The Women's Foundation of Colorado Launches Women and Families of CO Relief Fund for COVID-19 Rapid Response

DENVER, April 8, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Women's Foundation of Colorado (WFCO) announced today a new COVID-19 relief and recovery fund for organizations serving Colorado women and their families. According to many economists, the fallout of COVID-19 will deepen existing gender, racial, and class inequities and widen the gap in essential resources.

The Colorado Health Foundation invested $500,000 in The Women's Foundation to launch the Women and Families of CO Relief Fund (WFCO Relief Fund). To date, The Colorado Health Foundation has invested more than $13.5 million in relief efforts throughout the state.

The WFCO Relief Fund will provide $320,000 in rapid-response grants to nonprofit organizations across the state serving Colorado women. Additionally, The WFCO Relief Fund will provide funding to existing WFCO programs, including 12 direct-service grantee partners that are part of WFCO's WAGES (Women Achieving Greater Economic Security) cohort, and WFCO's impact investing giving circle that makes loans to women-led social ventures and small businesses.

"Low-income women, single moms, and women of color will be hit much harder by the economic fallout of COVID-19," said Karen McNeil-Miller, president and CEO of The Colorado Health Foundation. "We are pleased that we can provide these essential dollars to the only community foundation in our state with the intersectional gender-lens expertise to understand the breadth of challenges women will face through this public health crisis."

Previously, in 2018, The Colorado Health Foundation awarded WFCO with a $1 million grant to support WFCO's statewide reach, deepen its impact, and affirm its role as the anchor institution for the economic advancement of Colorado women and their families.

The purpose of the WFCO Relief Fund is to rapidly and responsively distribute general operating grants to 501(c)(3) and other tax-exempt organizations that address the emergency needs of Colorado women and their families who are most impacted by COVID-19. Grant recipients could include organizations supporting victims of domestic violence, older women, women of refugee and immigrant backgrounds, women with disabilities, women experiencing homelessness, and more. The grants are meant to enhance the capacity of organizations responding to a variety of critical needs including housing, food, transportation, child care, health care, behavioral health, and more.

"For 33 years, WFCO has met the essential needs of Colorado women through our trusted research, public policy advocacy, and grantmaking. We will continue to do so," said Lauren Y. Casteel, president and CEO of The Women's Foundation. "However, in times of crisis, the issues that affect women disproportionately become even more pronounced, such as access to child care, health care, and livable wages. We are profoundly grateful for The Colorado Health Foundation's generous investment and trust in WFCO to help meet the greatest needs of Colorado women during the pandemic."

The grant application process opens Monday, April 6th, and the deadline to apply is Tuesday, April 14th at 5 p.m. WFCO will make grant decisions by the end of April using statewide community input and an equity framework. Grantees of the fund will receive $10,000 to be used for general operating expenses. The grant application can be found at http://www.wfco.org/grants.

The Women's Foundation of Colorado is the only statewide community foundation dedicated to creating more pathways to prosperity for Colorado women through the power of community, philanthropy, and impact. Since 1987, WFCO has served as an essential partner, resource, voice, and catalyst in strengthening Colorado's families, communities, and economy through the power of women. In its 33-year history, WFCO has funded dozens of research reports that identify the systemic barriers that keep women from earning a livable wage, helped pass key legislation that to spur women's economic advancement, and granted more than $19 million to nonprofits that work with women and families in communities statewide. For more information, please visit http://www.wfco.org.

SOURCE The Women's Foundation of Colorado