Thrive Grant Guidelines

 

 

The 2022 Thrive Grant round is now closed. 

 

Women’s Fund is committed to ensuring small organizations serving women and/or girls that are led by a person(s) of color and whose clients are mostly persons of color are provided an equal opportunity to receive funding. Women’s Fund has set aside a pool of funds to be used for these organizations’ immediate needs.

Organizations applying for a Thrive grant are ALSO eligible to apply to Women’s Fund’s annual grant round. If you are interested in being considered for the annual round, answer the question “yes” and Women’s Fund staff will contact you for additional information if necessary.

Application Parameters
• Organizations must serve women and/or girls in central Indiana (Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan, and Shelby Counties).
• Organizations must be led by a person(s) of color. This can be the highest-ranking staff person and/or the board/advisory group comprised of at least 50% people of color.
• Organizations whose mission is focused on service to women and/or girls can apply for operating support. Other organizations can apply for project/program support.
• Women’s Fund is interested only in gender-specific efforts, not just programs that happen to serve women and/or girls.
• Organizations’ past 5 years’ operating budgets must average less than $250,000. If your organization isn’t at least 5 years old, average the operating budgets for the years you have been in existence.
• The maximum allowable request is $15,000.
• Please complete the application in Word using the same font and size (Calibri 11) and margins (narrow) as this document.
• Maximum application length is three (3) pages.
• Direct questions to Julie Koegel (juliek@cicf.org) or 317-696-1933.
• Send application and required documents to juliek@cicf.org 
• Organizations that do not have a 501(c)(3) designation can use a fiscal agent. You must list your fiscal agent on your application. If you do not have a fiscal agent, contact Julie Koegel.

Documents to be Submitted
• Application (3 pages maximum)
• 2-minute video – Help us get to know you better by providing a 2-minute video which can be shot using your cell phone. Provide a brief description of your organization, whether this is a new or ongoing organization/program and why your organization/program is needed.
• Demographics Sheet
• Signed Women’s Fund Statement of Inclusion
• Current board or advisory group roster (list names, members’ occupations, officers and how any board/staff members are related)
• Current organizational budget
• Year-end financial statements (budget versus actual revenues and expenses) for the past 5 years. If your organization is less than 5 years old, provide all statements for the years you were in existence.

Women’s Fund will not consider funding for the following items:
• Organizations not committed to gender equity
• Programs promoting religion, including proselytizing or religious training (see below)
• Fundraising activities (such as golf tournaments or galas)
• Political campaigns
• Individuals
• Organization-sponsored conferences or event sponsorships
• Schools
• Organizations whose board of directors or advisory group is composed of less than 50% women.

Women’s Fund believes spirituality is an important component in a woman or girl’s self-development and we recognize that organized religion provides the traction and grounding for spiritual development.  However, Women’s Fund is committed to remaining neutral regarding the choices women and girls make about religious expression, as our donors celebrate many different religions or no religion at all. Therefore, it is our policy not to fund programs that include prayer, the promotion of religion, religious preferences, objectives, education, and/or training.  If your organization’s mission statement is religious in nature, you must describe the role that mission and presence has in the grant activities for which you are seeking Women’s Fund support.

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