* many do not accept unsolicited proposals

The WSWF accepts proposals by from organizations with demonstrated successes in our outlined focus area, specifically, programs that go beyond providing basic needs but that seek to educate, advance and empower women. Examples of such programs include microfinance and microenterprise programs geared toward enabling women to reach financial self-sufficiency and programs geared toward financial education, asset-building and that otherwise seek to advance women in their communities.

We invite grant proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations for programs that:

• Seek to educate, advance and empower women beyond providing for immediate basic needs.
• Implement and teach entrepreneurial principles, training and practices, including supporting the initial stages of new women-run enterprises.
• Establish groundwork for long-term sustainability of women owned enterprises.
• Focus beyond basic needs of women to build intellectual, social, economic and emotional strengths.
• Teach the skills of financial literacy, personal money management, business practices and job seeking skills.
• Support and guide women through the steps of business planning and forming their own enterprise.
• Provide access to credit needed to start or grow microenterprises;
• Provide access to finance and technical assistance to small and growing women owned and operated businesses in any sector of the economy;
• Increase access to education for women, and support innovative teaching strategies that increase the achievement of women and improve literacy levels.
• Encourage women to put their financial knowledge into action by taking advantage of asset building services such as insurance, remittances, savings, matched savings, homeownership, and tax credit programs;
• Increase understanding of the role of financial education in changing financial behaviors and producing positive financial outcomes for participants;

The WSWF does not provide funding for:

• Lobbying activities
• Start-up costs or seed monies
• Annual fundraising drives
• Projects undertaken by individuals
• General support (for first-time grantees)
• Capital costs, including equipment or real estate purchases/renovations

Applying organizations must:

1. be a 501(c)(3) organization that has been in existence for three years at the time of application;
2. be engaged in work relevant to WSWF values, strategic objectives and priorities; and
3. demonstrate accountability and good governance.

Please provide the following in your proposal:

1. A description of your organization, including its primary goals, the need or problem that the organization works to address and the segments of the population to which efforts are primarily directed;
2. A brief description of your organization’s existing programs and accomplishments to date;
3. If the request is for a specific project, describe the primary purpose of the project for which funds are sought, a specific description of how the project’s goals will be achieved, the population served, the projected budget, the amount raised to date, additional financing plans and anticipated completion date, if applicable;
4. The current operating budget of your organization, including sources of projected income and breakdown of actual income and expenses for the year to date;
5. A list of current foundation and corporate supporters as well as other major (>$10,000) sources of income, with amounts raised from these sources for the previous year, as well as current fiscal year to date;
6. A list of directors/trustees and their affiliations; and Information on the senior staff, including full contact information for the principal project contact (mailing address, phone, fax, and email address).

Application Process:

All grant applications should be sent by email to: selfworthcs@gmail.com

All potentially eligible grant applications will be assessed in the light of the WSWF’s grants budget, and the grants which are considered to most closely fit the priorities and areas of interest within the funds available will be taken forward.

If WSWF is interested in understanding more about your proposal, we will contact you to provide further information (including without limitation proof of your 501(c)(3) status and financial statements) and to further discuss the details of any potential grant. If agreement is reached as to the grant details, a formal agreement will be executed setting forth the terms and conditions of the grant, along with the reporting templates, milestones and any other parameters and conditions agreed upon.