Women & Girls Fund

	Who We Are
	The Endowment
	Frequently Asked Questions

Who We Are

The Women & Girls Fund is an endowed fund that channels the pooled resources of individuals into a powerful and permanent legacy serving the needs of women and girls in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot Counties, Maryland. It is our mission to use the power of pooled resources to improve the lives of women and girls on Maryland ’s mid-shore. Our goals are:

To understand the needs of women & girls throughout the Mid-Shore and to raise awareness of these needs in our communities
To support under-funded programs and initiatives that aid women and girls
To facilitate collaborative efforts among existing agencies and programs and to encourage public/private partnerships
To engage the philanthropic instincts of all women by providing venues in which their resources of money, time, and talent can be used

The Fund started in 2002 as the grassroots effort of a group of women looking for an effective way to address significant local problems. The first donation was received that year and---after working with the United Fund and Mid-Shore Community Foundation to learn about the region’s needs---our first grants were given in April of 2003.

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Source:

Funds in the endowment grow through the continuing support of individual donors and through careful investment and management. The value of the endowment is in its permanence, which ensures that funds will always exist to address the problems faced by local women and girls.

Management:

The Fund elected to have its endowment managed by the Mid-Shore Community Foundation (MSCF). Association with the MSCF allows us to invest the endowment along with the monies from the other local funds managed by the Foundation, thereby maximizing the potential for investment growth and minimizing costs.

The MSCF is responsible for investment decisions, filing necessary tax returns, and providing the necessary IRS documentation for donations received. It also provides low-cost professional administration and management for the Fund, including accounting, auditing, and tax services. This frees the board of the Women & Girls Fund to concentrate on its mission and allows it to function economically. Without the services of the MSCF, the costs of running a separate foundation would be too expensive to make the Fund viable at this point.

The MSCF charges 1.25% of the account’s balance for funds up to $500,000. For accounts with Funds from $500,000 to $5,000,000 the fee is 1%. For accounts over $5,000,000 the fee is .75%.

Additional information about the Mid-Shore Community Foundation can be found by visiting its website at www.mscf.org.

questions

	Why do your grants focus just on women and girls?
	We believe that if the lives of women and girls are improved the entire community benefits. By understanding the needs of underserved women and girls in our community we can raise awareness of those needs and, as we are able, to support programs which address them.

	What are some of the problems that the Fund sees negatively impacting women, girls, families, and the communities on the mid-shore?
	The problems are numerous and include teen pregnancy, homelessness, day care, abused and neglected children, poverty, low self-esteem, drug and alcohol abuse, transportation problems, lack of affordable housing . . . the list goes on and on.

How do you decide what to fund?

We identify and research community needs as they relate to women and girls. In addition to addressing specific needs, we also participate in educating donors, community members, elected officials, and policy makers about these needs. Through our relationship with MSCF we also benefit from hearing about many needs in our area through grant requests they receive directly.

Our grants committee reviews every application, conducts site visits when needed, and ultimately decides if the request falls within our mission. It then allocates grants from our available funds. If the fundable grants exceed the money we have to distribute, the Committee chooses those with potential to impact the greatest number of women and girls or those with the most compelling goals.

The grants committee makes its recommendation to the Fund’s Board of Directors. All grants are then sent to the Mid-Shore Community Foundation for final ratification by the board of the MSCF.

	How do you know that the money has been spent appropriately?
	We request follow up information from the organizations that received grants. Site visits are conducted to see the programs first hand. If granted funds are not utilized for the specified purpose, we will request that the granted money be returned.

	Who can apply for a grant?
	Any non-profit organization that has their Internal Revenue Service 501(c)3 status is eligible to submit a grant request. We have an established grant application process, as described on the Grants page of this website. An application is also available by calling the office 410-770-8347 or by downloading an application from the Grants page.

	What grants have you given?
	You can view the complete list and description of grants given to date by going to the Grants page on this website. View Grant Recipients

	What is the total amount of grant dollars given out to date?
	As of April 28, 2008 the Fund will have awarded $152,516.55 in grant dollars to 44 organizations in all of the five counties that we serve.

	How much of the money that I contribute to the Fund goes to the endowment & ultimately to grants?
	One hundred percent of your donation goes into the endowment. At the end of the fiscal year (June 30th), 5% of the balance in the endowment is available for grants in the following fiscal year. Those grants are made at our Spring Grants Luncheon. The founder of the Women and Girls Fund pays for all of the fund’s administrative expenses.

	Is my contribution tax-deductible?
	Any contribution to the fund is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

	Do small contributions matter to you?
	Any and all contributions matter. We do not have categories of giving because we feel that each donation helps us make a difference in the lives of so many. Donors of $1,000 or more are recognized as “Founding Donors.” To date we have had many repeat donors and donations ranging from $12.00 to $25,000.00.

Why should I contribute to the fund rather than directly to the charity?

We hope and expect that you will continue to contribute to the charities of your choice, but by pooling our resources, together we can address some of the many needs in our community, which often go unnoticed or are overlooked. As an individual donor it can be difficult to know about all of the organizations that exist and all of the needs of those organizations. We have the opportunity of helping to identify programs that have the potential to effect change across the Mid-Shore.

What is the difference between giving to the W&G Fund and giving to the United Fund?

The United Fund needs everyone’s support and everyone needs to support it. Think of the United Fund as a checking account where the monies received go out for their current needs. Many organizations in the area depend on the United Fund for their annual operating budgets

The W&G Fund is building an endowment that will be used to fund needs forever. Think of it as a savings account. Your donation helps to build a growing legacy, a legacy that will be here long after all of us are gone.

	What can I do to help?
	Donate – add your name to our growing list of donors. Volunteer – we need your help! Spread the word – if you know of anyone you think would be interested in becoming involved, let us know. Keep your eyes and ears open – if you hear of a program that you think we should learn more about let us know. If you know of a group we should talk to let us know.