Women's Fund Grants Program

The Women’s Fund grant cycle opens each year in June. At the start of each grant cycle, we send information to local media and an email announcement to nonprofit organizations on our mailing list.

This website is accessible year-round as a resource for grant-seekers, but the contents are to be considered current only during the period which grants are under review (June – November of each year). 

After a meticulous deliberation process that begins with a review of funding requests, the Women’s Fund will award two Impact Grants in the amount of $50,000. Impact Grants focus on improving the quality of life for Vanderburgh County families. One impact grant will be for a program and the second will be for a project. 

The Women’s Fund of Vanderburgh County welcomes funding requests from nonprofit organizations deemed tax-exempt under sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code and governmental agencies serving Vanderburgh County.

Funding requests from nonprofit organizations not classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity may be considered provided the project is charitable and supports a community need and meets the other criteria described on this page. In such cases, the applicant organization may be required to obtain a fiscal sponsor (see below).

Organizations may apply for either a Program or Project grant. 

In addition, any organization which received an Impact Grant must wait three years before applying again in either Impact Grant category. 

Only one application will be considered from an organization.

Additional Considerations for Funding

For all grant opportunities, consideration will be given to organizations that demonstrate:

• Commitment to long-range planning, financial stability, and sustainability
• Sound plans to address ongoing or emerging issues that have been identified by research
• Solid, realistic plans for program/project evaluation
• Desire to promote collaboration among organizations or institutions to prevent duplication of services
• Project methodology utilizing a preventative approach to addressing the issue and solving problems
• Evidence of realistic organizational planning and management

Fiscal Sponsors

Non-charitable organizations applying for a grant under the auspices of a verified 501(c)(3) public charity acting as a

fiscal sponsor are required to provide a written statement signed by the fiscal sponsor’s board president confirming

 agreement to receive grant monies (if awarded) and to oversee the proposed program/project.

• Community Development
• Education
• Health/Mental Health
• Human Services
• Other Civic Endeavors (Examples include Arts and Culture, Environment, Recreation, and Youth Development)
• Endowment Creation

Areas Considered For PROJECT Funding

• Capital Projects
• Endowment Creation
  

Program or Project Areas NOT Considered For Funding

• Programs or projects of organizations that are not committed to gender equity.  Applicant organizations are expected to have established female leadership on their staff and board, and generally promote gender equity within the community. 
• Requests for funding to reduce or retire debt.
• Programs or projects which focus solely on the spiritual needs and growth of a church congregation or members of other religious organizations.
• Political parties or campaigns.
• Operating costs not directly related to the program/project.
• Event sponsorship, annual appeals or membership contributions.
• Scholarships or other grants to individuals.
  

Deliberation and Award

The Women’s Fund grants committee will review all funding requests and select no more than six semifinalists in each category

(Impact Program or Impact Project).  After further review and site visits with each semi-finalist organization, three applicants will be  selected as finalists in each of the two categories.

The finallists will be invited to give and oral presentation of their proposal at the Women's Fund Annual Meeting in November.  After hearing the presentations, the Women's Fund membership will cast their votes.  The organizations whose proposals receive the majority of votes in each category will be awarded the Impact Grants. Additional finalists will also receive grants in the amount of $20,000 each.

Vanderburgh Community Foundation staff will provide specific instructions to finalists at the time of notification. Grant awards will be decided based on votes from the Women’s Fund members at their Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

No lobbying or solicitation of Women’s Fund representatives is permitted.

Funded programs and projects must begin within six months of the award and be completed within two years from the date the grant is received.

Two grant reports will be required for the Impact Grants.  The first report will be due one year after the grant is awarded.  A final report will be required upon project completion.  Instructions will be provided at the time the grant is awarded through the grant agreement.

The following supporting documents must be electronically attached to the grant application in PDF format.

• Current board roster with professional affiliations
• Organization’s current annual operating budget
• Statement of Financial Position / Balance Sheet (including comparison for the the two previous years for the 12-month periods ending June 30, 2022 and 2023.)
• Statement of Activities / Statement of Income & Expenses (Including the current fiscal year to date and the 12-month period of your prior two fiscal years.) 
• Annual Audit Letter or Financial Review Report
• Most recent IRS 990 document
• Fiscal sponsor agreement letter (if applicable)