AAUW Educational Foundation
Contact information:
AAUW, Dept. 60
301 ACT Drive
Iowa City, IA 52243
Phone: 319-337-1716, ext. 60 (for questions about Community Action Grants)
Email: aauw@act.org
Website: http://www.aauw.org/learn/fellows_directory/community.cfm
Type of foundation: Sponsored by a membership organization
Types of grants: Seed money, start-up project funds
Description: Since 1881, AAUW (formerly known as the American Association of University Women) has been the nation's leading voice promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW has a nationwide network of nearly 100,000 members, 1,000 branches and 500 college/university partners.
AAUW Community Action Grants support individuals, AAUW branches, AAUW state organizations and local community-based nonprofit organizations for innovative programs or non-degree research projects that promote education and equity for women and girls. Grants are made for one- or two-year terms.
- One-year grants ($2,000-$7,000) provide seed money for new projects. Topic areas are unrestricted, but should include a clearly defined activity that promotes education and equity for women and girls.
- Two-year grants ($5,000-$10,000) provide start-up funds for longer-term programs that address the particular needs of the community and develop girls' sense of efficacy through leadership or advocacy opportunities. Topic areas are unrestricted, but should include a clearly defined activity that promotes education and equity for women and girls. Projects focused on the achievements of K-12 girls and community college women in science, technology, engineering or math are of particular interest.
AAUW seeks to support projects that support its overall mission. It prioritizes projects that are collaborative and girl-focused. It likes projects that bring AAUW chapters together with community organizations. STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning and girls’ health appear to be areas of strong interest.
Sample grants:
- Two-year grant to About-Face (San Francisco) for the About-Face/AAUW Media Advocacy Project which provides high school girls with tools to minimize the negative effects of media messages on self-esteem, body image, and health. The program will give girls information and skills to filter media messages, to understand the connections between media messages and body image, and to speak out against media stereotypes while advocating for positive messages (2012).
- One-year grant to GlobalGirl Media (Chicago) to develop the authentic voice and self-expression of teenage girls in underserved communities by training them to become citizen journalists, harnessing the power of new digital media to inspire self-esteem, community activism, and social change (2012).
- One-year grant to Edwards Street Fellowship Center (Mississippi) for Future Reference, a digital storytelling project for teenage girls (2012).
- Two-year grant to Lesley University (Massachusetts) for a media literacy program for at-risk girls (2011).
- One-year grant to AAUW of Minnesota to collaborate with the Minnesota Channel Productions of Twin Cities Public Television to create a 30-minute program exploring the challenges to women on the campaign trail (2010).
- One-year grant to Institute for Community Research for Puerto Rican Girls Speak!, a program that engages girls through media production training (2010).
- One-year grant to LeeAnn Erickson to coordinate a national educational tour for the documentary film, Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of WWII (2010).
- Two-year grant to Women’s Audio Mission for a training and mentoring program using music and media arts to engage girls with science and technology (2007-08).
- One-year grant to Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania for a week-long summer program on computers for girls (2007).
Fit for public broadcasting: Several Community Action grants have gone to media training programs or projects that incorporate media in work with girls. Any proposal must focus on the direct impact on girls/women. Community Action grants may be a good option for media training/production programs, STEM-learning programs for girls, media literacy programs and/or programs that utilize media in relation to girls’ health. These grants may also support media production focused on women and girls. In particular, Community Action grants may be good candidates for work related to the Women and Girls Lead initiative.
Eligibility: Applicants must be women who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Nonprofit organizations must be based in the United States. Grant projects must have direct public impact, be nonpartisan and take place within the United States or its territories.
Deadline: Community Action grant applications are accepted during the latter months of the calendar year, with a deadline generally in early January. Questions about applications should be addressed to the Iowa City office.
How to apply: Online application.
Giving range: $5,000 – $10,000.
Total giving: $258,561 across 32 grants (2012 grant year).
