Women and Girls in Wisconsin

The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin is accepting applications for its Women’s Fund, a component fund managed by an Advisory Board of community volunteers and staff. The fund's mission aligns with the Foundation's broader goals by providing a permanently endowed funding source to non-profit agencies serving the needs of women and girls in Rock County, while also offering hands-on grant-making and leadership experiences for Fund donors. This initiative directly supports the Foundation's strategic priorities by empowering women and girls and fostering community engagement in philanthropic efforts. The primary beneficiaries of this grant program are women and girls in Rock County, Wisconsin, particularly those facing mental health challenges. The fund aims to address needs such as depression, anxiety, caregiver stress, addictions, work/family stress, isolation, and human trafficking. The impact goals are to improve the mental well-being of this target population through both prevention and response programs. The Foundation's theory of change suggests that investing in girls yields higher returns, impacting women's wages, reproductive choices, and their capacity to raise healthy, educated children who will continue this positive cycle. The program prioritizes proposals from 501(c)(3) charitable Rock County organizations and municipalities. Eligible projects and programs must serve the mental health needs of women and girls, including a wide range of services and interventions. Specific focuses include training programs for targeted audiences, support groups, mentoring programs, and resource identification. The fund strongly encourages collaborations throughout Rock County, emphasizing a community-wide approach to addressing these critical needs. Requests from individuals are explicitly not eligible. Expected outcomes include improved mental health conditions for women and girls in Rock County, increased access to mental health services, and strengthened community resources to support these populations. While specific measurable results are not explicitly detailed in the provided text, the focus on various program types (prevention, response, training, support groups) suggests a commitment to measurable improvements in mental health indicators. The emphasis on community collaborations also implies an expected outcome of a more integrated and effective support system for women and girls in the region.