Eight Local Foundations across the Country Receive Grants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Vanessa Daniel: 415-561-6302, vdaniel(at)tides.org

SAN FRANCISCO, CA; JANUARY 2, 2008; The Catalyst Fund at Tides Foundation has awarded $800,000 in matching grants to eight local public foundations to support reproductive justice work led by women of color. The Women of Color Working Group of the Funders Network on Population, Reproductive Health and Rights - a group of 15 foundations; created the Catalyst Fund earlier this year to address the shortage of funding to the sector of women who experience the greatest health disparities.

“The Women of Color Working Group believes that organizations led by those women most impacted by reproductive health disparities have the expertise to create solutions and policies that best address their community’s needs.” said Vanessa Daniel, the Tides Foundation Program Advisor who manages the fund.

“The persistent shortage of funding for an entire sector of women is weakening the ability of all women in the US to secure their reproductive rights. As funders we have the power and responsibility to reverse this trend, and with Catalyst, we now have a key opportunity.” said Working Group member Adisa Douglas of the Public Welfare Foundation.

The Catalyst Fund’s first round of grants will result in almost $1.5 million in new funding to women of color led organizations, because each local foundation must match the amount awarded by Catalyst dollar for dollar. The Catalyst Fund will also provide fundraising and strategic communications training to assist local funding partners in successfully meeting the match and in sustaining increased funding for these organizations in the future.

The first round of grantees includes:

• Chicago Foundation for Women $100,000
• New Mexico Community Foundation $100,000
• New York Women’s Foundation $100,000
• Women’s Foundation of California $100,000
• Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee $60,000 
• Women’s Fund of Hawai’i $100,000
• Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade County $100,000
• Women’s Fund of New Jersey $140,000

Foundations represented in the Women of Color Working Group include:

• California Wellness Foundation
• Chicago Foundation for Women
• David & Lucille Packard Foundation
• Ford Foundation
• General Service Foundation
• Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation
• Moriah Fund
• Ms. Foundation
• Overbrook Foundation
• Public Welfare Foundation
• Third Wave Foundation
• Tides Foundation
• William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
• Women’s Foundation of California

About Tides Foundation:
Tides offers an array of services that amplifies the efforts of forward-thinking philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations to make the world a better place. Tides Foundation, Tides Center and Tides Shared Spaces make up the Tides organizations. Tides Foundation partners with donors to increase and organize resources for positive social change, facilitating effective grantmaking programs, creating opportunities for learning, and building community among donors and grantees. We bring together people, ideas, and resources to actively promote change toward a healthy and just society. For more information, visit www.tidesfoundation.org.

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