About W&GF Grants
	W&GF Calendar
	Grant Guidelines
	Apply or Re-Apply for a Grant
	View Current Grant Recipients

About W&GF Grants

The endowment of the Women & Girls Fund exists solely for the purpose of funding grants to organizations that address significant needs of women and girls on the Mid-Shore.  We take great care to review each application against our guidelines and to select programs that meet eligibility requirements and have the greatest potential impact.

We look for non-profit organizations that target the needs of women and girls in our region and groups or organizations that want to submit an application through a fiscal sponsor (i.e. a tax-exempt organization under the IRS code 501(c)3 that agrees to accept funds on their behalf). 

Applications and guidelines are sent upon request to qualifying organizations or can be downloaded from this site.  You can also call 410-770-8347 to request an application or to discuss questions concerning eligibility.

To date, the Fund has awarded $152,516.55 in grants to 44 Mid-Shore organizations. To see a list, click on View Grant Recipients above.

W&GF Calendar

To select the organizations to be funded and to determine the funds available for distribution the following year, W&GF follows this calendar:

Grant Guidelines

	Form for applying or reapplying for a grant.		Form used in the grant evaluation process.

Cambridge Church of Christ - $2,000.00
For 10 years the Cambridge Church of Christ has sponsored a “Tuesday Night Togetherness Class” in which women have worked to develop positive, nurturing relationships with each other and the community. A new program, developed by this group, will teach young people about the purpose and value of giving back to the community. Entitled “People United to Bring About Change” (PUTBACK), the 10-month long program will enroll about 25 young people who with the aid of mentors will volunteer at the Maryland Food Bank, assist the elderly in nursing and retirement homes, and learn basic life skills. They will then teach younger children what they have learned.

Caroline County Human Services Council, Inc. -$500.00
The mission of the Caroline County Human Services Council, also known as the Local Management Board, is to develop and promote a caring environment that provides efficient and effective services to the residents of the county by working in partnership with public and private individuals, agencies and organizations. This grant will fund the purchase of five child auto safety seats for use by the “Nurturing Parenting Program.” The new car seats will provide enhanced safety for children when they and their parent(s) are transported to program-related appointments in the county.

CASA of Caroline County, Inc. - $2,500.00
CASA of Caroline is a not-for-profit agency that provides trained advocates for abused, neglected, or abandoned children in Caroline County who have been found to be Children in Need of Assistance (CINAs), put under the authority of the court, and placed in foster care. CASA of Caroline currently provides advocates for over 70% of the Caroline County children placed in foster care. Of the 43 children now in foster care, 95% suffer from developmental limitations and exhibit symptoms of emotional pain, anger, fear, loneliness, or abandonment. This grant provides funds for training advocates in short-term art/play intervention techniques, allowing them to create a neutral environment for accessing information about the CINA’s emotional state and for rehabilitation. The grant also provides for art supplies, games, tuition or admission fees to art, music, or cultural activities.

CASA of Queen Anne's County - $3,000.00
CASA of Queen Anne’s was formed in 2007 and anticipates training its first group of advocates this spring. A grant to CASA of Talbot County in 2006 from the Women & Girls Fund was instrumental in helping this group get started. Like all CASAs, this agency uses trained advocates to provide a voice in court for the most vulnerable members of its community, children who are under the protection of the court due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. This grant will be used to produce a PowerPoint presentation and purchase the necessary equipment to recruit volunteers, to solicit donations, and to increase public awareness about the agency’s mission.

Character Counts! Queen Anne’s County - $754.55 Character Counts!, founded by the Josephson Institute of Ethics, is a nonprofit, nonsectarian coalition of schools, communities and nonprofit organizations working to advance character education. It does this by teaching a curriculum called “The Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.” The Queen< Anne’s County program works with public school students in grades K- 6 and Grade 9.

This grant provides funds for the training of Character Coaches and for materials to use in their classroom presentations. The grant-funded training particularly focuses on behavioral skills coaches can teach students to help them deal with bullying.

Chesapeake Culinary Center - $3,600.00
The Chesapeake Culinary Center (CCC) is a grass-roots, non-profit organization, staffed by hospitality industry professionals that includes a culinary arts program and a public restaurant. The CCC also conducts vocational training for social services clients and an after-school program for high school students. This grant funds vocational training at the Emerson House Restaurant’s summer program, which teaches teenagers all aspects of the restaurant business. Fourteen students will be admitted to the 12-week summer program with priority given to at-risk and latchkey teenagers. In addition to teaching marketable job skills, this program offers students the opportunity to develop personal self-esteem and self-sufficiency, as well as teamwork, time management, and work ethic skills.

Dorchester County Family YMCA - $2,500.00
The Dorchester County Family YMCA began serving the community in 1986 and now, with close to 3,000 members, has become a gathering place for individuals and families of every socio-economic level. The YMCA works with Head Start, Warwick Behavior Residential Treatment Center, Department of Juvenile Justice, and Department of Social Services to provide a broad array of services to the community. This grant will provide funds for a Summer Girls Health Education Program. Designed for 10 girls between the ages of 9 and 11, the camp will address childhood obesity through an age-appropriate, multi-pronged approach. Activities will include strength and cardio training, nutrition education, grocery shopping and meal preparation, physical activities, and psycho-educational groups that teach stress and emotion management. Parents and caretakers will also be involved in the program.

