If you work for a small nonprofit that is all about empowering girls and women, you need to know about this grant.
The Women's Foundation of Southern Arizona is offering as much as $5,000 in grant money to local nonprofit organizations that have annual expenses of $150,000 or less. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, March 2.
The Harriet Silverman Small Grants Fund awarded money to six organizations last year, including Arivaca Action Center, Inc., Heartsounds: Mother and Infant Care, Lupus Foundation of Southern Arizona, PowerSource Tucson, Inc., Tucson Postpartum Depression Coalition and the Vail Education Foundation.
Last year, Heartsounds: Mother and Infant Care received $2,500 from the Women's Foundation that went toward providing postpartum doula support to moms in low-income situations who may not otherwise be able to afford a doula.
A doula is a person trained to give nonmedical assistance to moms before, during and after childbirth.
Heartsounds provides doula care to any new mom "feeling anxious or overwhelmed," said board member Elizabeth Mendoza. "This grant helped to fund in-home, one-on-one support — so, listening, connecting with community resources and practical support — things like making sure they're eating or taking a few moments for themselves and helping with feeding concerns. So all of that donation was applied to these moms and helping them get back on their feet."
Mendoza said on average women receive $300-$500 worth of doula services. Grants like the Harriet Silverman Small Grant help cover those costs.
"We can only fund those who apply, so we would love to have diverse options," said Krista Millay, community impact director for the Women's Foundation. "If people are doing work that empowers women and girls — it doesn't even have to be work for women and girls directly — but if the outcome is that women and girls are empowered, we want to know so we can support that work."
Organizations that apply must also be a 501(c)(3) or sponsored by a 501(c)(3) and doing work in Pima, Cochise or Santa Cruz counties.
"When you're a small nonprofit organization, sometimes it's just those little things that make a difference between closing your doors and moving forward," Millay said. "We just want to help them move forward."
For more information about grant eligibility or to apply, visit womengiving.org/grants. You can also email Millay at kmillay@womengiving.org with any questions.
