A group of area teenage girls made the holidays brighter for a handful of local nonprofits, which will receive $24,000 in grants from the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls, through its Girls Advisory Board (GAB).
The GAB wrapped up its session of grant-making this month. With 25 girls – the largest class ever – the high-school students worked for three months to set funding priorities, create a grant application, visit nonprofit agencies, and select the worthiest grant recipients.
This year, the GAB program was expanded to add two additional weekend meetings and included guest speakers with expertise in philanthropy, group dynamics, and financial management. Since its founding, the GAB has awarded over $255,000 in grants to 26 nonprofits making a positive difference in girls’ lives, a press release said.
The 2015 GAB grant recipients are the Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County, Inc., $4,000 for its self-esteem support groups and individual counseling for Latina and Anglo sexual-assault/abuse victims; the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County, $5,000 for its “Girls Group;” the Garage Community and Youth Center in Kennett Square, $4,000 for its teen girls’ after-school program; the Kennett After-School Association, $2,000 for the “After the Bell program;” the Chester Counseling Center in Phoenixville, $5,000 for its “Mothers in Recovery: Enjoying Life Sober” program; and the Parkesburg Point Youth Center, $4,000 for the “Girls to Women in the World” program.
Founded in 1996, the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls is a grant-making and education foundation dedicated to addressing the needs of women and girls in the county. Its organizers believe that when women gain security, economic sustainability, and physical well-being, the benefits multiply — for themselves and for everyone in the community.
For 18 years, the fund has raised awareness about the critical needs of women and girls, and has awarded more than $2 million in grants to 60 organizations that address the needs of women and girls in Chester County.
The fund’s GAB, whose members are selected from applicants across the county, has educated a new generation of young women about the importance of philanthropy and community service for the past 11 years. The initiative seeks to improve understanding and awareness of the challenges faced by all women and girls of all ages, backgrounds, and economic levels. For more information, visit http://ccwomenandgirls.org.
