Grantmaking & Investments

When Women of Every Background and Identity Thrive, We All Win

Yet even today, too many women’s paths to prosperity remain obstructed by their gender, race, class, or zip code. Their paths are even more challenging to navigate when they experience multiple, intersecting barriers.

In alignment with our 2021-2025 strategic framework, The Women’s Foundation of Colorado (WCFO) centers gender, racial, and economic equity in our grantmaking and investing.

We invest in the inherent gifts and talents of women through flexible and holistic resources so they have what they need to be leaders in their lives, their families, their businesses, and their communities. In 2022, we invested over $2.76 million through donor-advised funds, giving circles, board-controlled WINcome funding, and community-led funds.

WFCO has two opportunities in which organizations can directly apply for funding: WINcome and our Women and Girls of Color Fund. We do not grant directly to individuals. WFCO’s donor-advised funds and giving circles do not currently accept unsolicited proposals.

For community philanthropic resources, we recommend grantseekers review these additional resources. 

Our Grantmaking for Gender, Racial, and Economic Equity

Past Grantmaking

  2017-2021

WAGES (Women Achieving Greater Economic Security)

WAGES was our programmatic body of work integrating research, public policy advocacy, strategic
cohort-based grantmaking, and statewide community engagement to accelerate progress to economic security for Colorado women and their families. The aim of WAGES was to impact Colorado’s prosperity by propelling diverse women into careers that enabled them to meet their families’ long-term needs. We learned and collaborated with our 23 grantee partners across the state to elevate practices that worked and dismantle systems that perpetuate the wealth gap. Our WAGES learning and evaluation helped us shape the next phase of our board-controlled grantmaking program, WINcome.

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  2020

WFCO Relief Fund (Women & Families of CO Relief Fund)

The Women's Foundation of Colorado (WFCO) implemented the WFCO Relief Fund in April through June of 2020 to rapidly and responsively distribute general operating grants to 501(c)(3) and other tax-exempt organizations that were addressing the emergency needs of Colorado women and their families who were most impacted by COVID-19. Funds were awarded to 85 direct service (DS), organizations across 24 Colorado counties, 9 policy advocacy (PA) organizations, and 8 social ventures led by and benefitting women.

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