A Strong Force In Granting — Meet Our Grants Chair, Dr. Anna Lora Taylor
In this month’s newsletter, we introduce Dr. Anna Lora Taylor, Assistant Professor of Counseling at Carson-Newman University, current Women’s Fund Board and Executive Committee Member, as well as the Chair of the Grants Committee. Having served as the former Program Director of the Women’s Fund from 2017 – 2020 , fresh out of her doctoral studies at the University of Tennessee in Counselor Education, Anna Lora has a unique perspective of and vision for the organizations impact in East Tennessee.
WFET: Anna Lora, let’s go back to your roots with the organization. What drew you to your early position? What impact did you see yourself making in the Women’s Fund direction at that time, and what growth did you help navigate in terms of granting?
ANNA LORA: When I joined the WFET, I was coming in at a time when the Board of Directors had already been evaluating grant practices and how they could be more impactful with their giving. I was hired to launch a new program, the Strong Women Strong Futures (SWSF) Network, which would focus our granting on 8 or more local non-profit partners in the area of post-secondary education (or certification and training) as a means to self-sustainability for low-income women and girls. At that time, I helped the WFET direct a focus group in our service area (of 25 counties) to determine barriers to pursuing education. This exercise was a tremendous asset for us and many local partners in changing our language and direction to better tackle the issues keeping low-income families from becoming financially secure.
WFET: A collaboration of like-focused non-profit organizations sounds daunting. How have you seen this Network grow over these last 8 years?
ANNA LORA: The efficacy of SWSF has continually been evaluated over this time, as well as the value of our quarterly convenings/meetings. We have grown to include up to 12 partners in our 2-year cycle, yet the collective focus has remained on education and training as a means to self-sustainability. One recent change, however, has been the need for training and capacity-building within our organizations, especially with state and federal funding being cut for non-profits across the country. The first items we have all cut in our budgets is staff development, so the Women’s Fund is working to sponsor the availability of these capacity-building exercises for all of our partners through the regularly-scheduled convenings.
WFET: What a unique service to offer to grantees. Can you name some other ways that you see the SWSF Network benefitting our communities in East Tennessee?
ANNA LORA: I think perhaps the most crucial and recent impact of the SWSF Network has been how our collaboration in impacting change in our service area has now influenced partnerships between individual agencies. Early on, as a group, we agreed that eliminating duplicity between us would better serve our clientele. What we’re seeing now is several of our grantees working with one another to make a greater impact in their counties of service, like Catholic Charities with Centro Hispano, and Hola Lakeway with East Tennessee ArtScapes. Those stories never get old, of one agency reaching out to another to tackle and solve a local problem.
WFET: That’s awesome! Is there any other exciting news to share about the SWSF Network, or granting in general, Anna Lora?
ANNA LORA: Actually, there is! We have just finished awarding 7 new Self-Sustainability grantee partners, which was a new fund launched in 2024 to focus on one-time or emerging needs that impact the self-sustainability of low-income women and their families. So far we have granted to almost 30 agencies, with programs focused on mental health, foster children aging out of care and support, citizenship support for immigrant women, and more. This granting channel currently opens twice annually, during the winter and fall quarters. And the SWSF Network application portal will be opening again June 1st – June 30th to select a new group of 8-12 partners for the next 2-year cycle. Please be watching our website and social media for that announcement!
WFET: Okay, well that was a power-packed answer. So excited for the next “awards season!” Any other last thoughts or encouragement for our readers today?
ANNA LORA: I absolutely want to share that giving to the Women’s Fund is transforming the lives of low-income women and girls and their families in our communities on a daily basis. We are not alone in our desire to create change for the better in East Tennessee, but we are definitely set apart in our focus on networking and collaborating to do so. We also have a plan for our own self-sustainability, housing funds in an Endowment so that our future giving is guaranteed in perpetuity. One only need to look at how statistics in education are changing to see the results of our partnerships and collective efforts. It’s slow but trending upwards. I offer a sincere THANK YOU to all of our donors and partners who are invested in this change.
WFET: Thank YOU Anna Lora, and a quick Congrats to you on the birth of your 3rd child and growing family. You’re a difference-maker!
