The Community Fund for Women & Girls Awards $190,000 to Economic Security Programs for Women
Grants support entrepreneurship and career advancement.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Economic Security Funding Helps 2,989 Local Women
New Haven, Conn. (June 12, 2023) – The Community Fund for Women & Girls is helping women start businesses and advance in their careers with its 2023 Pathways to Economic Security for Women grant awards. The grants provide a total of $190,000 to ten Greater New Haven nonprofit programs offering job-skills training, entrepreneur coaching and other services focused on helping improve economic security for local women.
Over three rounds of funding since 2022, the grant program has directly supported 2,989 women in Greater New Haven and has indirectly supported 10,202 women.
“The Fund created Pathways to Economic Security for Women in direct response to the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economic security of working women," said Christine Kim, Chair of the Community Fund for Women & Girls. "With these grants, we are supporting important programs in the community that improve the lives of women and their families. We are grateful for their work.”
The Community Fund for Women & Girls is a component fund at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and the region’s only permanent charitable endowment dedicated solely to advancing women and girls.
The Pathways to Economic Security for Women grant program was designed following a 2021 study commissioned and funded in part by the Fund. The study found that unemployment claims by women surpassed those of men for the first time in state history. Other findings showed that only six percent of families of color can afford high-quality infant daycare or toddler programs. The fund responded with a grant program that focusses on workforce training, employment readiness, entrepreneurship, and wraparound services such as childcare, transportation and stipends.
“As the economic impacts of the pandemic continue to play out in areas such as employment, childcare, and the rising costs of goods and services, it is vital that we continue to lift up the disparities experienced by women—particularly women of color, and invest in programs and services that work to ensure their economic stability,” said Kara Straun, director of program and evaluation at The Community Foundation.
2023 Pathways to Economic Security for Women Grant Awards
All Our Kin - $20,000 to support partnerships with family childcare educators, the vast majority of whom are women of color, to build their business-related knowledge, skills and practice through All Our Kin’s 10-session Business Series.
Christian Community Action - $20,000 to support the ARISE Center, providing and connecting female heads of households with job and income-generating services, essential services, and training opportunities.
CitySeed, Inc. - $20,000 to expand access to an 8-month culinary training program that includes wraparound supports for refugee and immigrant chefs.
Collab - $20,000 to support the Women’s Initiative, which includes education/coaching and a community of support for women entrepreneurs.
Community Action Agency of New Haven - $20,000 to support the expansion of the Single Mothers Actively Reaching the Top (SMART) program, which provides single mothers with resources and services focused on increasing their level of self-sufficiency and economic security.
Life Health and Wellness Center (LHW) - $15,000 to support subsidized summer camp for children ages 8-12, which will enable parents continued participation in the workforce.
Phenomenal I Am - $20,000 to support economic security for women in the workforce through the provision of two free after school programs for a total of 120 girls and 8 staff.
Spanish Community of Wallingford - $20,000 to support technology education for women and their families, which improve their computer literacy and preparedness for the workforce.
The New Haven Club Inc. of The National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club, Incorporated - $15,000 to support the expansion of Adult Club programming, which focuses on leadership, entrepreneurship and technology, and Youth Club programming, which offers community service, leadership mentorship and activism opportunities.
Winning Ways, Inc. - $20,000 to support a career readiness course for women in Department of Corrections halfway housing in New Haven.
About the Community Fund for Women & Girls
The Community Fund for Women & Girls is a component fund at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and is Greater New Haven’s permanent charitable endowment dedicated solely to advancing women and girls. The Fund advances women’s influence and gender equity through education, information and convenings, and supports programs and services for women and girls. Learn more at fundforwomenandgirls.org and join us on social media on Facebook and Twitter.
About The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s mission is to inspire, support, inform, listen to and collaborate with the people and organizations of Greater New Haven to build an ever more connected, inclusive, equitable and philanthropic community. Established in 1928, The Foundation is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the U.S and has been built by donors supporting a broad variety of issues and organizations. As the permanent charitable endowment for 20 towns in Greater New Haven, The Foundation is implementing a 5-year strategic plan to expand opportunity and equity in our region. Stepping Forward, a commitment addressing the impact of COVID-19 and advancing racial equity is also in place through 2023. For more information about The Foundation visit www.cfgnh.org or follow @cfgnh on facebook and twitter.
###
Media Contact:
Matt Higbee
Communications Director
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
email
This story is also included in the Winter 2023 edition of the Community Fund for Women & Girls' newsletter.
