Information provided by the Economic Development Corporation of San Benito County
The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls announced it’s accepting grant applications from local women’s commissions and local government entities for the purpose of establishing new women’s commissions, and nonprofits serving women and girls for its 2022 Women’s Recovery Response effort.
Application materials are due by 4 p.m. on Feb. 4 and can be submitted online. All application materials and instructions are available online.
According to the release, with $5 million available, the Commission will award funds ranging from $25,000 up to $250,000 maximum depending on the proposed activities for each funding category. Preference will be given to organizations serving women who have been disproportionately affected economically by the ongoing pandemic including low-income, unemployed, or underemployed, AIAN, BIPOC, LGBTQIA, unhoused, rural, disabled, senior, and veteran populations.
It continued to say the Women’s Recovery Response Grant Program represents the first time California has dedicated resources, under the oversight of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, to the specific needs of women impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I look forward to working closely with the network of organizations and committed leaders across California who have always put women and girls first and who now will be able to access a greater level of state investment,” said Commission Chair Lauren Babb. “This funding will provide desperately needed resources to develop local commissions for women and girls to be heard, and offer opportunities begin to chart an equitable recovery from the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on the women and families of California.”
As the state entity tasked with assessing gender equity in multiple issue areas including health, safety, employment, education, and others, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls aims to support local commissions and the direct service providers they work with to ensure that women’s needs are centered in statewide recovery efforts. The release said the investment will insert structural support and resources into the network of local commissions while the California Commission continues to act as a statewide convener, facilitator, and oversight administrator.
“The Commission will build on this investment to ensure that response efforts are local, women led, and provide lasting opportunities to increase equity statewide” said Executive Director Holly Martinez. “I look forward to the work ahead and to the continued dialogue with state leaders on the priority needs of women and girls whose recovery is key to building a better California for all. This investment is only the first step in a deep dive into understanding the long-term ramifications of what the pandemic has meant for women and how we will deal with it going forward, together.”