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Women’s Impact Fund’s grants committee kicked off the grants season with a webinar for potential grantees last month. In WIF’s second annual webinar grants leadership walked attendees through a wide range of topics including an intro to WIF, changes to the process over the last few years, eligibility requirements, information about our grants committee, and an overview of the application and the SlideRoom program used to collect applications. Patricia, Liz, and Claire also held a Q&A session to ensure all potential grantee questions were addressed.

To highlight a few of the changes, below is a list of updates WIF has made to the process:

  • Move to provide unrestricted funding rather than program-based funding
  • Shorten and simplify the application process
  • Conduct an annual discovery process for the grants committee before applications open
  • Show more transparency on grant-making priorities
  • Consider the possibility of giving more than one grant per focus area
  • Share honoraria for finalists that do not receive a grant

The webinar also included a discussion of WIF’s grantmaking priorities for the 2022-2023 grants cycle, included in the list below. It is important to note that organizations are not expected to encompass all these priorities, but we will make grants addressing one or more of these areas.

  • Racial and/or gender equity
  • Responsiveness to, or awareness of, root causes
  • Work that focuses on reducing disparities in our community
  • Increasing accessibility
  • Building resilience and/or demonstrating the ability to adapt to changing societal and environmental circumstances
  • Serving populations that are underserved or not reached through other resources or organizations

Members and potential grantees are welcome and encouraged to review the recording of the webinar or visit the Grants page on our website

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Janet LaBar

Executive Director​
jlabar@womensimpactfund.org

With more than 25 years of experience, Janet has a proven track record of leading organizations and teams in developing strategies that foster thriving communities. Her career is dedicated to the well-being of the places she serves, and the people and businesses within them, positioning her as a trusted sounding board, critical thinker, and purposeful protagonist across corporate, government, education, entrepreneurial, and civic spheres.
Janet joined Women’s Impact Fund in June 2025 to guide one of Charlotte’s most respected, women-led philanthropic organizations into its next phase of growth and impact. In partnership with the Women’s Impact Fund team, Board, Advisors, members, volunteers, and key community partners, she will continue strengthening communities by maximizing women’s leadership in philanthropy through collective giving, education, and engagement.
Inspired by her family, teams who dare greatly, and people and communities striving to be their best selves, Janet’s impactful career includes leadership roles as President and CEO of Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, President and CEO of Greater Portland Inc, and Chief Performance Officer of Greater Phoenix Economic Council. As a first-generation Filipino American, her lived experience deeply informs her professional drive to create equitable economic growth and opportunity in the metro areas she’s served.
She holds a BA in Communication Arts from the University of West Florida and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Phoenix. Janet and her husband James are proud parents to an older daughter, and a daughter and son who are twins.