Rapid Response General Operating Fund

The 2025 Rapid Response General Operating Fund (RRGOF) is a pooled funding initiative managed by WOMEN'S WAY, a philanthropic organization committed to supporting gender equity and social justice. This fund builds upon WOMEN’S WAY’s legacy of rapid response grantmaking, notably its Immediate Response Action Fund (IRAF), which launched in 2017 to support organizations addressing urgent, unanticipated challenges. Through IRAF, the organization has awarded over $610,000 to 67 grantees, benefiting more than 202,000 women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals. The 2025 RRGOF was created to offer unrestricted general operating support of up to $10,000 to organizations most affected by current socio-political challenges. The fund prioritized groups serving disproportionately impacted communities, including immigrants and refugees, LGBTQIA+ individuals, BIPOC communities, low-income populations, and those seeking reproductive health care. Additionally, it focused on organizations facing projected funding decreases. The first round of the fund, launched in Spring 2025, distributed $160,000 across 16 organizations, reaching over 90,000 people. The selected grantees were primarily led by women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ individuals, and the majority operated on modest budgets under $1 million. Eligibility requirements for this fund included having at least two years of consistent operations, a mission centered on serving women, girls, and/or trans or gender non-conforming individuals, and an operational presence in one of eight counties: Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, Delaware, Gloucester, Burlington, or Camden. Applicants also needed to be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) or have a fiscal sponsor, and affirm alignment with WOMEN’S WAY’s policy positions, particularly around reproductive health access. The fund aimed to support programming in reproductive justice and sexual health, safety against gender-based violence, and economic self-sufficiency and justice. Applications were accepted on a rolling basis until the fund paused due to high demand. The process was designed for expediency, with decisions issued within 10 business days of submission. This structure aligned with WOMEN’S WAY’s ethos of removing barriers and responding rapidly to community needs. The application required demonstrating how general operating support would impact both organizational and programmatic capacity. The fund was made possible through contributions from philanthropic partners including the Patricia Kind Family Foundation, Philadelphia Kids in Care, an anonymous foundation, and individual donors, along with internal funding from WOMEN’S WAY. The organization encouraged additional investment to expand the initiative, calling on donors and aligned institutions to help sustain and grow the fund’s impact. Given the fund's success and prior history of recurring rapid response efforts, a future funding cycle may be anticipated. However, as of the most recent update, the application window is closed. Interested parties and prospective applicants are encouraged to stay engaged with WOMEN’S WAY or contact the organization directly for updates or future opportunities.

Priority given to organizations serving disproportionately impacted communities or anticipating funding cuts.