100 Women Who Care: West Tennessee is accepting applications from local nonprofits for their first grant awards since relaunching last year. The deadline to apply for the grants is January 31, 2024.

The grants will support organizations and programs that benefit the residents of rural West Tennessee (excluding Shelby County). Applicants must have 501 (c)(3) status or be an active fund of the Community Foundation.

“It has been exciting to work with Linda Rizzuto and our team to look at how we can expand the reach of this group,” said Beth Koffman, Chief Operating Officer at the Community Foundation. “Our goal in accepting grant proposals from organizations across our region is to learn more about their programs, missions, and work in our rural communities.”

There is no specific area of focus for the grants, but priority will be given to programs or projects that impact women and children. Funding may be used for unrestricted operating support.

“100 Women Who Care is about empowering women and connecting them to the nonprofits serving our community,” Linda Rizzuto, Impact Ambassador for 100 Women Who Care. “To take that a step further, we want to encourage nonprofits to think about how their programs or projects impact women and children and share that within their proposals.”

All proposals will be reviewed by an anonymous selection committee made up of 100 Women Who Care members. Up to six organizations will be selected to present at the Awards Celebration Luncheon on March 8, 2024. After the presentations, members and sponsors will vote to determine which nonprofit(s) receive funding.

Nonprofits may apply online at https://www.cfwtn.org/100-women-grants.

Any individuals interested in being a member of 100 Women Who Care can join by making an annual contribution. Donations are payable in installments or as a one-time gift.

Donations are due by January 31, 2024, to participate at the luncheon in March. The program offers three membership levels:

Member - $100 annually – 1 vote
Advocate - $500 annually – 2 votes
Champion - $1,000 annually – 3 votes

Business sponsorships for the annual event are available at two levels: $500 and $1,500.  

To learn more about 100 Women Who Care, visit 100WomenWestTN.org or contact Haley Fortune at haley@cfwtn.org or (731) 984-2146.