Amplify Her Foundation recently announced that it will grant a combined total of one million dollars to New York City nonprofits. Specifically to nonprofits working to advance the leadership of women and girls across the boroughs. Amplify Her Foundation’s mission is to support women and girls from underserved communities to become transformative changemakers.
The announcement came soon after the release of the “If She Can Make it Here” report on women’s and girls’ leadership in New York City. The report was conducted in partnership with IDEO.org and The New York Women’s Foundation. It helped guide grantmaking strategy identifying the greatest barriers women face and interventions that support them in overcoming those obstacles.
The Foundation’s grantmaking strategy was guided by “If She Can Make it Here”, their report on women’s leadership.
The selection process
The grantee partners were chosen out of a pool of almost 150 requests for support. Their work addresses a wide array of challenges facing women and girls in the city. Some categories include girls’ leadership development; women’s leadership development; equitable representation; women’s entrepreneurship; and advocacy.
Applicants participated in an in-depth review process. For example, site visits from Foundation staff and the all-volunteer Amplify Her Leadership Network. The foundation keeps a commitment to participatory processes. The board reviewed all applications and recommendations from staff and Leadership Network members.
The majority of the grantees are women-led, with diverse leadership reflective of the communities they serve. They have a strong local presence, deep engagement within the community and clear alignment with Amplify Her Foundation’s mission. Due to the Foundation’s trust-based practices, over half of all funding is unrestricted.
A worthwhile mission
Many organizations specifically serve women of color, immigrants and other communities that face additional systemic barriers. Several grantees are new, smaller organizations that have identified gaps in current programs. Resources for women and girls and the grants will allow them to start or significantly expand new programs.
“Our inaugural grantees are doing powerful and courageous work to advance women’s leadership in New York City,” said Marti Speranza Wong, Amplify Her Foundation founder, executive director and board chair. “With ‘If She Can Make it Here’ as our guide, we identified organizations with clear and compelling interventions that make a significant positive impact on the lives of many. We are honored to partner with them. In their vision and dedication, we see a future where we have full gender equity.”
“All grantees share a deep connection to local communities, take collaborative approaches and honor the wisdom of those they serve. The impact of their work and the ripple effects it has on the city were clear and inspiring. Due to their work, lives will be changed for the better,” said Laura Risimini, director of grants, at Amplify Her Foundation.
The chosen grantees
The grantees in this round of funding include Ascendus; Bella Abzug Leadership Institute; Bottomless Closet; Coalition Against Trafficking in Women; Custom Collaborative; Felicia’s Promise; Full STEAM Forward; Girls Who Invest; Hot Bread Kitchen; Latinas On the Verge of Excellence; Legally BLK Fund; New Women New Yorkers; PowHer New York; Sadie Nash Leadership Project; Seeds of Fortune; South Asian Youth Action; Staten Island Chamber of Commerce Foundation; Student Leadership Network; Welcome to Chinatown; and The 92nd Street Y, New York.
“This investment from the Amplify Her Foundation fortifies our Training Institute, Business Incubator and Worker-Owned Cooperative Development, expanding our capability to assist a broader spectrum of women in various capacities. These invaluable funds will drive our growth, allowing us to expand our support network for an increasingly diverse community of no/low-income and immigrant women,” said Ngozi Okaro, founder and executive director of Custom Collaborative.
Felcia’s Promise
“We are extremely grateful to Amplify Her Foundation for recognizing the potential of girls of color and supporting our work. This grant will allow us to significantly expand our programming to assist girls of color. We can help them develop marketable skills, attain higher education, learn about career opportunities and become financially self-reliant. We are going to uplift girls setting them on a successful path,” said Felicia Fonrose, director of Felicia’s Promise.
Girls Who Invest
“At Girls Who Invest, we are honored to be a recipient of Amplify Her Foundation’s inaugural grant to advance women and girls from underserved communities in NYC. With this generous support, we are partnering to close the access to opportunity gap, and to create pathways for upward mobility and the long-term retention and advancement of women in investment management,” said Katherine Jollon Colsher, president and CEO of Girls Who Invest.
New Women New Yorkers
“With the generous support from the Amplify Her Foundation, New Women New Yorkers is poised to expand our specialized career pathways in burgeoning fields like clean energy and finance, thereby empowering immigrant women to secure not just jobs, but meaningful careers. It will also bolster our efforts to enhance mental health support, which plays a vital role in professional success. We’re eager to see the transformative impact this grant will have on the lives of the women we serve. Our mission is to champion their success in New York City’s workforce,” said Arielle Kandel, CEO of New Women New Yorkers.
South Asian Youth Action
“South Asian Youth Action (SAYA) is honored to be a member of the Amplify Her Foundation’s first cohort of grantees. This support will allow SAYA to enhance and expand our well-established Young Women’s Leadership Program. We can extend our reach to provide targeted, holistic and much-needed programming to even more female-identifying high school youth from AAPI and other minority and immigrant communities throughout Queens. SAYA thanks the Foundation for recognizing the alignment of our missions and believing in our approach to empowering young women. We look forward to an exciting and fruitful partnership,” said Sonia B. Sisodia, executive director of South Asian Youth Action.
Amplify Her Foundation will open its next grant cycle in Feb 2024. For more information, please visit www.amplifyherfoundation.org.
About Amplify Her Foundation
Amplify Her Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation that supports women and girls from underserved communities in New York City. They envision a world where all women have the voice, power and agency to drive systemic change. The foundation infused $1,000,000 into the non-profit, leadership of women and girls ecosystem in New York City in its 2023 inaugural grant cycle. To learn more, visit www.amplifyherfoundation.org.
Looking for ways to secure funding for your business? Check out our January funding round-up.
Add Comment