ATLANTA – The Atlanta Women’s Foundation (AWF) announces a second year of funding for the Women’s Pathway to Success Program, which awarded a total of $500,000 to ten local nonprofit organizations to providing a critical combination of services needed to move women to economic self-sufficiency. This combination of services includes access to workforce training and development, microenterprise development, childcare assistance, financial literacy, and employment opportunities for women living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
One of this year’s ten recipients, Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS), has been awarded $50,000. “Returning women to the workforce increases family income and exponentially strengthens communities,” said AWF’s Chief Executive Office Kari B. Love, “Evidence demonstrates that increases in women’s income lead to improvements in children’s health, nutrition and education. AWF’s transformative program will reduce poverty and eliminate barriers to employment for women in metro Atlanta.” Jewish Family & Career Services’ mission is making hope and opportunity happen.
This grant will be used to support employment services for low-income women including those who are unemployed/underemployed and need job readiness and employment services. They will leverage funds towards the salary of dedicated staff to offer case management, job coaching and employment referrals, identify employers for program clients and negotiate placement opportunities, including unsubsidized employment, coaching and employer focused occupational skills training.
It will also be used to provide supportive services, including financial assistance for transportation, uniform or other job-related costs, skill training, and other activities related to securing and retaining employment. “We are so appreciative of The Atlanta Women’s Foundation’s continued support, and this grant which will help Atlanta women make their lives better through our career coaching and support services,” said Faye Dresner, Interim CEO and Chief Program Officer.
About Women’s Pathway to Success Program
The Women’s Pathway to Success Program is a transformative initiative that will result in job creation, reduce poverty, and eliminate barriers to employment for women in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnet counties. Under the program, ten nonprofit organizations will receive grants of $30,000 for the first year and then $50,000 annually for four years (2018-2021) to provide the critical combination of services needed to move women to economic self-sufficiency.
This combination of services includes access to workforce training and development, microenterprise development, childcare assistance, financial literacy, and employment opportunities for women at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. AWF will also host annual workshops and trainings for the nonprofit cohort to provide organizational capacity building; to encourage dialogue, cross-functional partnerships, and strategic alliances; and to foster collaboration among service providers.
About The Atlanta Women’s Foundation
The Atlanta Women’s Foundation’s mission is to be a catalyst for change in the lives of women and girls. AWF is a convener, educator, and funder. Since 1998, the Foundation has invested over $16 million in Atlanta area nonprofit organizations that have successfully moved women and girls from poverty to economic self-sufficiency. In addition to strategic grantmaking, AWF provides leadership and philanthropic training to a diverse group of professional women to empower not only themselves, but their communities as well. The Atlanta Women’s Foundation: Breaking Barriers. Building Women.
For more information, please visit www.atlantawomen.org.
Photo: Kari B. Love, CEO, The Atlanta Women’s Foundation; Vera Golden, Director of Grants and Measurements, JF&CS, and DiShonda Hughes, Executive Vice President of Mission, The Atlanta Women’s Foundation.