ERIE WOMEN’SÂ
FUND GRANTS
The Erie Women’s Fund Annual Grant of $100,000 supports nonprofits that are Empowering Women and Families in the Erie region.
Project Categories
We are seeking innovative proposals for projects that address the needs of women and families in any of the following areas:
- Economic stability
- Education access and quality
- Healthcare access and quality
- Neighborhood and built environment
- Social and community context
Eligibility
Criteria
Programs that address the needs of women and families in Erie are prioritized, and nonprofits with missions aligned to the work of the Erie Women’s Fund are encouraged to apply. Funds awarded must be used for projects within Erie County. Collaborative efforts are encouraged but not required.
Who is Not Eligible?
Applications submitted by for-profit businesses, sectarian religious activities, fundraising-only purposes, or hospitality projects will not be considered. As we strive to support financial support directly to grantees, these funds are not intended to fund third-party grantmaking (i.e. applications for projects that would create an additional grantmaking program).
Organizations that have received grants from the Erie Women’s Fund in the past twelve months – i.e. in the previous year’s Major Grant – are not eligible to apply for funding.
*Receipt of funding from other Erie Community Foundation grant opportunities within the past 12 months does NOT affect eligibility for Erie Women’s Fund’s grants.
Application
Process
Log onto The Erie Community Foundation’s grants portal, GoApply, to access this application, which is publicly accessible. Prior approval and pre-application meetings are not required. More detail on the process and dates for the upcoming grant cycle can be found below.
| Stage | 2025 Date |
| Grant application opens on GOapply | February 21 |
| Deadline for application submission | April 18 |
| Semifinalists chosen and notified | May 30 |
| Semifinalist presentations to the Erie Women’s Fund Grants Committee; finalists chosen | June 3 |
| Finalist presentations to Erie Women’s Fund general membership | June 9 |
| Recipient notified | July 1 |
| Recipient publicly announced at summer grant reception July; | date TBD |
FAQs
What types of project will be funded?
Projects that empower women and families in the Erie region will be funded. The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI Erie) received the 2024 Erie Women’s Fund Grant for their Stronger Women → Stronger Erie Families project.
If I receive the Furchak Ferko Grant from The Erie Women’s Fund, am I still eligible for the Major Grant?
If you received the Furchak Ferko Grant last year (i.e. within the past twelve months), you are not eligible to apply for this year’s Major Grant. Applicants to either program are encouraged to consider this in advance of their application submission.
If you applied for the Furchak Ferko grant but did not receive it, you are still eligible to apply for the Major Grant.
If my organization is based outside Erie, can I still apply for this grant?
Your organization can be based outside of Erie County so long as the project for which you are applying primarily serves Erie County. For more information, reach out to Olivia Burgess.
What does the application entail?
Our application consists of questions about your organization, program, and budget, in addition to a request for a brief two-to-five-minute video. This video should be informal and can be filmed on your smartphone; it can be used to introduce EWF members to your staff, facility, or program as you deem appropriate.
How will The Erie Women’s Fund evaluate my application?
All applications will be reviewed by the Erie Women’s Fund Grants Committee, which will evaluate the following areas:
- Alignment with the Erie Women Fund’s mission (Empowering Women and Families)
- Need statement
- activities and outputs
- Organizational health and capacity
- Project budget and sustainability
Can I apply for multi-year funding?
No.