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SisterFund Grants

SisterFund invests in local nonprofits engaged in helping African American women and girls chart a positive future for themselves through gains in education, workforce, leadership development, and health.

SisterFund provides a forum for philanthropic minded African American women to pool our time, talent, and treasure to support organizations that are working to transform the lives of African American women and girls in the Greater Richmond Metro Region.

Members contribute a minimum of $1,100 to participate in an investment pool to be awarded to a nonprofit selected through an application process.

Sisterfund seeks to make investments in nonprofit, community-based organizations engaged in impacting African American women and girls to have a positive future specifically through gains in education, workforce, leadership development, and health.

 

The 2023 grant cycle opens August 15th and closes September 12th at 5 p.m. 
Register and apply now

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for a SisterFund grant, your organization must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that serves the Cities of Richmond and Petersburg and/or the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, Goochland, and/or Powhatan. SisterFund seeks to support nonprofits that impact African American women and girls through efforts outlined in the Grant Priorities section below.

We regret that we cannot accept applications from:

  • Individual religious institutions
  • Private foundations
  • Colleges and universities
  • Individuals or scholarship applicants

We also cannot accept applications to support:

  • Debt reduction or operational deficits
  • Endowments or memorials
  • Bridge funding or interim financing
  • Legal expenses

Grant Priorities

To be eligible to apply for a Sisterfund grant, your organization must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that serves the residents of the City of Richmond, and/or the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, Goochland, and/or Powhatan. Sisterfund seeks to support nonprofits that directly impact African American women and girls through efforts that include those outlined below.  


Education

  • Advocacy and promotion of  systemic reform and improvement in the quality of educational opportunities for African American women and girls 
  • Teacher/educator training
  • Tutoring, life coaching, and/or mentoring
  • Enrichment opportunities beyond the classroom that expose students to potential educational or career paths

Leadership Development and Support

  • Coaching,  mentoring, and/or training for African-American Female Executive Directors & CEOs of nonprofit organizations 

Workforce Development & Support

  • Programs to support entrepreneurs 
  • Apprenticeship or job skills training programs

Empowerment

  • Programs that focus on social emotional development of adolescent girls, including those that focus on building self-confidence 
  • Programs  that promote a positive self image/self concept for women and girls 

Health

  • Promotion of healthy lifestyles
  • Promotion of equity in health care access and delivery of services

Funding may be used for program support or specific projects. Consideration will also be given to capacity building requests to strengthen the infrastructure and increase the program capacity of start-up or established organizations that serve African American women and girls.

We also cannot accept applications to support:

  • Debt reduction or operational deficits
  • Endowments or memorials
  • Bridge funding or interim financing
  • Legal expenses

Grant Amount

Recognizing the current unprecedented health, economic and racial justice challenges, SisterFund is further committed to strengthening and increasing resources to provide essential services that support African-American women and girls. SisterFund awarded $70k in 2022 and the committee is looking forward to granting multiple awards again this year.  The awards will be granted to multiple non-profits across the region, who present significant programs that provide direct services to African-American women and girls.

 

How to Apply

SisterFund application will open on August 15, 2023.

Deadline: To be considered, SisterFund proposals must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on September 12, 2023.

Review Process
A volunteer committee of SisterFund will review requests and invite finalists to present at a meeting of full membership, where the membership will vote on its funding decision. The grant awards will be announced and celebrated at an event on December 7, 2023.  

Apply Now

Interested in joining SisterFund? 

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