The Women’s Fund of South Central Kentucky announced that six grants totaling $145,000 will be awarded to nonprofits in southcentral Kentucky later this year.

The announcement Tuesday came during a celebration at SOKY Market Pavilion, where 2021 Chair Sandy Sealey revealed this year’s grant total in front of several dozen members of the Women’s Fund.

Sealey said the grants will be allocated differently in the fund’s ninth year, citing the far-ranging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of four entities receiving grants and one earning a top award of $100,000, six nonprofits will be named finalists this time and the top award will be $60,000.

“A lot of organizations in the community have been impacted, so their donations are down and their ability to support women, children and families has been hard,” Sealey said. “Hopefully, this will help them bridge a gap and give them what they need to continue to push forward.”

The women’s fund is a grant-making program within the Community Foundation of South Central Kentucky, whose mission is to encourage philanthropic giving for a positive impact on the community – especially with women and children. Funding for the grants comes from the amount of money raised through the fund’s memberships.

The women’s fund grants committee will work through the grant review process and submit the final six organizations for a membership vote.

Submissions for the grants will be taken until Aug. 11.

Guidelines for applicants can be found at https://cfsky.org/ womens-fund-grant-guidelines.

Community Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Wethington said there are more than 300 members, and they will all vote on the allocation of grant funds to the six finalists.

Wethington said the grant amounts will be $60,000, $30,000, $20,000, $15,000 and two $10,000 awards.

The allocation of IMPACT grant funds to recipients will be decided by a vote of the women’s fund membership Oct. 26 at their annual dinner.

“Since it’s a vote by the women, what they are looking for are specific programs or projects that are very focused on women and children and families and trying to help their situations,” Sealey said.

She noted previous winners included Kids on the Block, Habitat for Humanity and Barren River Area Safe Space, which was the first top grant recipient in 2013.

The women’s fund is both a permanent endowment fund and a nonpermanent fund. The fund is managed and invested within the Community Foundation and has granted more than $866,000 since 2013. The permanent endowment is now $1.5 million.

– Follow reporter John Reecer on Twitter @JReecerBGDN or visit bgdaily news.com.