WCA Foundation Expands Support to Meet the Moment

The WCA Foundation, a Signature Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation, recently distributed more than $821,000 to Twin Cities organizations serving women, supplementing its annual project-based grants with 47 unsolicited “meet the moment” grants to help its recent partners navigate today’s volatile funding climate.

The investments include $586,054 in project grants to 21 organizations that provide direct services to women addressing shelter, safety, health, education, and economic stability. These groups and the recipients of WCA’s 2024 project-based grants also received a total of $235,000 in surprise general operating grants of $5,000 apiece.

Photo courtesy of Maria’s Voice

“We recognize that these small grants won’t solve all the challenges they’re facing, but we wanted to make sure our partners feel seen and supported,” Royal said.

For the same reason, the WCA Foundation also extended funding for a third year to its Multi-Year General Operating Pilot Program.

“Organizations that advance gender equality are particularly vulnerable in today’s funding environment,” said Julia Ruther, the Minneapolis Foundation’s Program Manager for Impact and Collective Giving. “The WCA Foundation’s commitment to supporting women in our community has never been more necessary.”

The WCA Foundation is led by a group of women volunteers who come together to learn about issues affecting women in the Twin Cities and consider funding requests from organizations addressing those needs. They recommend community investments from a fund of approximately $18 million.

One of the 21 projects supported in WCA’s 2025 grant round is New Beginnings, a program at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota that provides legal services to immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. “Immigrants who are suffering domestic violence face a multitude of hurdles as they find the courage to risk it all and seek safety,” said Lenore Millibergity, a Staff Attorney at ILCM. “ILCM clients routinely express relief when they learn about their rights under the immigration laws, and that they have access to an attorney at no cost. This grant allows us to continue to offer that support.”

Another grant will support a domestic abuse prevention education program offered by Maria’s Voice to women working and participating in Hennepin County’s Early Childhood Family Education program.

“We are proud to support initiatives that empower women and offer comprehensive resources and support,” Royal said. “Many of the organizations receiving funding this round are delivering a wide range of services that address women’s diverse needs, offering a holistic approach to care.”

The following groups received 2025 project grants:

• Age Well at Home received $30,000 to provide home modifications, safety renovations, and follow-up services that keep older Black women homeowners in their homes and communities.
• Alexandra House received $27,000 to provide emergency shelter and comprehensive housing assistance to survivors of domestic or sexual violence and their children.
• Alight received $30,000 for Afghan Women’s Sewing Social, which provides a supportive social structure for newly arrived Afghan women.
• Appetite for Change, Inc. received $30,000 for the expansion of its Community Cooks program, which uses food as a catalyst to support women in North Minneapolis.
• CAPI USA received $30,000 for financial wellness workshops and coaching services for women that are provided in English, Spanish, and Hmong.
• Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES) received $30,000 for its Latina Family, Friend, and Neighbor childcare provider training program, and to support staff expenses related to the opening of a new East Side Early Childhood Education and Family Wellness Center in 2025.
• Domestic Abuse Project received $30,000 for its Victim Survivor Support Services program, which provides therapy, advocacy services, case management, and direct assistance to women impacted by domestic violence.
• Dress for Success Twin Cities received $30,000 for emPowerU, a workforce development training program for women.
• Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota received $20,000 for its New Beginnings program, which provides legal services to immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
• Isuroon received $27,094 for its professional doula training and state certification support program for immigrant and refugee women.
• Maria’s Voice received $30,000 for its domestic abuse prevention education program, which is provided to women working and participating in Hennepin County’s Early Childhood Family Education program.
• Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers received $27,000 for its initiative to expand women employee-owned direct care cooperatives in the Twin Cities.
• Newgate Education & Research Center Inc. received $30,000 for its Wheels for Women program, which gifts refurbished vehicles to single working moms.
• Phyllis Wheatley Community Center received $30,000 for its Women’s Wealth and Equity Building Initiative, a program focused on financially stabilizing women-led families and breaking cycles of intergenerational poverty.
• PRISM received $30,000 for its homelessness prevention program, which provides emergency rental and utility assistance to women who are at risk of homelessness.
• Proof Alliance received $25,000 for a support group serving Native women who are pregnant or mothers of infants, hosted in partnership with Mino Bimaadiziwin Wellness Clinic.
• Simpson Housing Services received $30,000 for its family housing program, which empowers women-led families to develop skills for long-term housing stability.
• Sojourner Project received $15,000 for its shelter, which provides free, secure, and confidential emergency housing for women and children.
• Tubman received $30,000 for its Rapid Rehousing Program, which helps unhoused survivors of domestic violence secure and sustain safe housing.
• Will Work for Recovery received $24,960 for a program that provides evidence-based, peer-led addiction recovery services to women transitioning from the criminal justice system.
• YWCA St. Paul received $30,000 for its STRIDE program, which ensures stable housing for and teaches independent living skills to young Black women of color as they transition out of foster care.

The WCA Foundation will hold its next open grant round in late 2025. Sign up for updates about funding opportunities.

Founded in 1866, the WCA Foundation was the first benevolent nonprofit organization in Minnesota. Now a Signature Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation, WCA includes up to 40 volunteer members who are all women and makes grants to a diverse group of nonprofit human service agencies and programs.