APPLETON — The Women's Fund for the Fox Valley Region has made 14 grants totaling $57,000, including the largest one-time grant ever given by the organization.

Requests for funding were up 54 percent this year, a reflection of growing community needs.

Programs addressing economic self-sufficiency and violence prevention were a priority for the fund as it made its 2009 grants.

“Barrier removal emerged as a common theme in many of the requests we received,” said Becky Boulanger, executive director of the Women’s Fund. “The needs for child care, housing assistance, transportation or education are all barriers that women who are trying to become self-sufficient face. We are pleased to be able to provide funding to programs that are removing these barriers and helping women make their lives safer and more secure for themselves and their families.”

The largest single grant in Women’s Fund history was awarded to Wisconsin Interfaith Needs Response. The $10,000 grant will help fund the donated wheels and loan program.

“WINR is fortunate to have secured a major government grant to provide zero-interest loans for auto purchases and repairs for income-eligible families needing reliable personal transportation to access meaningful employment,” says Gary Wilner, executive director of WINR. “However, in order to secure these funds, an equal amount must be raised locally. We are honored to partner with the Women’s Fund for the Fox Valley Region. Their award to WINR of $10,000 means that the loan program will be able to provide $20,000 in services to the Fox Cities. We are extremely excited about what this program will mean to the long list of applicants waiting for vehicles.”

The Women’s Fund was able to increase funding by almost 70 percent this year, thanks in part to a successful year-end appeal which received matching funds from Community First Credit Union and the J.J. Keller Foundation.

“A number of things came together this year to make this record-setting grants cycle possible,” Boulanger says. “The amount available from our endowment was allocated before the losses in the stock market, and our fundraising success allowed us to add to that amount. Traditionally we have only granted the annual allocation from our endowment, so this is a shift in philosophy for us. Using a combination of endowed resources and annual resources is allowing us to invest more in the community this year when the help is really needed.”

The Women’s Fund has awarded grants annually since 1997. Total grants now total more that $314,000.

Genie Georgen, a member of the Women’s Fund Research, Education and Grants Committee, made the grant announcement. Georgia Pacific Foundation, Great Northern Corporation, and the J.J. Keller Foundation provided collaborating funds to add to the granting pool.

Non-profits receiving Women’s Fund grants are:

ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY
American Red Cross – Outagamie Chapter, Shopping & Errand Services - $1,250: Helps older adults and those with disabilities meet their basic needs and continue to live independently.

Best Friends of Neenah-Menasha, Helping Hands Program - $1,000: Provides children’s scholarships for enrichment activities such as sports or music lessons so families can use their monetary resources to meet their basic needs.

Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services, Inc., Project POWER - $5,000: Enables women who are victims of domestic violence to overcome barriers and obtain or maintain employment that will help them achieve economic independence.

Emergency Shelter of the Fox Valley, Inc., PRIDE Program - $5,000: Builds skills and enhances self-sufficiency through five programs areas: Rent Smart tenant training, vocational training, wellness training, community resource information, and life skills training.

Fox Valley Technical College Foundation, Wo/Men’s Educational Bureau - $5,000: Helps Fox Valley women gain access to education, develop important job skills, increase self-confidence, and achieve lifelong self-sufficiency.

Wisconsin Interfaith Needs Response, Donated Wheels Program and Loan Program - $10,000: Provides low-income women with reliable personal transportation to help them gain meaningful employment or to avoid jeopardizing their current job due to transportation problems.

PHYSICAL & MENTAL HEALTH
Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs of the Fox Valley, SMART Girls - $2,500: Offers girls age 7-15 opportunities to develop positive choices and healthy life skills in an interactive, small group setting.

NAMI Fox Valley, Wings of Change Support Group - $5,000: Provides support, information, education, fellowship and emotional healing to women with mental illness who have experienced violence in their lives.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Expanding Access to Health Care for Latina Women - $1,500: Increases access to reproductive health care and education for Latina women in the Fox Valley to empower them to make healthy choices and to reduce negative health outcomes.

Reach Counseling Services, Inc., Sexual Assault & Eating Disorders Support - $3,000: Provides direct, therapeutic services to young women who are survivors of sexual abuse and struggling with the debilitating effects of anorexia and/or bulimia.

Youth Go, Inc., G.E.M.S. Girls Peer Discussion - $2,000: Gives teenage girls an opportunity to learn about healthy relationships and to develop the self-confidence to stand up for themselves and to gain the support of their peers when dealing with current teen issues and trends.

VIOLENCE PREVENTION
Fox Valley Voices of Men, Voices of Men Community Action Campaign - $7,000: Engages Fox Valley men in a community action campaign dedicated to preventing abuse of girls and women through education, role-modeling and mentoring of boys and men.

Harbor House Domestic Abuse Programs, Girls Circles - $5,750: Uses small group settings to educate and build self-esteem in girls age 9-18 so they are empowered to make positive relationship choices as they grow older and not remain in abusive relationships.

The Arc Fox Cities, Healthy Lifestyles Education Program - $3,000: Educates participants with developmental disabilities about healthy relationships to prevent them from becoming victims of sexual assault.