The Community Foundation for San Benito County is promoting a new initiative that will focus on the needs of local women and girls. Launched in June, pledges and donations to the Women’s Fund through the end of 2012 will be matched dollar for dollar up to $25,000.
Stephanie Hicks, the director of development and outreach for the local nonprofit, said many of the community foundations across California and the nation have a women’s fund. In fact, she looked closely at the Community Foundation for Monterey and other rural community foundations to see how their women’s funds worked.
“Women’s funds are an extremely effective way to advance the status of women and girls in the community,” Hicks said. “It helps women to form a philanthropic movement and it’s very powerful. It can be very effective and powerful.”
The local fund received a lead gift of $25,000 from Sallie Calhoun, a Paicines resident, who has also promised to match donations and pledges made this year dollar for funds up to $25,000. Rebecca Wolf, another San Benito County resident, joined Calhoun in the lead gift efforts.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to support the new Women and Girls Fund at the Community Foundation,” Calhoun said, in a statement. “I believe that it is an opportunity for us to create a community of women throughout the county working together strategically to impact the lives of women and girls, and to make our entire community healthier and more prosperous.”
The local Women’s Fund will be tailored to the needs in San Benito County. Hicks said after the initial fundraising is completed, an advisory committee of women from the community will form to come up with a list of ideas for the fund as well as guidelines and criteria for how the money will be used.
“They will set the direction and vision and guidelines,” Hicks said, adding that the priorities can be flexible and change from year to year.
The Women’s Fund will offer competitive grants, which could come from the pool of applicants that apply to the general Community Foundation grants when appropriate as well as new applicants. It will also provide scholarships, but Hicks said it will differ from the other grant funding in that it will also provide leadership and education opportunities down the road along with community collaborations. In the future, the Women’s Fund could create forums for women or teen education programs.
Hicks said the initial donations will be used for immediate projects, though an endowment will be set up in the future.
“As we get the fund going, we want to build momentum,” she said. “We want to see the impact and we want to be able to make immediate decisions so the funds need to be in direct use.”
The Women’s Fund will be kept separate from the other two existing grant funds administered by the Community Foundation, though Hicks said some of the existing applicants to those funds may be appropriate for the new fund.
Hicks shared some statistics that highlight some of the needs of women in San Benito County. According to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office there are more domestic violence crimes committed in the county than those related to gang violence. Of the homeless population, 43 percent are women. Of women under age 18 with children, 43 percent live below the poverty line.
“It is an investment in social change,” Hicks said. “We want opportunities that really help women to become economically self sufficient.”
She said global studies have shown that when women are economically self-sufficient, communities thrive.
Hicks said advisory-level donations start at $1,000, but she and community partners are encouraging those interested in donating to make a donation of any amount.
“We really want to collaborate,” she said. “There are many opportunities to work with groups that do great work on behalf of women and girls, from health to youth empowerment to seniors. So the goal is really to make an impact in the community and a catalyst for change.”
For more on the Women’s Fund, visit http://cffsbc.org or call Hicks at 630-1924.
