Each year, Washington Women's Foundation awards five large impact grants of up to $100,000, one in each funding area: arts and culture; education; environment; health; and human services. Our Grant Committee looks for opportunities that provide a response to critical and urgent needs; initiate bold new ventures; and foster new approaches to ongoing problems.

We welcome the interest of tax-exempt organizations in Washington state through the submission of a Letter of Inquiry.  We can only accept Letters of Inquiry submitted online using the form found here.  Full grant proposals are accepted by invitation only.  Twenty-five organizations, five in each of the funding areas, are invited to submit full proposals in February each year.

LOIs are no longer accepted for the 2013 Pooled Fund Grant cycle.  Please check back again in September 2013 to submit an LOI for the 2014 Pooled Fund Grant cycle.

Click below to learn more:
Eligibility criteria
Funding criteria and guiding principles
Grants process
Frequently Asked Questions
Submit a Letter of Inquiry

Eligibility Criteria

• Only organizations qualified under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) or 7871 as tax-exempt entities. (The only exception to this is an organization applying under the auspices of a Fiscal Sponsor - another organization that is a 501(c)(3) willing to take fiscal responsibility for the grant, should it be awarded.)
• Only organizations that provide services in the State of Washington will be considered for funding.
• Funding for special projects, operating expenses and capital campaigns will be considered.
• Funding requests for endowments and out-of-state projects will not be considered.
• Washington Women’s Foundation believes that no person should be excluded from agency services, employment or volunteer participation, and will not fund organizations that engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief, or for any other discriminatory reason.  We also do not fund organizations that serve an exclusively sectarian purpose.
• Organizations that have previously received a WWF pooled fund award are eligible for consideration again if it has been a minimum of five years since the initial grant award.

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Funding Criteria and Guiding Principles

Washington Women’s Foundation funds projects that address at least one of the following criteria:

• Response to urgent and critical need;
• Bold new venture; and/or
• New approach to ongoing problems.

The Foundation funds broadly – it does not limit funding to women’s causes. It funds organizations that, in the opinion of Foundation members, are able to make the best use of a large impact grant of up to $100,000.

Our grant making process balances two goals: to make high-impact funding decisions, and to make the process as educational and hands-on as possible for our members.  Significant impact is one of the primary goals of our grant making: on individuals, the organization and/or the community at large.  We also look for potential for leveraging other funds, collaboration or other partnerships.  Charity fills an immediate need; philanthropy makes change happen. We are looking to make change happen.

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Pooled Fund Grants Process

Pooled fund grants are at the heart of Washington Women’s Foundation grant-making. It is a unique and highly respected process that lasts six months and typically involves more than 60 members, working and learning together as part of the Grant Committee. It embodies philanthropy in action, ensuring member involvement, confidence and integrity in grant decisions.

November
Organizations submit Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) in areas of
arts & culture, education, environment, health, and human services.

January
250+ LOIs are reviewed by the Grant Committee.
Foundation issues Requests for Proposals
25 total, 5 per funding area

March-April
Grant Committee selects organizations for site visits
15 total, 3 per funding area

May
After site visits, Grant Committee selects finalists for ballot
10 total, 2 per funding area

June
Entire WWF membership votes to select grantees
5 total, 1 per funding area, up to $100,000 award to each
$2,000 Merit Award each to other 5 finalists

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Frequently Asked Questions about the Foundation’s Pooled Fund Grant process

Click below to learn more:
Does the Foundation support only projects relating to women?
How does my nonprofit apply for a pooled fund grant?
Must organizations invited to submit proposals meet all three of Washington Women’s Foundation criteria?
Are requests for capital projects considered?
Are requests for individuals or endowment funds considered?
Are requests from religious organizations considered?
Are out of state projects considered?
What is the typical amount and funding period of a Pooled Fund grant from Washington Women's Foundation?
If an organization was funded by Washington Women’s Foundation in the past, can it be considered again?
Is it necessary to have a member recommend or endorse my organization?
Are requests from other foundations considered?
How do organizations learn the status of their Letter of Inquiry?
May nonprofits apply for Individual Grant Recommendations (donations self-directed by individual members)?
May nonprofits apply for the Partner Grants?

Does the Foundation support only projects relating to women?
No. We fund broadly and consider proposals serving a wide array of causes that are of interest to our members. Our grant areas include Arts and Culture, Education, Environment, Health and Human Services.

How does my nonprofit apply for a pooled fund grant?
We encourage nonprofits to submit a Letter of Inquiry online. We only accept LOIs submitted using our online form - we do not accept mailed letters or emails.  Full grant proposals are accepted by invitation only.

