WOMEN'S FUND GRANTS

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At the end of each grant cycle, an annual dinner of the membership is held, where grantee finalists are invited to make a presentation about their funding request.

Each member of the Women’s Fund will cast one vote in person or by proxy at the annual dinner. The recipient of the impact grant will be determined by majority vote of the fund members. The awards will be announced and awarded that day.

For more details regarding the Women’s Fund >>


2018 WOMEN’S FUND GRANT RECIPIENTS

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

$110,000

IMPACT GRANT

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT

$5,500

KIDS ON THE BLOCK

$5,500

LOST RIVER CAVE

$5,500

2018 WOMEN’S FUND IMPACT AWARDEE:
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

The 2018 Women’s Fund Impact Grant will construct five affordable townhouses for low income families. These homes will be built to be 25-30% more efficient than a standard code constructed home. Volunteers and the future homeowners work side by side to construct these homes.

Homebuyers make an affordable (0% interest) mortgage payment, which helps to fund future homes. Each mortgage payment repaid with go back into our community building more affordable homes for low income families. With the development of Durbin Estates, Habitat is increasing property value in a very depressed area of Bowling Green which will in turn add over $70,000 back to the tax base for that area. Building a community where families will find stability.

The duration of this impact will be life long. We know that children of homeowners are 116% more likely to graduate from college compared with children in families who do not own their homes. We know that the affordable mortgage offers mothers the opportunity to not have to work multiple jobs to keep their family in shelter, greatly increasing the time they invest in themselves and their family. This opportunity presents these families with the opportunity to change the financial and educational trajectory of their family’s life.

Women’s Fund Work Day for Habitat

April  20  was  cold,  windy  and  wet,  but  that  did  not  stop  an  enthusiastic crew of  women  from  coming  out  to  bring  warmth  to  the  new  home  of Kam  Niang and  her  family!  I  mean  that  in  the  most  literal  way,  they actually  installed insulation  to  help  keep  their  home  warm  and  energy efficient.  It  was impressive  to  watch  the  homeowner  and  Women’s  Fund volunteers  work side  by  side  to  do  what  it  takes  to  get  a  tough  job  done. The  spirit  of  that  work  day  symbolizes  the  commitment  of  all  involved in  this  project  to  do  what  it  takes  to  get  the  job  done!  The  family  for  the first  unit  is  well  on  their  way  to  completing  their  350  “sweat  equity” hours on  their  home!   The  family  selection  committee  for  Habitat  for  Humanity will  soon  finalize their  application  reviews  and  home  visits  to  make their final  selection  of  homeowners  for  the  last  4  units  of  this  project. Our  core  construction  crew  of  one  employee  and  five  volunteers  have  all five  foundations  in  the  ground,  and  two  homes  are  dried  in.   One  of  those will  be  receiving  its  first  coat  of  interior  paint  in  the  next  few  days!  These men  have  put  in  hundreds  of  hours  of  their  own  time  to  see  this project through!  When  I  see  these  homes  going  up,  my  heart  swells  with  pride  & gratitude!  While  the  physical  construction  is  an  amazing  feat  to accomplish  with volunteers,  I  stand  in  awe  of  the  collective  effort  of  so many  people  to  make these  families  dreams  of  homeownership  come  to life.  Soon,  the  walls  will be  filled  with  family  dinners,  kids  doing homework,  laundry  and  all  the things  that  make  home  so  easy  to  take for  granted.   I  am  so  grateful  to  the Women’s  Fund  of  South  Central  KY for  making  these  dreams  a  reality.  Your support  is  building  strength, stability  and  self-reliance  through  shelter.

women's fund habitat for humanity work day


2017 WOMEN’S FUND GRANT RECIPIENTS

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB FRANKLIN-SIMPSON MASON GOODNIGHT TEEN CENTER

$100,000

IMPACT GRANT

THE FOUNDRY

$5,000

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

$5,000

HOPE HOUSE

$5,000

2017 WOMEN’S FUND IMPACT AWARDEE:
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB FRANKLIN-SIMPSON
MASON GOODNIGHT TEEN CENTER

A sweet, blonde-haired boy’s words will never be forgotten by his dad: when Mason Goodnight hugged Jef after Jef didn’t win the Impact Grant in 2016 Mason said, “You’ll win next year, Dad.” Mason was right.

When Jef Goodnight, Chief Professional Officer of The Boys and Girls Club of Franklin-Simpson, and his team presented at the Annual Dinner in 2016, their passion to make a positive impact for the kids at the Club was very evident.

In fact, they highlighted that The Boys & Girls Club serves an average of 259 kids daily with a total of 613 kids coming at least once a week. Not only do they provide a safe environment for these children after school, but the Club also provides a tutoring program, hands-on gardening experience, and nourishing meals from local churches three days a week. One of the crucial programs they specifically offer teens is the Bridge Academy, which partners with local community members to help teens with resume building, applying for scholarships, mock interviewing, and much more.

