Grants That Embrace the Complexity of Women’s Lives

The WCA Foundation, a Signature Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation, recently awarded $474,110 in grants to 18 organizations that serve women by meeting basic needs related to economic stability, education, shelter, safety, and health.

“These grants reflect our commitment to embracing the complexity of women’s lives,” said Stacey Royal, Advisory Board Chair of the WCA Foundation. “We are proud to support organizations that take a variety of effective approaches to address the many challenges that women can face over the course of a lifetime.”

One grant will support Age Well at Home, a nonprofit focused on transforming homes into safe, smart spaces for aging adults.

Photo of homeowner, courtesy of Age Well at Home

Another grant will support The Annex Teen Clinic, a local organization that helps young people take charge of their sexual health by providing confidential health services and education. “The WCA Foundation’s investment in our Birth Control Access fund will provide free birth control, education, and clinical services allowing women to take control of their reproductive futures, further women’s empowerment, and promote social justice,” said Holly Leppanen, Director of Development and Communications at The Annex.

Photo courtesy of The Annex Teen Clinic

The WCA Foundation is led by a group of women volunteers who steward an endowment of approximately $18 million. They come together to learn about issues affecting women in the Twin Cities and review grant proposals from organizations addressing those needs.  

The awards announced today will support organizations that applied for funding in the WCA Foundation’s Spring 2023 grant round, the final grant round under the organization’s previous program model. Last fall, the WCA Foundation unveiled two new grant opportunities that will guide its investments going forward. 

“WCA members have been intentional about examining their work and discussing how they want to evolve the organization to better serve our community,” said Julia Ruther, the Minneapolis Foundation’s Program Coordinator for Impact and Collective Giving. “It’s inspiring to work with this group of volunteers as they deepen their engagement in collective decision-making and embrace a model of philanthropy that emphasizes trust and relationship-building with local nonprofits.”

• Age Well at Home received $30,000 to reduce the racial gap in homeownership by preserving homeownership and generational wealth among Black women homeowners over the age of 65.  
• American Indian OIC received $20,000 to support low-income women enrolled in Takoda Institute, its job-training and career development program.  
• Be Meditation Group received $ 18,595 to launch the Black Zen Beginner’s Guide to Meditation Series, a flagship program designed to make meditation accessible and relatable specifically to women-identifying members of the local BIPOC community, focusing especially on leaders of nonprofits and social justice organizations.  
• Beyond New Beginnings received $15,000 in general operating support to nurture young moms as they gain self-sufficiency in safe, stable housing. 
• CAPI USA received $29,800 for a workshop series for its support group for Afghan women. The series focuses on learning the fundamentals of entrepreneurism and turning traditional craftmaking into income-generating microenterprises.  
• Children’s Dental Services received $30,000 to provide comprehensive dental treatment and education to 500 low-income pregnant and perinatal women at regional Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) clinics. 
• Domestic Abuse Project received $30,000 in general operating support to build communities free from violence by providing holistic healing for every member of the family.  
• Dress for Success Twin Cities received $30,000 in general operating support to empower low-income Twin Cities women to achieve economic independence through its network of support, professional attire, and development tools.  
• International Institute of Minnesota received $30,000 for its New American Health Initiative, which serves immigrant women in the Twin Cities community through health education and outreach services, helping to end the practice of female genital mutilation.  
• Jeremiah Program received $30,000 to support their Family Services team, which partners with single moms who face barriers to graduating from college and launching a family-sustaining career.  
• Missions Inc. received $26,058 to support collaboration between its Home Free Community Program and Meredith Hart House to integrate safety from domestic violence into Hart House’s substance use disorder support services.  
• Neighborhood HealthSource received $29,656 to expand its Healthy Hearts program, which supports women with or at risk of hypertension, to include dual diagnoses and to address social determinants of health.  
• Park Nicollet Foundation received $20,000 for its Mammo-a-go-go Community Outreach Program to provide screening mammograms, education, and diagnostic services, primarily to low-income women of color throughout the Twin Cities metro area.  
• Planned Parenthood North Central States received $30,000 for its Promotoras de Salud program, a community lay health advisor program that resources participants to educate their communities about sexual and reproductive health and improve health outcomes in the Twin Cities’ Latinx community.  
• The Annex Teen Clinic received $20,000 for its Birth Control Access Fund to provide birth control to women who experience health disparities and barriers to care.  
• Tubman received $25,000 for its rapid rehousing program, which helps homeless survivors of domestic violence secure and sustain safe housing in Hennepin County. 
• Voices for Racial Justice received $30,000 to support the Women’s Circle to End Mass Incarceration, a BIPOC safe space where women affected by incarceration can gather, build leadership skills, define solutions, and act for change.  
• Wayside Recovery Center received $20,000 in general operating support for its treatment center, which provides trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to women with co-occurring addiction and mental health diagnoses.  

The WCA Foundation will hold its next open grant round in late 2024. You can learn more about the WCA Foundation here and sign up for updates about funding opportunities here.