Fund for Women & Girls Grant

The Fund for Women & Girls is a philanthropic initiative established in 2000 as part of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC), a nonprofit community foundation headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Fund’s mission is to increase awareness of and solutions to challenges affecting women and girls through collective philanthropy. Over its two-decade history, the Fund has remained committed to building a $1 million endowment through its "Dream Team" campaign and to providing annual grants to organizations supporting women and girls within specific counties in South Central Pennsylvania. The grant program is open to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and fiscally sponsored entities that serve the counties of Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Lebanon, Perry, and the Dillsburg Area of York County. Grant funding is available for new or existing programs that have a clear focus on supporting women and girls, including those who identify as such. Projects must demonstrate sustainable value beyond the life of the grant and address one or more of the Fund’s four stated priority areas: basic needs/economic self-sufficiency, health and safety, education, and diversity/equity/inclusion systems change. Each grant award may be up to $15,000 and can be used to cover operating costs, program implementation, or expansion efforts. Both new and ongoing initiatives are eligible. However, the fund has clearly defined limitations: it does not support advertising or direct lobbying unless explicitly justified, capital campaigns, retroactive projects, or religious initiatives for religious purposes. The fund also discourages funding new staff positions that lack a sustainability plan, as well as umbrella organizations without a demonstrated local presence. The application opens on February 1 and closes on May 1. Applications must be submitted online by the deadline. Applicants are notified of decisions by August 1. Funded projects may begin as early as September 1 and must conclude by August 31 of the following year. No projects outside this grant year are eligible for funding. There is no pre-application step such as a letter of intent. However, applicants can submit their application for a draft review up to two weeks prior to the deadline by contacting the Community Investment Team at TFEC. Proposals are evaluated using a point-based rubric totaling 50 points. Reviewers assess alignment with the Fund’s mission, clarity of narrative and proposed actions, partnerships, financial diversification, measurable outcomes, and commitment to diversity and inclusion. The board, staff, and volunteers of applicant organizations should reflect the diversity of the populations they serve. The Fund’s Grant Review Committee may request additional materials as needed during the evaluation phase. For assistance, applicants are encouraged to contact TFEC’s Community Investment Team at grants@tfec.org or via phone at 717-236-5040. Specific contacts include Teresa Gonzalez (tgonzalez@tfec.org) and Aubrie Wingert (awingert@tfec.org). While no PDF guidelines were found, a detailed description of the grant opportunity is publicly available on TFEC’s website.

Align proposals with mission and provide measurable goals. Show financial sustainability and DEI commitment.