Network Building
The Women’s Fund of East Tennessee has a unique approach to network building and grant making. We purposefully select, from among a group of applicants every two years, ten or more non-profit partners to work together and develop solutions around key issues impacting low-income women and girls in our 25 county service area. This collaboration of like-minded partners is appropriately named the Strong Women Strong Futures network. Strategic convenings of the network partners occur two to three times per year, with a focus on collectively pooling resources, conducting research, and educating communities to help remove barriers to education for the low-income women and girls we serve.
GRANT MAKING
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. Applications for the Self-Sustainability Grants will open soon, and awarded on a rolling basis. Agencies will not be required to participate in the SWSF network, but they will benefit from the growing resources the Women’s Fund manages.
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
Join us in celebrating Our 2024-2026 Network Grantees!
The WFET carefully selects organizations that work to change the discouraging narrative that serves as a barrier to education for women and girls into a cultural mindset that every woman and girl deserves to make the most of herself by taking advantage of opportunities to further her education. After a thorough review, it was determined that the following organizations have extensive experience, deep passion, and are providing exemplary services throughout our region. These organizations have strong infrastructure in place, serve many populations, provide multi-county outreach, and demonstrate a clear commitment to the community.
