Grants Boost Women’s Health Research & More
The Community Fund for Women & Girls awards single largest and first-ever multi-year grant to inform conversation about gender and health equity
More than $100,000 in total awarded to programs in the region focusing on women’s economic security, health and education
June 15th event showcases the advocacy efforts of grant recipients and the impact of women’s philanthropy
New Haven, CT (June 6, 2011) – The Community Fund for Women & Girls, a component fund of The Community Foundation
for Greater New Haven, has awarded $107,848 in grants this year to 18 agencies that offer programs and services to improve the quality of life for women and girls in the region. Of the grants awarded, the single largest and first-ever multi-year grant of $50,000 was made to
Women’s Health Research at Yale to advance health equity for women.
“Inequity in women’s health research and care has long been overlooked by funders,” says Helene Robbins, Chair of the Community Fund for Women and Girls. “It’s no accident that health equity was chosen as the issue for which The Fund would make its largest grant commitment to date. Partnering with such an esteemed organization as Women’s Health Research at Yale, we are confident that our investment will move toward positive systemic change for women and girls.”
More than half of all grants awarded went to programs focused on improving the economic security of women and girls in the Greater New Haven region. Many of the grants support mentoring and educational programs designed to encourage young girls to pursue college, while others will help fund job-training and life-skills development for low-income women. Some grants will help provide more basic needs for women, including bus passes and moving services or on-site childcare. Other grants awarded support arts, music, political participation, health education and enrichment programming.
Included in the grant awards were two $10,000 Strategic Investment Grants, designed to support programs that significantly address the Fund’s mission and core areas. Strategic Investment Grant recipients needed to show the potential for expansion and creating a ripple effect in the community. The grant supporting The City of New Haven Community Services Administration’s study, for example, enables the creation of a baseline on the status of New Haven’s women and girls through the collection of vital data on core issues impacting that segment of the population.
2011 Grant Recipients in Alphabetical Order
Architecture Resource Center, Inc. $5,000
To support Design Technology Camp workshops at Camp Farnam. These workshops address the underrepresentation of women in math and science professions and provide hands-on learning and leadership experiences in science, technology, engineering, math and architecture to at-risk girls from New Haven middle schools and high schools.
City of New Haven Community Services Administration $10,000
To support the development of a status report on New Haven's women and girls in the areas of health, safety, education and economic security. The status report will establish a baseline that can be used for current and future programming to improve the lives of women and girls in New Haven.
The Diaper Bank $10,000
To support the second phase of the Basic Human Needs Policy Project, a multiyear effort to raise awareness at the Federal level about how the provision of diapers strengthens families and the economic security of the poor.
Higher Heights Youth Empowerment Programs, Inc. $3,350
To support a mentoring program that matches female college students, who are also Higher Heights alumni, with girls attending Metropolitan High School who are at risk of not enrolling in or completing a post-secondary education.
IRIS (Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services) $5,000
To make available onsite childcare service enabling primary caregivers to take English classes at IRIS.
Mary Wade Home $4,500
To support an intergenerational arts program that will pair female seniors from Mary Wade Home's assisted living residence with teen girls from New Haven's Fair Haven neighborhood for a series of art workshops.
Music Haven, Inc. $3,500
To facilitate positive youth development and community-building for girls from New Haven’s underserved neighborhoods through music education and performance.
New Haven Ecology Project $3,210
To support the participation of girls and young women in Common Ground’s environmental programs creating learning and leadership opportunities.
New Haven Home Recovery $2,500
To help women living in New Haven Home Recovery’s emergency shelters move to stable, self-sufficiency by providing them with bus passes, moving services, and assistance obtaining birth certificates.
Pequenas Ligas Hispanas de New Haven $5,000
To support an instructional and competitive Volleyball program for young Latinas from low- and moderate-income families in New Haven.
Saint Raphael Foundation $4,800
To support the Centering Pregnancy Model of Care provided to pregnant teens, first-time expectant mothers, and women whose lives have changed significantly since their last pregnancy.
Vista Vocational & Life Skills Center, Inc. $4,000
To provide a trained professional to run an educational program for women living with disabilities about making safe and healthy decisions about sexual relationships.
Women of Power Network, Inc. $5,000
To support the second-year component of the Developing Leaders Mentoring Program that academically and socially prepares girls attending New Haven public high schools for college.
Women's Business Development Council $5,000
To support an entrepreneurship training program for women from the New Haven and Valley regions who earn low incomes.
Women’s Health Research at Yale $50,000 ($25,000 in 1st yr; $25,000 in 2nd yr)
To support efforts that focus attention on the fundamental inequities in modern health research that adversely affect women and girls.
Women's Campaign School at Yale University $4,700
To support a partnership with the Connecticut Permanent Commission on the Status of Women’s Young Women's Leadership Program that educates and encourages young women to explore participation in the political process through learning and networking opportunities.
Yale University School of Medicine / North Haven Middle School $2,890
To provide curriculum materials for an interpersonal violence prevention program at North Haven Middle School to prevent sexual victimization and foster healthy peer relationships.
Youth Continuum, Inc. $5,000
To support Sista2Sista, a program that empowers and educates homeless young women, ages 16-23, about positive decision making, housing, educational support, job training, counseling and life skills.
On Wednesday, June 15th from 4:30 – 6:30 pm at the New Haven Lawn Club, the Community Fund for Women & Girls hosted a special presentation and reception entitled Raising Our Voices: Supporting Advocacy to Leverage Impact Raising. The event featured the advocacy work of two grant recipients. Mothers For Justice presented its "Living in a Broken System" documentary chronicling the struggle of families on Connecticut's family welfare program to become self sufficient and move out of the system. The documentary will be used as a training aid for State workers. Also, the New Haven Diaper Bank reported on the status of its Basic Human Needs Policy Project.
Since its inception in 1995, the Community Fund for Women & Girls has awarded nearly $500,000 into the Greater New Haven and Lower Naugatuck Valley communities. In 2010, the Fund released an award-winning documentary entitled I’m A Philanthropist: How Women are Changing America’s Charitable Landscape to encourage women to think about and act on their philanthropy. The documentary is available online or in dvd format by contacting Sharon Cappetta at scappetta@cfgnh.org or by calling 203-777-2386. Individuals interested in increasing the Fund’s ability to support important programs that benefit women and girls, can make a contribution directly to the Fund or create an individually-named fund through its Giving Women campaign. Gifts can be made online at www.fundforwomenandgirls.org or via check payable to: The Community Fund for Women & Girls c/o The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, 70 Audubon Street, New Haven, CT 06510.
Since 1928, donors to The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven have built the community's endowment currently valued at over $300 million. In 2010, The Foundation’s Board of Directors distributed more than $19 million in grants from over 800 different named charitable funds supporting a wide range of programs and organizations. For more information about The Community Foundation visit www.cfgnh.org.
Media Contact:
Tricia Caldwell
Phone: 203-777-7090
Email: tcaldwell@cfgnh.org
Read other articles in the Summer 2011 Community Currents Newsletter