Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: $4,194,063 (grants paid, most recent 990 filing)
- Grant Range: $5,000–$600,000 (based on programme information)
- Geographic Focus: Minnesota
- Application Method: Mixed (invitation-only for major programmes; fixed deadlines for some open RFPs)
- Total Assets: $39,363,615
Contact Details
- Website: https://www.wfmn.org
- Phone: 612-337-5010
- Email: hello@wfmn.org
Funding Priorities
- Safety: Catalysing conditions so that women, girls, and gender-expansive people are free from all forms of violence
- Economic Justice: Supporting workforce development, entrepreneurship, and wealth-building pathways for low-income women, Black, Indigenous, and women of colour, and women and gender-expansive people
- Holistic Well-being & Reproductive Justice: Supporting mind, body, and spirit, including access to women's health education and services
- Leadership & Community Power: Ensuring women, girls, and gender-expansive people are valued as solution-builders and leaders within their communities
- Prioritises community-based, community-led solutions with a focus on gender and racial justice
Grant Programmes
Reproductive Freedom Fund: Funds organisations and programmes working in reproductive justice, including the right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent children in safe and sustainable communities. Each grant includes $10,000 dedicated to staff wellness and development. Fixed application deadlines with RFP process.
We Thrive Fund: Funds schools and education programmes teaching workforce development and entrepreneurship as pathways to wealth-building for low-income women, Black, Indigenous, and women of colour, and women and gender-expansive people in greater Minnesota. Grants range from $150,000–$225,000. Invitation-only programme.
Ripley Memorial Foundation: Honours the legacy of Dr. Martha Ripley by funding programmes that foster and enhance the health and well-being of women, with focus on programming that promotes access to women's health education and services built on cultural and community strengths.
Immigrant Rapid Response Fund: Allocates funding on a rolling basis for emergency basic needs (food, housing, transportation, healthcare), legal services, and community organising and advocacy. Initial grants are $15,000, with future grant rounds between $25,000–$500,000. Grants are unrestricted whenever possible.
Community Response Fund: Provides rapid response grants typically ranging between $5,000–$10,000 to organisations ensuring women's safe and healthy lives. Invitation-only programme.
What They Don't Fund
- Grant policy limits support to no more than 15% of an organisation's general operating budget through programme and project-specific grants
- Organisations must have 501(c)(3) status or a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)(3) status
Application Process & Timeline
Major programmes including Community Response, We Thrive, and sponsorship grantmaking are invitation-only. Contact LaCora Bradford Kesti, Vice President of Community Impact, at 612-236-1842 or lacora@wfmn.org for information about these programmes.
For open application programmes (such as Reproductive Freedom Fund), organisations apply through an online portal called Spectrum. New applicants must set up an account first (approval can take up to two business days). The foundation issues Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for specific grant programmes with fixed deadlines that vary by programme. Applicants should review grant guidelines to determine eligibility before applying.
For portal access issues, contact Hannah Elias at hannah@wfmn.org. For programme or grant proposal questions, contact Programme Officer Erika Idrovo-Cuesta at erika@wfmn.org.
References
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