Community Organization Spotlight: Women’s Fund of Vanderburgh County

10 local women, who believed there was a critical need for a resource devoted to women and children in our area, created the Women’s Fund of Vanderburgh County. Today, the Women’s Fund boasts more than 250 members and focuses the efforts of women philanthropists to create positive social change by collectively funding charitable endeavors that address significant needs in our community. This endowment was created to address the changing needs and priorities in our community by building a long-term, permanent investment resource to provide funding and support. The Women’s Fund Endowment is currently valued at over $1,400, 000.

Each year, the Women’s Fund awards two $35,000 grants, one for a Capital Project Impact Grant and one for a Program Impact Grant. Grant seekers are narrowed down to a group of three finalists in each category. Each finalist presents at the Women’s Fund annual meeting, where Fund Members vote immediately after the presentations, and award recipients are announced that night. 2019 recipients were Aurora and Ozanam Family Shelter.

Firm Chairman Laura Scott, and Chief Operating Officer Kerrie Weinzapfel serve on the Advisory Board for the Women’s Fund of Vanderburgh County. Laura and Kerrie both also served on the grants committee in 2019. As Kerrie stated at the annual meeting in November: “On a personal note, I would like to share how meaningful this process has been for me personally. I left each of the site visits so impressed by the work being done by really amazing, kind, smart and generous people. I also realized how much I didn’t know about certain areas of need in our community. I know this will sound corny, but participating on this committee has really been life changing for me.”

For more information on the Women’s Fund of Vanderburgh County, go to their site.