Women’s Foundation of Minnesota joins Partnership for Women’s Prosperity

By News Team
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Tue, Aug 7th, 2012
Posted in All State of Minnesota

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota has joined a notable list of women’s foundations from across the country and the Walmart Foundation to launch A Partnership for Women’s Prosperity — a platform to share best practices and find replicable solutions to systemic problems facing economically vulnerable women and girls in communities nationwide.

The Walmart Foundation awarded $3.35 million in grants and worked closely with the members of the Partnership to establish goals and fund programs that best service women in their local communities. The Washington Area Women’s Foundation, The New York Women’s Foundation, Women’s Fund of Mississippi, Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis and Women’s Funding Network will have the flexibility to leverage the funding to provide additional support to local programs and partners that deliver critical resources, job training, employment and leadership development.

As a Partnership for Women’s Prosperity member fund, the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota received $650,000 of the total funding to support its girlsBEST (girls Building Economic Success Together) Fund program over the next two years. Launched in 2002, girlsBEST was the first permanently endowed fund for girls at any women’s foundation in the world. Through girlsBEST, the grant will enable the Women’s

Foundation to reach an additional 1,100 girls, including African immigrant girls in Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center and New Hope, and girls of color in greater southern Minnesota, including Austin, Worthington, St. James, Faribault and Marshall.

“The Partnership and this grant will help us provide more girls in Minnesota with an opportunity to receive the support and resources vital to their future economic success,” said Lee Roper-Batker, president and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. “We know that finding solutions to the systemic problems facing economically vulnerable women and girls will take innovation and collaboration, both in Minnesota and on the national level."

“These dedicated partners are working on the ground community by community to help women expand their knowledge and build essential skills that will improve their lives,” said Sylvia Mathews Burwell, president of the Walmart Foundation. “We know that outside of work, women spend their time, money and energy caring for their families and communities, so investing in women and girls today will help build a greater future for our nation.”

The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota was founded in 1983 as the nation’s first statewide community foundation dedicated solely to growing equality for women and girls. Since 1983, over $14 million has been invested in more than 1,400 nonprofit organizations throughout Minnesota working to break down local barriers to gender equality.

“There is a strong business case for corporations to invest in all women and girls,” said Roper-Batker. “We are asking all businesses, individuals and organizations to join us as we work toward achieve economic security for women and girls in Minnesota and nationwide.”

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