We at The Women’s Foundation are very excited to announce the release today of a new Request for Proposals under our Stepping Stones Initiative.
We have learned so much during Phase 1 of Stepping Stones (2005-2008) through our Grantee Partners, their clients, other stakeholders and our evaluators.
We hope Phase 2 (2009-2012) will deepen this work, as well as the learning, and build on the initiative’s success in increasing the economic security and financial independence of low-income, women-headed families in our region.
One of the greatest learnings from Phase 1 is the value of partnership and collaboration. That’s part of why Phase 2 and this RFP are so exciting: they seek to strengthen this learning.
Phase 2 is also exciting for us as funders because we are using it as an opportunity to broaden the frame of “place-based” philanthropy, which now concentrates giving in a particular geographic place, usually a neighborhood. Our approach will intentionally focuses instead on supporting organizations and collaborative efforts that reach low-income women where they work, attend school, engage or participate in professional or personal development services, or receive services for their children – not only where they live.
So welcome to the beginning of Phase 2 – we can’t wait to see what it brings!
Gwen Rubinstein is a program officer at The Women’s Foundation overseeing Stepping Stones’ grantmaking in the areas of jobs, early care and education, and strategic opportunity and partnerships.
