An endowed fund to ensure that women and girls have resources and opportunities to thrive. When a woman thrives, a family thrives. When a family thrives, a community thrives.
About the Fund
Created in 2016, this $3.4 million endowed fund is helping boost the economic growth of the county by supporting the educational and career success of local women and girls. The fund was started with a $1.5 million gift and an additional $500,000 challenge grant. We met the challenge with many large and small additional gifts, and through the power of endowment, the fund continues to grow allowing us to make grants for women and girls—forever. The Fund is invested in our Women’s Inclusion Long-Term Pool which focuses investment options on companies or funds seeking to drive greater gender equality through channels such as workplace equality, access to capital, and products and services that benefit women and girls.
Why This Matters
Across the nation, funds like these are proving to be effective strategies for tackling economic disparities, opening doors to educational opportunities, and improving the quality of life for all. As a community, we celebrate that
- 93.2% of women feel safe in their neighborhood all or most of the time in Santa Cruz County
- 74.5% of women in Santa Cruz County receive adequate prenatal care
- 72.7% of women in Santa Cruz County have access to the internet and a computing device
- 80.8% of women in Santa Cruz County are registered to vote
Even with decades of good work, there's still a long way to go, particularly here at home.
- 41.9% of women in Santa Cruz County are low-wage workers
- 39.6% of low- and moderate-income women are not able to afford enough food in Santa Cruz County
- 56.8% is the amount of single mothers’ median income spent annually on child care for infants and school-age children
Selected Data Sources: California Women's Well-Being Index
Recent Grants
Recent grants include Families in Transition, Inc., Family Justice
Center, Gardenia Amor Y Bienstar Para La Mujer, Girls Inc. of the
Central Coast, Monarch Services, Pajaro Valley Shelter Services, and
Walnut Avenue Family and Women's Center. Funding supports wrap-around
care; support for survivors of domestic abuse; and connecting women to
food banks, resources for health and wellness, parenting classes,
counseling, and financial literacy support. Grants are also helping fund
programs for girls to boost academic success, leadership, and healthy
development with an emphasis on confidence, equity, and empowerment.