Women's and Girls' Fund Announces 2021 Grant Cycle with a request for submission of letters of intent by Nov. 24

The Women’s and Girls’ Fund (WGF), a Leadership Initiative of Kern Community Foundation, announces approximately $60,000 in grant allocations in its 14th competitive grant cycle, with the maximum individual award being $25,000. Organizations interested in applying should have a 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation or a fiscal sponsor. All organizations seeking funds must have a presence in Kern County, benefit women and/or girls in Kern County, and meet Kern Community Foundation’s eligibility guidelines.

The application process begins with the submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply for funding.

Applicants are encouraged to:

• Learn about The Women’s and Girls’ Fund by visiting the WGF page on Kern Community Foundation’s website, kernfoundation.org/WGF.

• Once there, click on the “Grantmaking” link to review The Women’s and Girls’ Fund’s Grantmaking Policy, which outlines qualifying criteria and the focus for 2021-2025 Grants: Education.

• Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply for funding via Kern Community Foundation’s Online Grants Platform, which can be accessed through kernfoundation.org/grants. The LOI must be submitted by the hard deadline of 5 p.m. Tuesday, November 24.

Following evaluation of LOIs by the WGF’s Grants Allocation Committee, a number of agencies will be invited in early December to submit full grant applications, which will be due in late January. Grant awards will be announced publicly in April.

Grantees who received WGF grants in the Spring of 2020 may not apply for WGF 2021 funding. Any previous awardees of WGF or other grants from the Foundation that have outstanding follow-up reports must complete those reports before they can apply for WGF funding.

Agencies must also comply with Kern Community Foundation’s grant eligibility guidelines, which include:

• Being registered with Kern Community Foundation through the same Online Grants Platform that can be accessed via kernfoundation.org/grants; and

• Having a Silver or higher transparency rating on GuideStar.org, the world’s largest database on nonprofits.

Potential applicants who have questions about The Women’s and Girls’ Fund at Kern Community Foundation may write to [email protected] or call the Foundation’s main line, (661) 325-5346.

About The Women’s and Girls’ Fund

The Women’s and Girls’ Fund was launched in 2005 as a leadership initiative of Kern Community Foundation. It is primarily a volunteer effort guided by the leadership of the Vision Committee and Community Advisors. The assets of the Fund are professionally managed and invested by Kern Community Foundation, which also provides oversight of Fund grant decisions.

Through grantmaking, members of The Women’s and Girls’ Fund become philanthropists and advocates of positive social change. Fund members rely on community research, data and the participation of community members to identify an area of focus each year. Issues of focus can range from women’s and girls’ health and economic concerns to safety and domestic violence, education, and more.

Since its first grantmaking in 2008, The Women’s and Girls’ Fund has awarded 40 competitive grants, totaling $430,686, to nonprofits serving women and girls in Kern County.

About Kern Community Foundation

Kern Community Foundation is a vibrant nonprofit enterprise with a powerfully simple mission: “Growing Community. Growing Philanthropy.”

For more than two decades, the Foundation has been in business to serve as a charitable resource for local donors and corporations, and to generate capital that provides philanthropic solutions to help make Kern County a better place to live, to work and to visit. Since its establishment in 1999, the Foundation has grown to hold more than 170 charitable funds, with assets nearing $29 million, and has awarded close to $25 million in grants and scholarships, ranking in the top two-thirds of the 100 most active grantmakers, nationwide, since 2013.