Women’s Fund increases grants to record $171K
Published 6:00 am Thursday, July 11, 2024
- Chair of the Womens Fund Of South Central Kentucky Monica Taylor announces the $171,000 grant amount Tuesday at Garcia's Grill in downtown Bowling Green.
The Women’s Fund of South Central Kentucky revealed its “biggest news yet” Tuesday – this year the foundation will be awarding $171,000 in grants, including the $100,000 Impact Grant.
“Our mission is making a positive impact in the lives of women, children and families now and forever,” Women’s Fund Chair Monica Taylor said Tuesday. “How we do that is by collectively funding significant grants to charitable organizations with the same purpose.”
The fund will be allocated to four organizations in southcentral Kentucky that are involved with aiding women and children. The allocation will include the $100,000 Impact Grant, as well as a $51,000 Growth Grant and two $10,000 Recognition Grants. This year’s allocation will be a change of pace from last year that saw a $100,000 grant and three $20,000 grants to the four finalists.
“A lot of our initial strategy was to raise awareness and make an impact and we’ve done it,” Executive Director Jennifer Wethington said. “Did I ever think we’d be giving away $171,000? We just wanted to get to $100,000, so we’ve kind of blown past that, so we’re excited.”
Wethington said “it would be even better if we can get to two, $100,000” awards with that as a goal for the fund in the future.
The application for the grants opened July 10 and will be open until Aug. 10.
Taylor said the top eight applicants will be decided at the beginning of September, with the final four decided by the middle of September.
The allocation of Impact Grant funds to recipients will be decided by a vote of the Women’s Fund membership on Oct. 22.
Including this year’s upcoming grant cycle, the fund will have rewarded around $1.5 million in grant money since the first IMPACT Grant was given 12 years ago.
Along with the money given, Taylor said that she can “safely say” the grants endowment, some of which is used to help collect grant funding, is over $1.8 million.
