In 1999, at the request of some of our donors and in response to community need, we established our first Women & Girls Fund to help empower women of all ages in 11 communities in the southeastern portion of our region. The goal of this charitable fund was to support nonprofits that help women and girls pursue positive, productive lives – for themselves and their families.
In 2004, 2006 and 2013, additional Women & Girls Funds emerged to help women in other parts of Eastern Connecticut.
With a combined endowment of $5.1 million, these funds continue to help remove barriers for women & girls, increase their economic security, enhance their well-being and safety, and empower them to make positive life decisions for themselves and their families.
Women & Girls Fund grants focus on:
- Empowering women and girls to make positive decisions – Examples include mentoring, leadership, career exposure, character development.
- Promoting healthy relationships and prevent domestic violence – Examples include teen dating violence prevention education, domestic violence shelters and transitional housing, victim advocacy.
- Advancing family economic security – Examples include training for jobs and career advancement, programs to overcome barriers to financial security, and other supports for low-income women.
- Supporting access to women’s health, mental health and reproductive health services – Examples include counseling, health education, health care access.
- Supporting public policy, advocacy and leadership to promote equity – Examples include statewide policy groups, training programs for grass-roots organizations.
- Helping New London women, ages 62 and older, with limited incomes to remain in their homes – Examples include meal delivery, nursing services.
For information on our four specific Women & Girls Funds for Northeast, Norwich, Southeast and Windham, click here.