New Beginnings Youth and Family Services, Inc. - $2,000.00
New Beginnings Youth and Family Services, Inc. is a non-profit organization located on the grounds of the Bay Country apartment complex in Cambridge. Bay Country is a model affordable housing development which offers services that focus on self-sufficiency skills for its residents, many of whom live there rent-free through federally subsidized housing credits. The Youth Center is a hub for a variety of activities, such as parenting classes, work skills training, nutrition programs, and women’s support groups. This grant will fund the Youth Center’s “Bay Country Girls’ Program,” which will serve 10 elementary school and 15 teen-aged girls. Activities will introduce the girls to budgeting, food preparation and nutrition, conflict management, and violence prevention. Other activities include “Girls Night Out,” weekly issue oriented discussion sessions, and “Reading Buddies”> in which the girls partner with first through third-graders for daily reading sessions that promote a love of reading and respect for books as well as helping the little ones work toward their school’s reading medals.

North Dorchester African American Independent Growth Alliance - $2,000.00
The North Dorchester African American Independent Growth Alliance (NDAAIGA, pronounced na-DAY-ga) is a non-profit organization that takes a multi-faceted approach toward encouraging adults and young people to be positive role models and leaders. NDAAIGA operates the Harriet Tubman Team of Excellence Education Center located in Hurlock.
The Team of Excellence consists of teachers, school mentors, and community members who volunteer their time and resources to help others acquire the skills to become self-reliant, committed goal seekers and achievers. The Center offers tutoring, mentoring, homework time, computer tutoring, and supervised recreation. This grant will support the Summer 2008 Learn Serve and Earn Program. In partnership with local employers, the program arranges summer employment for up to 10 students between the ages of 12 and 15. Provided with the opportunity to acquire strong work ethics of promptness, regular attendance, good attitude, and hard work, students are also coached in anger management, business planning, and career opportunities.

Prince Theatre - $700.00
The Prince Theatre Foundation’s mission is “to foster and promote broad public use of the historic Prince Theatre in Chestertown, Maryland for the purpose of cultural and community activities that encourage wide participation in and access to the arts in our area.” This grant will provide tuition assistance for the Summer 2008 Playmakers Program, a daily 5-week summer camp that culminates in a large-scale production for the entire community. While the workshops are designed to allow students to strengthen skills in the areas of theatrical performance and storytelling, the activities used also help students improve communication skills, self-esteem, literacy, decision-making skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Rebuilding Together – Caroline County, Md., Inc. - $3,000.00
Rebuilding Together – Caroline County, incorporated in 2007, is an affiliate of the national Rebuilding Together, the largest volunteer home rehabilitation organization in the country. The organization works to assure that homeowners, who qualify for assistance, live in warmth, safety, and independence. Its free home repair services are available to low-income elderly, the disabled, or families with children who own and live in homes requiring necessary, but unaffordable repairs or improvements. Each applicant is assisted by a qualified volunteer who helps to determine if financial need requirements are met and to verify the structural needs of the dwelling. Repair work or improvements are done by volunteers under the direction of a qualified and experienced volunteer “House Captain”.

Additionally, Rebuilding Together – Caroline County operates a salvage depot to recycle reusable building materials. This grant will fund the installation of access ramps for two elderly women in Caroline County.

St. Martin’s Ministries, Inc. - $5,000.00
The mission of St. Martin’s Ministries is “to help meet the basic human needs of impoverished people, to respect and affirm their dignity, and to address the root problems that perpetuate the cycle of poverty.” Services are offered through St. Martin’s Barn, which provides food, financial subsidies, and clothing to those in need, and St. Martin’s House, which provides a full array of support services and temporary housing for homeless women and their children. This grant, which is augmented by a 1-to-1 match from another organization, will support a pilot program called “Women in Transition.” The program is designed to strengthen the organization’s ability to follow-up on residents after they leave St. Martin’s House, thus improving positive outcomes for the previously homeless women and their children. In addition, a Women in Transition Fund will be created as an ongoing source of funding for these women’s one-time or short-term needs related to their transition from the House to independent living.

Visions America Community Development Corporation - $3,000.00
Visions America Community Development Corporation (VACDC) is a community- based organization located in Cambridge that primarily serves at-risk members of the minority population. To date, it has served hundreds of Dorchester County families through a wide variety of services targeting the community’s most pressing needs. Programs range from educational services for infants through teens to senior care and in-home aid services. Youth awareness programs cover topics like teen pregnancy, drug awareness and prevention, family planning, and tobacco-use prevention and cessation. Sustainability training is offered to adults in areas like housing, credit repair, and small business development. This grant supports a new program called “Community Outreach for Healthy Lifestyles” which addresses the county’s childhood obesity crisis by encouraging proper nutrition and regular physical activity. Led by qualified education professionals, a registered dietician, and a physical fitness professional, the year-round program will serve at least 55 young people. The program’s goal is to provide the education and skills necessary to create and maintain a sustainable healthy lifestyle for the young people and their families.

©2007, Women and Girls Fund