The Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County has awarded $127,500 to 11 area non-profit organizations to support programs that promote the health, well-being, education and empowerment of women and girls of all ages. With the presentation of its 2021 grants, the WGF has given just over $1.3 million to nearly 100 Waukesha area non-profit organizations since its inception 17 years ago.
Grants for 2021 were awarded to:
- ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis: $15,000 to provide customized one-to-one emotional support to anyone impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis, including patients, families and friends.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee: $15,000 to provide 60 Waukesha County girls ages 6-12 with female mentors through a school-based mentoring program.
- Eras Senior Network: $10,000 to support about 250 senior and disabled Waukesha County women through the Weekly Friendly Phone Call program that helps ensure basic needs are being addressed and reduces the feeling of loneliness.
- Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast: $10,000 to support STEM educational and experiential learning opportunities for girls.
- Girls on the Run of Southeastern Wisconsin: $2,500 to sponsor a program that enhances the social, psychological and physical wellness behaviors of girls in grades 3-6.
- NAMI Southeast Wisconsin: $10,000 to promote the Ending the Silence program, which uses young adult presenters with experience to teach high school students about signs of mental health conditions and how to seek help if they or a friend are experiencing symptoms.
- Prevent Blindness Wisconsin: $10,000 to support the Vision for Life program, which provides preventative vision health services to at-risk children and women. Prevent Blindness Wisconsin will partner with the Women’s Center.
- ProHealth Care Foundation Hispanic Health Resource Center: $15,000 to provide financial assistance so uninsured or underinsured women have access to cancer screenings, diagnostic services and breast cancer treatments.
- UWM at Waukesha Foundation: $10,000 to provide a year of hands-on opportunities for young women through the Girls Engineering Math Science (GEMS) and Beyond program.
- Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation: $15,000 to support “Make Your Money Talk - Financial Empowerment for Women,” which provide business education, one-on-one counseling, and financial empowerment classes to improve women’s economic situations.
In addition to these grants made from funds generated by the annual Women of Distinction luncheon and earnings on the WGF endowment, the WGF also recently awarded a $15,000 grant to Forward Careers, Inc., to help young women successfully transition out of the foster care system. Funds for this grant were generated by a special endowment fund created within the WGF by Regina Baecher Oberlin of Brookfield.
Executive Director Michelle DuBord explains how these grants provide important services to women and girls and strengthen our community.
