Background
The Women’s Catalytic Fund (WCF) is a giving circle that believes in the power of women to drive social change. The circle has been active since 1999 and granted more than $3.7 million to nonprofit organizations in the Bay Area and California. In 2017, the circle moved its ‘home’ to EBCF.
In the past, the circle conducted an annual grant-making process. However, members recognized that women’s movements need the ability to respond to threats and opportunities with more flexible and responsive funding. This drove the circle to shift to shorter, more frequent grantmaking in 2019 in order to put resources into the hands of women more quickly.
Through its catalytic giving, the WCF is prepared to take risks, respond rapidly, and give directly to frontline organizers working to end gender-based inequity early, when resources are most needed. Typically, these are one-time $15,000 grants to ensure financial resources are not a barrier to action.
Grantmaking
Grantees of the Women’s Catalytic Fund
Fall 2021
- Recognize Violence, Change Culture (RVCC): RVCC will build capacity among CSU staff to expand sexual violence prevention initiatives and assist CSU students with transforming their communities, with a focus on providing women, trans and gender-nonconforming individuals with leadership tools to create change on their campuses.
- Orange County Justice Fund: Cafécito Contigo is a 5-month pilot program that will allow formerly detained Latinx immigrant women to share space to explore healing practices through bi-monthly activities with mental health practitioners, community healers, and artists.
- CHAN-BOF for Peach Collaborative: California Hmong Advocates Network (CHAN) and the Building Our Future (BOF) campaign will invest in the leadership of its Program Specialist, a Hmong Queer woman, with the goal of expanding their leadership skills and their capacity to train and mentor Hmong LGBTQ+ organizers in social justice and ending gender-based violence work.
- Grinding Stone Collective: The Grinding Stone Collective will further its Missing Indigenous Sisters Tools Initiative (M.I.S.T.I.), which seeks to reduce the secondary trauma to families of having to repeatedly enter information about the missing during times of crisis. In addition, it will increase public awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, or MMIW.
Spring 2021
- Native Sister’s Circle
- Kitchen Table Advisors
- Legal Link
- Asian Pacific Self-Development and Residential Association (APSARA)
Fall 2020
Due to the challenging issues of 2020, including the COVID-19 pandemic and mounting pressure for racial, social and environmental justice, the Women’s Catalytic Fund used the Fall 2020 grant cycle to provide one-time supplemental grants of $10,000 to ten of our prior grantees.
Spring 2020
Fall 2019
- California Coalition for Women Prisoners: #MeToo Behind Bars Documentation Project
- The Radical Monarchs: Radical Alumni Program
- Safe Return Project: Re-investing in Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls
- ACT for Women and Girls: Truth to Power ACTion Team
Spring 2019
- Contra Costa Family Justice Alliance
- California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative
- Esq. Apprentice
- Mamacitas Cafe
Donate
Donate to the Women’s Catalytic Fund today and join our mission to end gender-based inequity early, when resources are most needed.
Applications
The Women’s Catalytic Fund will be accepting applications for their next grant round in the Spring of 2022. The exact date is yet to be determined. If you have any questions or would like to be added to our list, please email WCFgrantinformation@gmail.com.