Must a proposal meet all three of Washington Women’s Foundation criteria in order to submit a Letter of Inquiry?
No. A strong proposal should meet at least one of the criteria but it doesn’t need to meet all three. For example, providing operating funds to a community organization may be a response to an urgent need, but not a bold new venture. This does not reduce its eligibility for funding. Sometimes the most urgent need is operating support for an established organization or ongoing program; sometimes providing seed money to a new program will be the direction the committee chooses. Either is acceptable.

Are requests for capital projects considered?
Yes.

Are requests for individuals or endowment funds considered?
No. We make grants to nonprofits for operating, project, and capital funds only. 

Are requests from religious organizations considered?
Washington Women’s Foundation believes that no person should be excluded from agency services, employment or volunteer participation, and will not fund organizations that engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief, or for any other discriminatory reason.  We also do not fund organizations that serve an exclusively sectarian purpose.

Are out of state projects considered?
No. Because we make site visits to all grant prospects for both initial assessment and follow-up reviews, it is impractical for us to consider distant projects, either out of state or international for the Pooled Fund Grants process.

What is the typical Pooled Fund grant amount and funding period?
Each year, Washington Women's Foundation awards a Pooled Fund grant in each of five areas: arts and culture; education; environment; health; and human services. Our funding pool each year is determined by the number of members that contribute to the Pooled Fund. We seek to make the largest impact possible with our funds.  For that reason, we ask that all organizations apply for an $100,000 grant.

Organizations that are chosen to receive a Pooled Fund grant of up to $100,000 may receive the grant over a 1-year, 2-year, or 3-year funding period, to be determined mutually by Washington Women's Foundation and the funded organization. For example, one grantee may choose to receive a $100,000 grant over 2 years in two equal installments of $50,000; another may decide that installments of $40,000, $20,000 and $40,000 over three years would best suit their program needs.

Click here to see the Foundation's funding history.

If an organization was funded by Washington Women’s Foundation in the past, can it be considered again?
If it has been at least five years since the first disbursement of funds from our past grant, organizations are welcome to submit a Letter of Inquiry again.

Is it necessary to have a member recommend or endorse my organization?
No.  We strongly recommend that organizations not solicit endorsements from members.

Are requests from other foundations considered?
Foundations that intend to use funds for specific, identified projects rather than for re-distribution to fund other organizations may be considered.

How do organizations learn the status of their Letter of Inquiry?
Request For Proposal (RFP) letters will be sent mid-February to a maximum of 25 organizations, inviting them to submit full proposals.  An email will be sent to all other organizations in mid-February notifying them that they have not been selected for further consideration in the funding cycle.  A list of the 25 organizations chosen to submit grant proposals is posted on our website by the end of February.

May nonprofits apply for Individual Grant Recommendations (the donations self-directed by individual members)?
No. Members have the privilege of selecting their own organizations to receive these funds.

May nonprofits apply for the Partner Grants?
No.  Each of these committees (International, Diversity, Innovation) operates on an invitation-only basis, so there is no application process for nonprofit organizations. Click here for more details about each of these committees.
 

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 Submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI)

We invite nonprofit organizations to submit a two page Letter of Inquiry (LOI) to enter into our annual grant process. The Grant Committee will determine which organizations will receive invitations to submit full grant proposals.

We only accept LOIs submitted using our online form - we do not accept mailed letters or emails. Click the orange box below to view and submit an LOI form; if you experience any problems with the online form, please contact the WWF office at 206.340.1710.

We are no longer accepting Letters of Inquiry for the 2013 grant cycle.   Please check back again in September 2013 to submit an LOI for the 2014 Pooled Fund Grant cycle.

LOI Tips:

• Review grant guidelines to make sure your project is eligible for funding.
• Due date for the LOI is Friday November 30, 2012 at noon. We only accept LOIs submitted through our online form - no mailed or emailed LOIs will be accepted.
• In the narrative, be as clear and focused as possible about how your organization would make best use of $100,000. What is the critical need that you would be addressing? Why is your approach compelling? What impact would $100,000 have on your organization and/or the communities you serve?
• We ask that all organizations apply for an $100,000 grant.  Grant requests less than $100,000 are not considered. 
• Organizations that are chosen to receive a Pooled Fund grant may decide to receive the grant over a 1-year, 2-year, or 3-year funding period, as best suits their needs.
• We recommend submitting no more than one or two LOIs per funding cycle, even if your organization is very large. 
• An email confirming receipt of your LOI will be sent in December.
• Request For Proposal (RFP) letters will be sent mid-February to a maximum of 25 organizations, inviting them to submit full proposals.
• An email will be sent to all other organizations in mid-February notifying them that they have not been selected for further consideration in the funding cycle.
• We unfortunately are not able to give feedback on reasons that specific LOIs do not go forward to the RFP stage, given the large number of LOIs and the logistics of our Grant Committee format.

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