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How many Women’s Giving Fund grants will you make in 2024, and for how much?
In 2024, Women’s Giving Fund will fund an annual high impact grant of $75,000. Additionally, runners-up will each receive $25,000 to be used toward their proposal or work serving women+ and/or children in Summit County, UT. Runners-up will be asked to submit a brief statement of how funds will be used. Park City Community Foundation’s Board of Directors make the final decisions on the number of grants and amount.
What does women+ mean?
At Park City Community Foundation, we use women+ to welcome and include all self-identifying women, including cis and transgender women, as well as non-binary and gender-fluid individuals. While our initiative centers women’s voices and is catered to women+, we welcome the support of all allies who share our values.
What are you looking for in a proposed project or program?
Please see the “Review Criteria” in the Women’s Giving Fund Grant Guidelines. In general, the Women’s Giving Fund Grants Committee will prioritize projects or programs that target a significant community need or opportunity benefiting women+ and/or children in Summit County; that have a strategically planned approach that clearly addresses the need/opportunity and whose future beyond the grant is well thought out; that have clear ways to assess results; that are presented by sound organizations; and that have reasonable budgets that also leverage other resources.
What does the committee look for when reviewing applications?
Beyond the basic criteria, it is helpful to emphasize why the proposed activities matter, what drives the passion of the organization to want to undertake these activities, and how the proposed activities will actually work to produce the targeted impact. Some particular aspects to consider including might be:
The committee looks for whether all the pieces of the proposal fit together and flow toward the proposed goals and outcomes. It is optional but acceptable to include quotes, brief stories, a small number of photographs, and letters of support from any collaborating organizations, if desired. Video links may be included, but given the number of applications, reviewers are not required to watch linked videos as part of the review process.
Can an application be for a program benefiting just women+, or just children, or does it have to be both women+ and children?
Applications may be for programs benefiting just women, or just children, or both.
Can organizations based outside of Summit County apply?
Organizations based outside of Summit County should make clear how their proposed program directly benefits women+ and/or children in Summit County.
Is a program eligible if it is held in Summit County and involves participants from around the
nation?
The Women’s Giving Fund Grant is intended to primarily benefit women+ and/or children in Summit County, Utah. While programs that include benefits to people elsewhere are eligible, it is critical to spell out what the local benefits are to women+ and/or children in Summit County.
Is there a preference for new programs vs. continuing programs?
Applications are accepted for both new and continuing programs. In either case, it is helpful to show why the need or opportunity is compelling and requires this level of funding now. If a completely new organization is being founded as part of the grant, information should be provided referencing the track record of the people and/or other organizations involved in the new startup.
Would a naming opportunity in a capital campaign be eligible?
Organizations may apply for a Women’s Giving Fund grant to support a capital campaign, whether or not the support would lead to a naming opportunity. Applications for capital campaign support may want to emphasize how quickly the funding will lead to benefits for women and/or children in Summit County, and spell out as clearly as possible what the Women’s Giving Fund grant would accomplish in the context of a large campaign.
Are partnerships important?
While we encourage partnerships where they make sense, the Women’s Giving Fund Grant does not favor or disfavor programs that include partnerships. If partners are key to the proposed program’s success, partners should provide the lead organization with a brief letter of support for the application, confirming their involvement.
For a collaborative project, who should apply for the grant?
One lead organization should submit a single application for a collaborative project or program. Collaborating organizations should provide the lead organization with a brief letter of support for the application, confirming their involvement. If selected for the grant, the lead organization will receive the grant funds and may use some of the grant funds to pay one or more collaborating organizations for their part(s) in the project or program. It is helpful for the budget submitted with the application to spell out which organization will actually be directly incurring the various proposed expenses.
Is the grant paid in one lump sum or in a series of payments?
The payment plan can be adapted to the needs of the grantee. Park City Community Foundation will work out the payment plan with the grantee. If the grant is meant to fund activities over more than one year, payments may be made in a series (most likely annually) over the grant term. Funds must be used within 3 years of receiving the grant.
What elements are important in a project’s or program’s evaluation plans?
Different types of projects and programs have different types of indicators available. Where quantitative data are reasonably available, the Women’s Giving Fund Grants Committee appreciates seeing data that help define the need being addressed in an application, and information about how the data will be followed and reported as the project or program is implemented. Qualitative information is also very helpful, both in establishing the need/opportunity and in reporting on results.
What is the application and review timeline?
Please see the Women’s Giving Fund Grant Guidelines for the complete application and review timeline for 2024. Briefly, applications are due by 11 p.m. MST on April 12. In May, three finalists will be selected and will participate in a video production of their proposed project or program. The full Women’s Giving Fund membership will vote on the three finalists in June. The 2024 grantee will be announced at a celebration event on July 10, 2024.
What organizations/projects received the past Women’s Giving Fund Grants?
Explore past grantees here.
How do I apply for the Women’s Giving Fund Grant?
Before the April 12 deadline, visit the application portal at http://www.grantinterface.com/Process/Apply?urlkey=parkcitycf, create an account, complete and submit the Women’s Giving Fund Grant application form.
What is the history of Park City Community Foundation and the Women’s Giving Fund?
For more information about Park City Community Foundation and the Women’s Giving Fund, please visit the following web pages:
https://parkcitycf.org/about-us/
https://parkcitycf.org/our-impact/womens-giving-fund/
Do larger, national, long-standing organizations have better chances than newer, local, or small organizations?
Both more established organizations and newer organizations have received grants from the Women’s Giving Fund in the past. For example, PC Tots was a brand new organization when they received the grant in 2015. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah, a local chapter of a national organization, received the grant in 2018. The key question that the Women’s Giving Fund Grants Committee and voting members take into consideration is the potential impact of the project.
What can prospective applicants learn from past grantees’ applications/proposals?
Keep in mind the main criteria that the Women’s Giving Fund Grants Committee uses to review applications: demonstrate that the program/project addresses a significant community need for women+ and/or children, strategic plan, and measures to evaluate outcomes.
We also recommend telling a story of a specific beneficiary of the potential grant, which exemplifies the impact both on individual women and/or children and the greater community. For reference, we also recommend viewing the videos that are produced about the three semifinalists which provide more context on which Women’s Giving Fund members vote. Below are the video links for the 2023 Women’s Giving Fund finalists.
Updated February 12, 2024.
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