Women’s Recovery Response Grant Funding Opportunity

Purpose

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (CCSWG) is soliciting applications for the Women’s Recovery Response Grant Program to support the existing and emerging needs of women in California who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Description

As the state entity tasked with assessing gender equity in multiple issue areas including health, safety, employment, education, and others, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls is uniquely positioned to support local commissions and the direct service providers they work with to ensure that women’s needs are focused on statewide recovery efforts. The Budget Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 129) established the Women’s Recovery Response to provide local assistance with $5 million in one-time funds. The investment will insert structural support and resources into the network of local commissions while the California Commission continues to act as a statewide convener, facilitator, and oversight administrator. Funds will support: 1) Existing local women’s commissions by engaging and strengthens existing local women’s commissions to ultimately inform the development of a future statewide Women’s Economic Recovery Blueprint. 2) Development of new local commissions at the city and county level to increase diverse representation of all women’s voices throughout California. 3) Increase resources for community-based organizations providing direct services to support immediate needs for women through an economic security lens that ultimately support and align with the mission of women and girl’s commissions. The goal of this Grant Funding Opportunity is to build a more direct system of support for women in communities across the state by strengthening the existing network of local commissions, growing diverse representation of all women’s voices through the establishment of new local commissions, and provide immediate relief to women by increasing resources for direct service providers to support the economic recovery of women and the economic circumstances of girls. As we grapple with the long-term consequences and persistent challenges of this pandemic, it is imperative that women across the state, in all industries and localities, receive the support they need. The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls is committed to leading the work to understand the impact of COVID-19 on women and families and ensuring that they are represented. This funding and the commitment from those who championed it is a key element of rebuilding in the wake of the pandemic. The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls is proud to take this critical step toward equitable recovery statewide.