WFCO Renews Funding for 23 Grantee Partners
Statewide Grantees Awarded $613,000 to Continue Work with WFCO in 2020 to Propel Women Toward Economic Security
The Women’s Foundation of Colorado (WFCO) renewed funding for a third year for the 23 grantees that make up its WAGES (Women Achieving Greater Economic Security) cohort. Additionally, because of the steady gains the cohort has made in helping women across the state advance economically, WFCO announced that it will extend the work of the grantee cohort for a fourth year – or through 2021.
WAGES shows consistent economic mobility gains through first 18 months
The Women’s Foundation of Colorado launched WAGES in 2018 in alignment with The Foundation’s strategic plan that began in 2017. Nearly 1,300 Coloradans informed the direction of the strategic plan by identifying access to livable wages, high-quality child care, equal pay, job training, and education as the most important resources for women to achieve economic security.
To date, WFCO has invested more than $1,739,000 into the work of WAGES’ 15 direct-service grantees, eight public policy grantees, and one evaluation partner. In 2020, grants totaled $613,000. Through the first 18 months of the cohort, evaluation partner OMNI Institute reported economic mobility gains for 613 women and an additional 1,288 members of their households. Furthermore, the cohort accelerated economic opportunity for all 2.8 million women and girls in Colorado through its policy work, such as helping to pass the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act in 2019.
What we have learned is that propelling women toward economic security requires multi-year funding commitments and many strategies. We work with public policy partners to change systems that allow women to thrive in the workplace, while providing transformative opportunities for women and their children through our direct-service partners. We are thrilled to be able to extend this work together through 2021 and reach more women. – Louise Myrland, vice president of programs
2020 public policy grantees
- 9to5 Colorado
- Bell Policy Center
- Colorado Center on Law and Policy
- Colorado Children’s Campaign
- Colorado Fiscal Institute
- Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation – Denver Opportunity Youth Initiative
- Executives Partnering to Invest in Children
- Young Invincibles
2020 direct-service grantees
- Center for Work Education and Employment, Denver
- Collaborative Healing Initiative within Communities, Inc., (CHIC) Denver
- Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Denver
- Community Partnership for Child Development, (CPCD) Colorado Springs
- Durango Adult Education Center, Durango
- Eagle County Government (Department of Human Services), Eagle County
- Emergency Family Assistance Association, Inc., (EFAA) Boulder
- Florence Crittenton Services of Colorado, Denver
- La Plata Family Centers Coalition, Durango
- Mi Casa Resource Center, Denver
- OneMorgan County, Morgan County
- Project Self-Sufficiency, Loveland/Fort Collins
- Pueblo Community College, Pueblo
- Pueblo Community College Foundation, Pueblo
- Women’s Resource Center, Durango
WAGES – A learning community
A unique value proposition of WAGES is bringing direct-service and public policy grantees together to inform each other’s work and strengthen outcomes for Colorado women. Insights gained together through monthly virtual expert-facilitated convenings helped them identify and implement key interventions – such as providing stipends and developing peer-to-peer support – to help women complete their job training and educational programs.
Additionally, through their work in communities across the state, the cohort pointed to increased access to high-quality child care, with a specific focus on the early care and education workforce, as the greatest need among women striving to meet their families’ financial needs. This was closely followed by reform of Colorado’s tax and budget policies to increase resources available for community investments that help women and families thrive. Those insights shaped WFCO’s policy focus in 2020 and will guide the work of the cohort for its remaining two years together.
WFCO grant cycle
The Women’s Foundation of Colorado will update its strategic plan in 2020 and plans to release it in spring 2021. The updated plan will inform the direction of WFCO’s grantmaking beyond 2021 and the application process and focus for grants in 2022 will be announced at that time.
