Girls as Grantmakers

"There are a lot of different ideas, opinions and different background sets in the girls. Yet we are all coming together to work towards this one goal – to empower girls with the resources to fulfill their dreams."
Emma Blackman-Mathis, 16, Co-Chair Girls as Grantmakers

Girls’ grantmaking programs have existed nationally for many years, largely as offshoots of women’s funds. These grantmaking groups empower young women with writing and analytical skills, with practical team building experience, and with the knowledge and joy of having a tangible way to improve and impact their communities in a positive way. In this way the groups develop stronger, more confident girls and hopefully plant the seeds for future philanthropists and non-profit leaders.

Allegheny County Girls as Grantmakers is a team of 24 girls from across the County who are working together for two years as grantmakers. They’ll get to decide how to give away $10,000 to other girls to implement unique girl-led projects in their local schools and communities.

The Girls as Grantmakers Team meets one Sunday a month from 4-7pm throughout the 2005 and 2006 school years. At the meetings the teens:

Discuss and explore issues of concern to young women in Allegheny County;
Talk about social change and ways to make a difference in their community;
Learn what grantmaking is all about – from developing a proposal to reviewing applications and making award decisions.
Work with team members to develop new opportunities for girls in Allegheny County.

There are four primary goals of this program:

To promote systemic change in our community by; expanding girls’ exposures to social issues, creating a diverse community of girls interested in social action, and building self-esteem and leadership skills among girls in Southwest PA.
To prepare a new generation of young women for philanthropic involvement and non-profit leadership.
To increase the funding for girls programs in the community.
To have fun!

This pilot program includes a group of twenty-four girls (8th-12th graders) selected from over sixty applicants. This diverse group of girls represents different communities and schools from throughout Allegheny County. The girls were chosen for their established academic excellence, interest and commitment to community work and social action, their leadership, their creativity, their humor, and experience working in a team setting and environment.

Over the course of the project the girls will learn about philanthropy, set grantmaking priorities, develop and market their own Request For Proposals, run workshops for potential grantees, review grant proposals, make site visits, present and vote on proposals, manage and evaluate grants and provide support to their grantees. At the end of the second year they will host a mini-conference to showcase their work – and the work of their grantees - in June 2007.


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Introduction Who We Are What We Do Contact	What We Do "There are a lot of different ideas, opinions and different background sets in the girls. Yet we are all coming together to work towards this one goal – to empower girls with the resources to fulfill their dreams." Emma Blackman-Mathis, 16, Co-Chair Girls as Grantmakers Girls’ grantmaking programs have existed nationally for many years, largely as offshoots of women’s funds. These grantmaking groups empower young women with writing and analytical skills, with practical team building experience, and with the knowledge and joy of having a tangible way to improve and impact their communities in a positive way. In this way the groups develop stronger, more confident girls and hopefully plant the seeds for future philanthropists and non-profit leaders. Allegheny County Girls as Grantmakers is a team of 24 girls from across the County who are working together for two years as grantmakers. They’ll get to decide how to give away $10,000 to other girls to implement unique girl-led projects in their local schools and communities. The Girls as Grantmakers Team meets one Sunday a month from 4-7pm throughout the 2005 and 2006 school years. At the meetings the teens: Discuss and explore issues of concern to young women in Allegheny County; Talk about social change and ways to make a difference in their community; Learn what grantmaking is all about – from developing a proposal to reviewing applications and making award decisions. Work with team members to develop new opportunities for girls in Allegheny County. There are four primary goals of this program: To promote systemic change in our community by; expanding girls’ exposures to social issues, creating a diverse community of girls interested in social action, and building self-esteem and leadership skills among girls in Southwest PA. To prepare a new generation of young women for philanthropic involvement and non-profit leadership. To increase the funding for girls programs in the community. To have fun! This pilot program includes a group of twenty-four girls (8th-12th graders) selected from over sixty applicants. This diverse group of girls represents different communities and schools from throughout Allegheny County. The girls were chosen for their established academic excellence, interest and commitment to community work and social action, their leadership, their creativity, their humor, and experience working in a team setting and environment. Over the course of the project the girls will learn about philanthropy, set grantmaking priorities, develop and market their own Request For Proposals, run workshops for potential grantees, review grant proposals, make site visits, present and vote on proposals, manage and evaluate grants and provide support to their grantees. At the end of the second year they will host a mini-conference to showcase their work – and the work of their grantees - in June 2007.