Many social and economic barriers hold back Mississippi women every day, limiting their opportunities to succeed. Our mission is to help them thrive. Because when women thrive, so does our state. That’s why we award grants to programs that drive social change – like helping mothers graduate on time, increasing women’s access to career development opportunities, or improving access to evidenced-based sex education to help young women make informed decisions about their health.
Since 2003, we have invested more than $4 million toward our mission and have sparked real change for Mississippi women in communities across the state. The Foundation works toward social change in Mississippi by advocating, supporting inclusiveness, and promoting accountability and sustainability in all of our work. These values extend to our grantmaking.
To ensure that our grant funds are allocated in a way that maximizes support for women and girls in Mississippi, and to ensure that we are addressing key community needs, we implement a streamlined, yet thorough grant process. This process includes:
Thorough vetting – Our application, follow-up, and reporting processes ensure that we develop partnerships with trusted grantee organizations that share our mission to improve outcomes for Mississippi women. These processes also help us measure the impact of grant support and let us know what’s working.
Inclusion – We help identify organizations working with underrepresented populations and invite them to apply for grants.
Collaboration – Collaboration is at the heart of a Women’s Foundation grant. Our grants are an invitation into a circle of organizations working together, sharing best practices, and moving the needle for women and girls across the state.
Capacity Building – We help organizations develop the capacity needed to raise sustainable funds, connect to supporters, and continue to make a positive impact in Mississippi. As a result, our capacity-building helps create stronger organizations across the state, empowered to create change in the years to come.
With a deep well of staff experience working in this sector and a committed board at the forefront of trends affecting the state, we’re an effective channel for funders looking to make a difference for women and girls in Mississippi.
