Women's Foundation of Boston 2020 Annual Report

OUR 2020 GRANTS Dress for Success Boston empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. $30,000 for 3 years for “Confidence Days” program: Dress for Success Boston serves women between the ages of 18 and 70, with only 1 percent ages 18 and below, and 10 percent between the ages of 18 and 24. These statistics show a tremendous gap in services to young women and girls, motivating Dress for Success to increase these numbers over the next three years through its new program, Confidence Days. These four-hour sessions offer an opportunity to learn about careers, job interview skills, clothing and grooming, and other work-readiness activities. EMPath, working with low-income populations in Boston since the 1880s, transforms lives by helping individuals move out of poverty and provides other institutions with the tools to systematically do the same. $30,000 for the Career Family Opportunity Program: WFBoston established a five-year partnership with EMPath to fund its Career Family Opportunity (CFO) program, a multi-year economic mobility program for women that focuses on family stability, financial management, education and training, employment and career, and overall well-being. $5,000 COVID Funding: The WFBoston grant enabled EMPath to purchase laptops for five mentors so they could work effectively from home during the pandemic. $30,000 Sector: Career Planning & Financial Empowerment Target Population: Young Women $35,000 Sector: Career Planning & Financial Empowerment Target Population: Women Boston Girls Empowerment Network (BGEN) is a citywide network established to increase collaboration opportunities for women- and girl-serving organizations in the Boston area. $10,000 for Monthly Breakfasts: WFBoston sponsors BGEN’s monthly Breakfast Meetings, offering professional development and collaboration opportunities to women leaders of local women- and girl-serving nonprofits. Esperanza Academy is a tuition-free independent middle school for girls from low income families that welcomes students of diverse faiths, races, and cultures through its lottery-based admissions system. $10,000 COVID Funding: This grant provided tuition supplements, books, uniforms and other clothing to support the 8th grade graduates as they moved on to high school programs during COVID. $10,000 Sector: Education Target Population: Women $10,000 Sector: Other Education Target Population: Girls