OPTIONS Application

Program Information

Women’s Fund of Central Indiana answers the call of community by investing in systems change, advocating for women’s rights, and building collective power for women and girls.

The OPTIONS program was designed to help participants get smart about critical issues impacting women and girls, and learn to use their work, wealth and wisdom to make ours a community where women and girls can thrive.

The 10-month program, featuring monthly two and a half hour sessions, includes guest speakers, field trips, community exploration and leadership development. Participants, age 25 and older, end the program with:

A better understanding of gender equity and intersections with race and other identities
A personal giving plan
Experience in group grantmaking
An understanding of how to better support women- and girl-serving not-for-profits as volunteers, donors and board members
An opportunity for deeper engagement with Women’s Fund

Eligibility to apply: Interested candidates must be 25 or older and identify as a woman or non-binary femme. The cost to participate in the program is $500. Part of that fee will go towards providing grants from the class to local women-and-girl-serving organizations.

All applicants are asked to commit to being curious, open-minded and interested in the following:
– supporting the mission of Women’s Fund, its commitment to gender equity and support for women and girls in all their intersected identities;
– exploring critical issues impacting women and girls in our community;
– creating a personal giving plan; and
– contributing to a robust sector of women-and-girl-serving organizations.

OPTIONS Class 25 will meet from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the exception of the Jan. class on the following dates:

Jan. 20 (12 p.m. – 5 p.m.)
Feb. 17
Mar. 24
Apr. 28
May 26
June 16
Aug. 18
Sep. 22
Oct. 27
Nov. 17

Attendance is mandatory for the first class of the year on Jan. 20. Missing more than one session will result in a class member’s participation being delayed to a future year.

Participants should be prompt and stay until the end of class. Women’s Fund will commit to always starting on time and ending on time.

All applicants will be notified by noon on Dec. 12 2025. Please do not call or email to check the status before that time.

Tell Us About Yourself

First Name *

Last Name *

Pronouns

Race: (Select all that apply)

Asian/Asian American

Black/African American

Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx

Middle Eastern/North African

Native American/American Indian/Alaska Native/Indigenous

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

White/Caucasian/European

Other race or ethnicity (please specify)Other race or ethnicity (please specify)

Prefer not to answer

Ethnicity:

Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latine

Non Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latine

Prefer not to answer

Do you identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community?

Yes

No

Prefer not to answer

Gender (select all that apply)

Cis Woman

Trans Woman

Non-binary/Non-conforming Person

Birthdate

We encourage applicants of all ages and life stages to apply. For this program, applicants must be 25 by Jan. 1, 2026.

Age as of 01/01/2026

Your Contact Information

Email *

Enter Email Address

Confirm Email *

Confirm Email Address

Phone Number *

Home Street Address *

City

County

Zip Code

Employment, Education, & Community Involvement

Current employment status. Please select all that apply.

Do you work full-time or part-time?

Full-Time

Part-Time

There are two options to include past employment history and education information. Upload a resume below or manually input your information.

Would you like to upload a resume or submit your information manually?

Upload resume

Enter information manually

Upload PDF of Your Resume

Maximum file size: 256MB

Only PDF resumes will be accepted by the system.

If you are manually entering information, please add the following:

Relevant history of employment
Employer Name
Job Title
Dates of Employment
Employer Street Address
City
Zip Code

Relevant community service
Organization name
Volunteer role
Dates of service

Education information
College, university or trade school
Graduation year
Degree, or certification
Graduate school information, if applicable

Enter relevant employment, education and community service information here:

0 of 500 max words

Please share your employment, volunteer, or community leadership experience. Include any educational background that has shaped your journey. We value both traditional and non-traditional paths of learning and leadership. (500 words)

0 of 500 max words

Your Commitment to Women and Girls in Central Indiana

Tell us why supporting women and girls in Central Indiana matters to you. Feel free to include personal experiences, community work, advocacy, or cultural perspectives that shape your commitment. *

0 of 250 max words

What are the most important issues facing women and girls today? Why do they matter to you? *

0 of 250 max words

In what ways do you currently use your time, skills, resources, or lived experiences to help make Central Indiana a better place for women and girls? *

0 of 250 max words

What draws you to the OPTIONS program, and what do you hope to gain or contribute through your participation? *

0 of 250 max words

How might your background, identity, or experiences enrich conversations and learning within the OPTIONS cohort? *

0 of 250 max words

(Optional) Is there anything else you would like the Women’s Fund to know about you?

0 of 250 max words

OPTIONS Program & Women’s Fund Engagement

How did you learn about the OPTIONS program?

Have you previously applied to the program? If yes, when?

Have you engaged with the Women’s Fund as a donor, participant, volunteer, grantee, etc.? Please describe.

Would you like to receive the Women’s Fund newsletter?

Yes, please.

No, thank you.

I’m already signed up.

By typing your name below and submitting an application, you acknowledge all of the information presented on this page is correct.

To complete your application, you must have the following forms submitted.

OPTIONS:
Link To Letter Of Recommendation Form (Please Submit Only One Recommendation)
Link To Supervisor Support Form
**If you are self-employed, please still fill out the form.

Printed Name

Captcha

Must be submitted by Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 5 p.m.

Program Information

Tell Us About Yourself

Your Contact Information

Employment, Education, & Community Involvement

There are two options to include past employment history and education information. Upload a resume below or manually input your information.

If you are manually entering information, please add the following:

Your Commitment to Women and Girls in Central Indiana

OPTIONS Program & Women’s Fund Engagement