,000 — To support Crack the Code: Summer Technology Camp and Shape the Future: Inspire and Nurture Her. These programs will provide girls in Northeastern Minnesota with one-on-one mentoring and technology education from industry professionals.

United Community Action Partnership (Marshall) | $14,000 — To support Generation Next programs, with a focus on building the economic stability of girls through leadership, mentorship, skill-building, and financial literacy.

YWCA of Duluth (Duluth) | $14,000 — To support the Girl Power! program, which helps girls build self-esteem with the support of positive adult role models.

One-Year Planning Grants:

Hnub Tshiab: Hmong Women Achieving Together (St. Paul) | $5,000 — To support the Young Hmong Women’s Leadership Institute, where young women will create lasting cultural, institutional, and social change at multiple levels within their communities.

Project DIVA (Minneapolis) | $5,000 — To support The Academy programs, which will provide career exploration, self-discovery, multi-generational activities, and mentorship opportunities.