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 for 13 years and granted nearly $3.5 million to non-profit 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
We received a total of 35 proposals in response to our Spring Request for Proposals. WCF is proud to announce our Spring 2020 grantees:
Total Empowerment Life Coaching:
HOME Free Oakland
HOME Free Oakland is an all-inclusive housing initiative that will house and provide re-entry services to women paroling off life sentences. Recently released women will be mentored by those who have already been through the program, building a community of self-reliant women. This grant will fund HOME Free Oakland’s initial year of monthly, day-long leadership development workshops for the women it serves.
Inside-Outside Research Collective
This grant will support a first-of-its-kind effort to engage in community based participatory health research with incarcerated women. Specifically, through quarterly training sessions inside California State Prisons, female inmates will participate in the research design, information gathering and documentation of issues pertaining to health and illness of aging and trans-gender prisoners.
Community Funded Cooperative Restaurant Group
Oakland Bloom is advancing the success of its Open Test Kitchen, an incubator program for immigrant and refugee chef entrepreneurs (90% of whom are women), to develop a community-based cooperative restaurant group that enables these chefs to start their own business. This grant will support outreach efforts for public education and the recruitment of community and traditional investors to join and launch the cooperative.
Black LGBTQ+ Migrant Project (BLMP):
Rapid Response Detention Support
This grant will enable BLMP, which is sponsored by the Transgender Law Center, to organize a pilot project consisting of a two-day rapid response training that will build the skills and capacity of Black LGBTQ+ migrants to provide effective support to community members in detention in California and/or at risk of deportation. In addition, it will fund the creation of a resource guide consisting of culturally competent service providers and resources geared for Black LGBTQ+ migrants.
Donate
Donate to the Women’s Catalytic Fund today and join our mission to end gender-based inequity early, when resources are most needed.
CONTACT US
The deadline for accepting proposals for consideration in our spring 2020 docket has passed. Thank you to all who applied.If you have any questions about WCF or our grant process, please email WCFgrantinformation@gmail.com. Check back here in the fall for information about our fall 2020 RFP.
