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Women Give San Diego Grant Application and Process 2022

Women Give San Diego (WGSD) is a non-profit organization that funds programs that help women and girls of San Diego achieve economic self-sufficiency. We do this by providing grants that help women and girls, nonbinary, and transgender individuals:

  • Develop skills to improve financial literacy and prevent poverty
  • Prepare for first-time employment or jobs in higher paying fields
  • Maintain independence, social welfare and economic security

Funding opportunity

In 2022, WGSD grants will support organizations that advance female entrepreneurs, especially those that identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). Grants will be provided as general operating support over two years (2022-2023). Approximately $100,000 will be available and there are typically four grantees per cycle.  Grants are distributed across a two-year period.

In San Diego and across the United States, women – especially women of color – do not have the same access to business capital and growth opportunities as men. According to Closing the Women’s Wealth Gap (CWWG), women own only 32 cents on the dollar compared to men; for women of color, the gap widens to pennies on the dollar. Gender discrimination compounded with the legacy of systemic racism makes it more difficult for women of color to establish and maintain economic security.

But Black and Latinx women are two of the fastest-growing groups of business owners in the United States. In 2019, women of color represented 39% of the total female population in the U.S. but accounted for 89% of the net new women-owned businesses per day. And yet, according to Goldman Sachs, less than 1% of all venture funding goes to Black and Latinx-led women-founded companies, despite the jobs they create and the impact they have on our local economy. Supporting women entrepreneurs in our region contributes to their current and future economic self-sufficiency as well as regional growth and stability.

Examples of entrepreneur needs that could be supported through these grants include:

  • Technical business assistance, such as support for business plan development, marketing, IT, accounting, etc.
  • Fees for nonprofit business incubator or accelerator membership for entrepreneurs
  • Support for establishing a women-owned cooperative
  • Capital for expansion plans or initial business launch
  • Coaching, networking, or peer support

GRANT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

  • Geographic Range: San Diego County
  • Businesses eligible for funding must be led by women, including trans women and girls.
  • Must demonstrate outcomes that contribute to women’s economic self-sufficiency and security.
  • Gives voice to female constituents at all levels, and be willing to implement their ideas for change within the organization’s structure and programs.
  • WGSD encourages collaborative efforts between non-profit organizations to leverage greater impact than would be accomplished individually.
  • Formal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, as well as informal groups of women or emerging groups of women or organizations that can secure the cooperation of a 501 (c)(3) organization willing to serve as a fiscal sponsor, are eligible to apply for WGSD funding.

GRANT EXCLUSIONS OR RESTRICTIONS:

  • Organizations or Activities, which use religion or religious teachings as integral part of programmatic materials or content, or as a means of determining eligibility for service
  • Retro-active funding
  • Reduction of an operating deficit or to liquidate existing debt
  • Agencies of state of federal government
  • Organizations or groups that oppose a woman’s right to self-determination
  • Individuals
  • Organizations outside of San Diego County
  • Women Give San Diego does not consider overhead/indirect costs ineligible, but does prioritize proposals in which our funds go to supporting the economic empowerment and self-sufficiency of women and girls. So, for organizations that serve only or primarily women/girls, overhead would be considered in line with our mission. For organizations that serve a broader constituency, requests to expend funds on projects that focus on women and girls would be more competitive, and the indirect costs should be proportional to the project.
  • A past grantee is ineligible to apply again until one year after the last year of WGSD funding. These organizations will be eligible to re-apply for grant support after the off year has elapsed.

 HOW TO APPLY

Interested organizations that meet the WGSD grant eligibility criteria (above) should submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) by clicking here. LOIs should respond to the questions laid out and clearly outline how this work benefits underserved women and communities as defined by Women Give San Diego’s areas of focus and this grant cycle.

Process and timeline

Step 1: Submit an LOI

Interested organizations should complete the LOI form found here by January 26, 2022.

Step 2: Submit a full application

The Women Give San Diego Grants Team will review LOI forms and invite select organizations to submit a full application that elaborates on the project being submitted for funding. Application questions will be provided to organizations by February 21, 2022 and must be submitted to WGSD by March 18, 2022.

Step 2: Zoom site visit

The Women Give San Diego Grants Team will review proposals and ask select organizations for virtual site visits. Organizations will be notified by April 18, 2022 and site visits will take place between April 25 – May 6 (exact dates to be scheduled based on availability). The site visits are designed to offer Women Give San Diego and applicants the chance to meet staff and engage in dialogue about the proposed project. We always welcome a conversation with program participants/clients.

Award notification

Agencies, organizations will receive notification about final funding decisions in mid-May.

Grants celebration event

Organizations receiving grants will be invited to our annual Women Give San Diego Grants Celebration in May 2022.

For more information, please contact Megan Thomas at megan@catalystsd.org or 858-247-2022.

Thank you for your interest in building better lives for women and girls in San Diego County!