WFHRRR Grant RFP
WFH Relief, Recovery, and Reimagining: Creating a post-COVID Future Where Women Thrive
The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women and girls, particularly women and girls of color, has exacerbated existing inequities and has repercussions across all aspects of women’s lives.
The current economic crisis has been called the “shecession” because of its disparate impact on women. Industries that have been most affected during the pandemic are those with a majority of female employees, namely tourism and hospitality, retail, healthcare, and education, industries in which women’s work was already undervalued and underpaid. Thousands of Hawai‘i women have been forced out of the labor market due to job loss or caregiving responsibilities, while many women who have remained in it face unprecedented risk in the workplace.
Women’s health care is affected by the reallocation of resources and priorities to respond to the pandemic. Unpaid care work has increased, with women leaving the paid workforce in unprecedented numbers. Economic and social stress coupled with social isolation have led to an exponential increase in violence against women and mental health concerns.
Womenʻs Fund of Hawai‘i (WFH) is seeking innovative proposals for programs to create a post-COVID reality where women are thriving. A thriving post-COVID reality is one where women have the support, access, and resources to be engaged in meaningful work that provides for fiscal stability, safety, and wellbeing. Women have choices for how to spend their time and are able to act on those choices. Women, especially women of color, have access to high quality healthcare and family supports. Women are free to live without fear for their safety. The invisible workload of women is accounted for and valued. We are looking to fund and partner with organizations who have innovative proposals for how to achieve these goals.
WFH has $60,000 to support these efforts, aligned with this RFP and adhering to the guidance provided below. Funding amounts and the number of grants will be determined based on how to maximize impact. There is no set minimum grant size or defined number of grants that the Foundation will award.
Application preferences:
- Strong preference for applications with multiple organizational partners. This is complex work, and while individual organizations can be effective, we believe collective action has greater potential for impact.
- Preference for applications that are considering diverse funding strategies and can speak to how they would leverage this investment to receive additional resources (if needed).
Application requirements:
- Applications must explicitly speak to the goal of a post-COVID reality where women thrive, as described above.
- Applications must be grounded in Hawaiʻi and incorporate input or feedback from proposed stakeholders.
- Applications must speak to how impact will be sustained over time and beyond this investment.
- Applications must include a detailed budget and budget narrative that details the use of funds and alignment to the intended outcomes.
- Applications must include measures of success that speak to the degree to which the proposed work will radically improve outcomes for women.
- Applicants should be aware of Women’s Fund’s Grant Making Priorities and Other Information, as set forth in our Grants Guidelines, all of which apply for this opportunity, excepting the $5,000 grant limit.
The link to the application for WFHRRR grants will be available to access on this page starting April 1 – April 30, 2021. The application and all attachments, as described in the application, must be uploaded or submitted by April 30, 2021 by midnight HST. We regret that late applications will not be considered. It is anticipated that WFHRRR grant recipients will be notified in July 2021.
Mahalo for applying the grant period is now closed.
FAQ
Q: What is the difference between this program and WFH’s Spring and Fall grants programs?
A: WFHRRR is a unique funding program created to respond to the extraordinary public health and economic crisis that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been particularly destructive to the lives and well-being of low-income women, women of color and their families. Another key difference is that WFH’s Spring and Fall grants are capped at $5,000 while amounts and the number of WFHRRR grants will be determined based on how to maximize impact.
Q: What are the guidelines for this application?
A: In addition to the preferences and requirements outlined above, please refer to WFH’s Grants Guidelines. This guidance applies to WFHRRR funds as well, except that RRR grants may exceed $5,000.
Q: Will there be other opportunities to apply for WFHRRR funding?
A: We do not anticipate so.
Q: What are the reporting requirements for WFHRRR?
A: Grant recipients must provide a mid-program progress report along with a final report at the end of the grants period of one year.
Q: Can I apply for both WFH’s traditional grants and WFHRRR funding?
A: Yes! Kindly note that our grants deadline for spring is March 30, 2021, and the deadline for WFHRRR grants is April 30, 2021.
Q: When will WFH’s next grants cycle be?
A: The Fall Grants cycle will open on September 1, 2021 with a September 30 deadline for submission.
If you have any questions about WFH’s grants programs, please email grants@womensfundhawaii.org