Jef and his team presented again in 2017; this time, however, their passion was much more personal: the Club’s goal became not only to add a new teen center but also to carry on the legacy of Goodnight’s son. Mason passed away suddenly the previous April after contracting meningitis. Mason is greatly missed, but his legacy will continue through The Mason Goodnight Teen Center.

The Women’s Fund of South Central Kentucky is honored to be a part of this legacy, and we cannot wait to hear about all of the positive ways the teens in Franklin-Simpson will be impacted.

for more info about The Boys and Girls Club of Franklin-Simpson >>


2016 WOMEN’S FUND GRANT RECIPIENTS

The Salvation Army of Bowling Green

$90,000

IMPACT GRANT

Boys & Girls Club of Bowling Green

$5,000

Boys & Girls Club of Franklin

$5,000

Junior Achievement of South Central Kentucky

$5,000

2016 WOMEN’S FUND IMPACT AWARDEE: THE SALVATION ARMY OF BOWLING GREEN

The Salvation Army’s Center of Hope Emergency Shelter renovated 3 of the efficiency style apartments that are reserved for families with children. Keeping families together and helping them overcome the obstacles to becoming self-sufficient.

The Pathway of Hope program was also supported through this grant to provide service to families with a desire to break the cycle of crisis and enable a path out of intergenerational poverty.  Pathway of Hope will employ a two-generation strategy, focusing on both the adults and the children in these vulnerable families.  Through this program families and children will experience increased housing stability, increased life-skills capabilities such as household budgeting, increased school stability for children, and the greater capacity to avoid another housing crisis.  

The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope has an opportunity to make a lasting impact on vulnerable families.  A path out of intergenerational poverty is desperately needed for families here in Bowling Green. Together we can act to break the cycle of repeated crisis that traps so many of these families.

for more info about The Salvation Army of Bowling Green >>


2015 WOMEN’S FUND GRANT RECIPIENTS

Haven4Change, Inc.

$85,000

IMPACT GRANT

Hope Harbor, Inc.

$5,000

The Foundry Christian Community Center

$5,000

The Salvation Army of Bowling Green

$5,000

2015 WOMEN’S FUND IMPACT AWARDEE: HAVEN4CHANGE

Haven4Change provides transitional housing for women and their children, offers safe, sanitary, and affordable housing with supportive services in a nurturing environment with the goal of facilitating and encouraging successful recovery from substance abuse and its related barriers. The Haven4Change program is unique because of its ability to offer low rent housing to 17 recovering substance-abusing women and their children, enabling the family unit to be maintained. The 2015 Impact grant of $85,000 allowed Haven4Change to refurbish the entire facility. From a new roof to Interior demolition of the old tile and carpet, installing new flooring, painted interior, cabinetry repaired, new living room furniture, appliances, chest of drawers and bedding was accomplished.

for more info about Haven4Change>>


2014 WOMEN’S FUND GRANT RECIPIENTS


Family Enrichment Center

$61,500

IMPACT GRANT

Boys & Girls Club

$4,000

Community Action of SKY

$4000

Kids on the Block

$4,000

HOTEL, Inc.

$4,000

2014 WOMEN’S FUND IMPACT AWARDEE: WEE CARE CHILD CARE CENTER

August 3, 2015 brought about a wonderful change for Family Enrichment Center. The dream of having all of our services on one campus came true with the opening of our new Wee Care Childcare Center. This new building allows us to expand services to offer care to 49 children and increase our “free” respite services to parents in the community. This goal from our long range plan could have never been realized without the help of the Women’s Fund of South Central Kentucky. Financial support from the grant allowed us to renovate an old, abandoned building and make it a spectacular place to care for little ones and make sure they are prepared to enter school. Thanks to the Women’s Fund, the benefits of this project will be realized on and on, long past 2015. Who knew that a group of concerned women, who envision a community where women and children are safe and have the services they need to allow them to be the best they can be, could make such big changes in such a short amount of time? Family Enrichment Center is grateful that the Women’s Fund cares about the parents and children we serve.

—Lynn Hulsey | Family Enrichment Center

for more info about Wee Care Childcare Center>>


2013 WOMEN’S FUND GRANT RECIPIENTS


Barren River Area Safe Space

$51,000

Impact Grant

Boys & Girls Club

$3,000

Junior Achievement

$4000

Kids on the Block

$3,000

2013 WOMEN’S FUND IMPACT AWARDEE: B.R.A.S.S

The Barren River Area Safe Space, Inc. is a regional domestic violence shelter and program dedicated to providing safety, crisis intervention and educational programming within a trauma informed care model. The Women’s Fund of South Central Kentucky enabled the shelter to make an impact on women and children through the addition of a handicap accessible bathroom, furniture and play equipment in order to make their world a better place.

for more info about B.R.A.S.S>>