As part of the Young Women’s Initiative (YWI), members of the Young Women’s Advisory Council (YWAC) are actively engaged in a participatory grantmaking process, through which they collectively advise on the distribution of general operating funds to community-based organizations. This year, YWAC members will award a total of $20,000 in grants, allocating four $5,000 awards to organizations serving the Greater New Bedford community.
Through this process, participants identify key issues impacting their communities and develop funding priorities grounded in their lived experiences and shared values. For the FY27 grant cycle, YWAC members established four focus areas:
- Safety & Gender-Based Violence
- Family Separation & Youth Impact
- Language Justice
- Media Justice
To be eligible for funding, your organization must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Provide programming in New Bedford
- Have 501(c)(3) designation or be fiscally-sponsored by another 501(c)(3) organization
- Demonstrate clear alignment with our mission to advance gender, racial, and economic justice
This youth-led grantmaking model not only directs critical resources to community-based solutions, but also builds the leadership, advocacy, and decision-making skills of young women and gender-expansive youth of color, empowering them to shape more equitable systems of philanthropy.
Link to Apply Below:
Family Separation and Youth Impact Grant
Safety and Gender-Based Violence Grant
Application Process:
The applications open on April 30, 2026 and close on May 28, 2026. Grants will be awarded in June.
You can find the PDFs to the grant applications here. The application must be completed in one sitting and cannot be saved for later.
The Women’s Fund SouthCoast will offer office hours to discuss your grant application. Please email Audrey Straw, Research & Impact Manager, at astraw@womensfundsouthcoast.org to schedule a time to meet.
