This historic grantmaking was assisted by a challenge grant which raised $108,000 from members, as well as a focused emphasis during the last 18 months on growing the number of members, which now exceeds 445 women, who each contribute annually to the grants pool.

“WGA was founded with the critical mission of improving the lives of women and girls across Northeast Florida,” said Sheila Collier, president of WGA. “We have grown from a small group of committed individuals into a powerhouse grantmaker. Our recent growth in membership directly translates into increased support for women and girls across Northeast Florida.”

The grants were ratified by about 250 members during WGA’s Member Forum held on May 23 at the University of North Florida’s Adam W. Herbert University Center, which featured remarks by Mayor Donna Deegan, a WGA member and the city’s first woman mayor.

Eighteen nonprofits will receive one-year grants for the 2024-2025 grant year to address client basic needs such as housing, health services, workforce support, and other areas:

“For more than 20 years, the Women’s Giving Alliance has led the way in leveraging the power of collective giving in Northeast Florida,” said Isaiah M. Oliver, president of The Community Foundation. “This year’s grantmaking has set a new record for impact, and I wish to extend my congratulations to the strategic philanthropists of WGA on this tremendous achievement.”

WGA also announced its new grantmaking and community involvement focus for the 2025-2026 grant year and beyond: “Addressing Violence Against Women and Girls; Preventing, Surviving, Thriving.”  The new focus area was selected following rigorous research, discussion with community leaders, and a vote of members. The research found violence against women and girls includes child abuse and neglect, harassment and bullying, intimate partner and domestic violence, predatory social media, rape, and sex (human) trafficking. These categories also includes subsets such as elder abuse, violence while homeless, and cyberbullying.

“Our research and community feedback indicated that women and girls are experiencing violence at alarming rates across Northeast Florida,” added Collier.  “We hope to have a significant impact through both our grantmaking and community efforts. We support traditional solutions to this insidious problem, as well as new and innovative approaches.”

WGA’s grants and community involvement will emphasize four key areas:

The Women’s Giving Alliance, an initiative of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, is a dynamic group of diverse women who pool their philanthropic giving to make a lasting impact on the lives of women and girls in Northeast Florida. Since 2001, hundreds of women in Northeast Florida have become WGA members, making an annual contribution of $1,500 each. Through those contributions, WGA has awarded grants totaling more than $9.6 million to 74 nonprofit organizations. It also has built an endowment of $5.9 million to ensure the future of its philanthropic work. For more information: www.wganefl.org.

The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida (www.jaxcf.org), Florida’s oldest and one of its largest community foundations, works to stimulate philanthropy to build a better community. The Foundation helps donors invest their philanthropic gifts wisely, helps nonprofits serve the region effectively, and helps people come together to make the community a better place. Now in its 60th year, the Foundation manages more than $650 million in assets as of 12/31/2023 and has made more than $750 million in grants since inception. For more information: www.jaxcf.org.