Grants and Investments / Grantmaking Process
We do philanthropy differently
At the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, our trust-based, capacity-building grants go beyond providing funding. We form deep, collaborative partnerships with grantees and connect them with other capacity-building opportunities. We also strive to make our process as streamlined as possible so that grant partners can spend more time on their mission and less time on administrative hoops.
Our 2027 letter of intent is closed.
Our Grantmaking Priorities
Our Grantmaking Process
The Women’s Fund uses trust-based and participatory frameworks to guide our grantmaking process.
Here’s what you can expect when you apply for a grant from us.
Letter of Intent (LOI)
After you submit a short LOI, our staff will review it for eligibility and alignment. Selected applicants will proceed to the next step of the process. If you aren't selected, we will let you know and provide you with helpful feedback for the future.
Full Application
Organizations selected to proceed from the LOI process will be invited to submit a full application. This link will be provided via email. We offer a virtual webinar and office hours before the application is due to answer questions about our application and process.
Community Grant Review
All eligible applications are reviewed and scored by our Grant Readers on Community Grant Review Day. We bring together hundreds of trained Grant Readers that are split into diverse groups. This ensures that every group has a variety of perspectives and backgrounds and leads to better decision making.
Score Analysis
Our staff compiles the scores from our Grant Readers. Applications that score above a certain threshold are sent to our Grants Committee for review.
Grants Committee Review
Our Grants Committee is a group of past Grant Readers and Board Members. After Community Grant Review Day, they meet to discuss the top scoring applications and reach consensus regarding a slate of grants. The agreed upon slate is then recommended to the Board for funding.
Board Vote and Public Announcement
The Board of Directors reviews the slate recommended by the Grants Committee and votes on the grants to be funded. As soon as the slate is approved, we will let you know about the status of your application. We then make a public announcement and mail grant checks.
2027 grantmaking cycle
important dates for applicants
June 15, 2026
July 15, 2026 at 5:00 pm EST
August 3, 2026
If invited to apply, you will receive an email in late July with the link to the application. Click here to view the scoring rubric.
August 13, 2026
Workshop details will be sent to organizations invited to apply for the full grant application.
August 31, 2026
DEADLINE EXTENDED to Tuesday, September 8.
September 11, 2026 at 5 pm EST
September 14, 2026
October 10, 2026
Eligibility
In order to receive a grant from The Women’s Fund, an organization must:
- Be a 501(c)(3) organization or have a fiscal agent
- Serve women and girls in one or more Central Ohio counties (Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union)
- Align with our grantmaking priorities
- Address at least one of the five shifts of social change
- Apply a gender lens and disrupt gender norms
- Positively impacts women and girls and marginalized communities
Funds cannot be used for:
- Organizations that are not welcoming and inclusive of LGBTQIA+ individuals
- Organizations that restrict reproductive rights
- Programs that promote religious beliefs and activities
- Political campaigns or promotion of candidates for public office
- Advancement of capital or endowment campaigns
- Fundraising event sponsorship
- Scholarships for individuals
Meet our grant partners
The Women's Fund finds and funds the most innovative organizations creating social change for women and girls. Learn more about our past grantees.