WIF Grants Update As of October 10, 2023

By Lily Iatridis

On October 2, this year’s grants application cycle officially launched! Women’s Impact Fund is accepting grant applications through midnight on October 20, 2023.

For those new to Women’s Impact Fund (WIF), grants are awarded annually in five areas: arts & culture, education, environment, health, and human services. In order to be eligible for a WIF grant, an organization must be a 501(c)(3) or fiscally sponsored nonprofit organization, focus on one of the five areas listed above, and primarily serve Mecklenburg County residents.

Grant applicants aren’t required to focus on women and girls, and prior WIF grant recipients are eligible to receive an award three years after the award of a previous grant. Every grant awarded will be for unrestricted operating support. WIF does not fund fraternal organizations, religiously-centered organizations, or endowment campaigns.

WIF’s funding principles include the following:

•          Racial and/or gender equity

•          Responsiveness to, or awareness of, root causes of problems

•          Focus on reducing disparities

•          Increasing accessibility

•          Building resilience or demonstrating the ability to adapt to changing circumstances

•          Serving populations that are underserved or not reached at all.

Each organization awarded a grant must demonstrate a dedication to one or several of these principles. On October 5, a live webinar reviewing the application process for grant applicants took place, and a recording of the webinar is available on the WIF website.

WIF’s grants committee began their work with a kick-off meeting to review the process on August 30. From that point onward, a Listening & Learning period began where all committee members were asked to study and review materials regarding the grant award process overall and current issues in their assigned area of focus (arts & culture, education, environment, health, or human services). Once the application window closes on October 20, the application review period begins and continues through the end of November.