The Women’s and Girls’ Fund, a leadership initiative of Kern Community Foundation, has announced its Grant Cycle for 2025-2026. This grant program is aligned with the foundation's mission to transform the lives of women and girls in Kern County by mobilizing the power and passion of women working together. The foundation seeks to address issues pertaining to educational attainment, which is its focus for 2021-2025 grants.
The target beneficiaries are women and girls in Kern County. The program's impact goals and expected outcomes are categorized by educational levels. For Grades K-8, the goals include increasing the percentage of girls scoring "advance/proficient" on the California Standardized Test or equivalent, increasing literacy for all learners including English learners, and encouraging interest in STEM fields. For Grades 9-12, the aims are to increase "advance/proficient" scores on standardized tests, decrease the need for college remediation in math, English, and reading, improve success in A-G course requirements, increase high school graduation rates, enhance literacy for English learners, provide vocational training for living-wage occupations, and offer opportunities in STEM fields. For post-high school/adult education, the objectives are to increase college graduation rates, provide opportunities in STEM fields, offer vocational training for living-wage occupations, and increase literacy.
The Women’s and Girls’ Fund prioritizes requests that are specifically designed to increase passion and enthusiasm for learning while addressing these educational attainment issues. The foundation's strategic priorities and theory of change are rooted in the belief that by investing in education for women and girls, they can create lasting social change and improve the overall well-being of the community. The measurable results are clearly defined by the percentage increases in test scores, graduation rates, and participation in specific educational pathways.
Approximately $100,000 is available for competitive grant allocations in this 17th cycle, with a maximum individual award of $25,000, typically for one year. Eligibility requires organizations to have a 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation or fiscal agent, be registered with the Kern Community Foundation, have a presence in Kern County, and all programs must specifically benefit women or girls within Kern County. The fund does not provide grants for individuals, political campaigns, one-time events, capital fund drives, or religious causes (though faith-based organizations doing social change work are eligible).
