Granting Funds
The Women’s Fund has a unique approach to granting funds in East Tennessee. We raise money to give it away by fully vetting agencies whose programs and services align with our mission and core values. We do that by:
1) Selecting a group of 8-12 similarly focused non-profit organizations in our 25-county service area, every 3 years, to work collaboratively to tackle barriers to post-secondary education and financial independence within our Strong Women Strong Futures network, and
2) Selecting additional one-time grant recipients who have emergency or other needs that will help them serve their mission and the self-sustainability of women and their families.
We house invested funds in an Endowment through our partnership with the East Tennessee Foundation. Our fund ensures monies are available annually and in perpetuity, allowing your legacy of giving to continue for generations to come.
If you have any questions about our grant process, please email grants@wfet.org.
How We Grant Funds
The recently renewed Women’s Fund strategy for granting funds to non-profit partners will include the SWSF network outlined above, as well as a new, independent, one-time source of funding for agencies in our service area having emergency or operational needs that will ultimately have an impact on the self-sustainability of women and girls. Agencies will not be required to participate in the SWSF network, but they will benefit from the growing resources the Women’s Fund manages.
Learn more about our granting options by selecting the respective button below.
How We Got Here
In late 2015, the Women’s Fund of East Tennessee (WFET) conducted an evaluation of its grant making and reached the conclusion that the WFET could be more strategic with its philanthropic investments by:
1) Sharpening its focus
2) Finding a niche within a specific area of need
3) Building a network of agencies working to address that need.
After conducting a series of focus groups in 25 counties, the WFET found that a major barrier to post-secondary education in the region is a cultural and familial attitude discouraging women and girls from furthering their education beyond high school.
Consequently, the WFET made a long-term commitment to focus on this issue.
Outcomes
We believe that this investment will produce the following outcomes:
– A higher number of young women entering post-secondary education in communities served by the WFET
– Coordination of resources and communications among network organizations
– Lessons that can and will be shared
– Attention to public policy for women and girls around education in Tennessee
– Determine goals and activities for the next phase of work