Mission and Process
The Women’s Giving Circle of the Community Giving Foundation empowers, connects, and inspires women and girls by supporting initiatives and resources that better their lives.
The grant process is designed to engage the membership in identifying and supporting programs that meet its mission throughout the service area. Annually, members are invited to nominate organizations to apply. The application process is made available to all nominated organizations. A new group of members is selected each year to form the grant review committee. The review committee is responsible for selecting 4-6 finalists to present at an annual event where membership is given the opportunity to cast their vote on the final recipient(s). Click here for a handout outlining the grantmaking process.
Eligibility and Restrictions
- applicant must have a 501c3 IRS tax exempt designation or be a governmental organization
- applicant’s proposal must address the needs of women and/or girls
- applicant’s proposal must serve residents within the Foundation service area (Lower-Luzerne, Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Union, and Snyder counties)
- the Foundation does not award grants to individuals
- the Foundation does not award grants that serve an exclusively religious purpose
- grants are made for future programs/projects only, funding will not be awarded to projects completed before final board approval
- the Foundation discourages repeated applications for sustained funding of programs
Evaluation Criteria
The Women’s Giving Circle favors programs/projects that:
- programs whose primary beneficiaries are women and/or girls
- give a clear and concise explanation of the program
- fulfill the applicant’s mission statement
- establish measurable goals and have an evaluation process for reviewing and promoting best practices
- demonstrate how positive outcomes of the program will be sustained and have a sound organizational sustainability plan
- do not duplicate services provided by other community organizations
- include collaboration with other organizations
2024 Timeline
- March 1-31: Women’s Giving Circle Membership nominates eligible applicants
- April 3: Application process opens. Nominated organizations are invited to apply through the Foundation’s grant website. Grants committee is formed within the membership.
- May 31: Application deadline (online)
- Mid-June: Grants committee reviews applications and recommends 4 finalists.
- June 24: Applicants are notified of decisions. Presentation guidelines distributed to finalists.
- July 17: Finalists present at annual event. Members cast their vote at the event. Grant winner(s) announced.
How to Nominate
Current Women's Giving Circle members (membership donation made January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023) are asked to help us identify organizations addressing the needs of women and girls in our region. Nominations will be collected from March 1-31 online here. A member can nominate an unlimited number of organizations.
How to Apply
Nominated organizations will receive an access code which is required to apply. To begin the application process, log in to our grant website. Each nominated organization can submit one application. More information to come.
Contact
Contact Karri Harter, Grant and Scholarship Administrator, at [email protected] or 570-752-3930.