Mary’s Pence
OVERVIEW: Mary’s Pence seeks grassroots groups combating violence against women and girls and awards grants that support the social, physical and economic well-being of vulnerable women in the United States and Canada.
IP TAKE: This foundation predominately gives small grants to small organizations with budgets of under $200,000. It is a collaborative and supportive resource for local and grassroots groups trying to establish themselves in the women’s empowerment space. It can also serve as a catalyst for bigger grants from other funders down the road.
This funder will consider applications from anywhere in North or South America, but recent grants have predominantly favored U.S. organizations. Unsolicited letters of inquiry due on the first of February and August of each year, and the staff takes about two months to review and invite full proposals.
Mary’s Pence is pretty accessible and responsive, just be patient given its smaller staff size.
PROFILE: Created in 1987, Mary’s Pence was established by Maureen Gallagher, who recognized that very few foundations were paying attention to women’s rights and needs. Named both in homage and as a response to Peter’s Pence, the Pope’s fund to benefit the poor and suffering, Mary’s Pence “invests in women across the Americas by funding community initiatives and fostering collaborations to create social change.” Although the foundation is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, Mary’s Pence is independent of the Catholic church, and there is no requirement for grantees to be faith-based to receive funding. The foundation awards grants to organizations that support women’s social, physical, and economic well-being throughout the US and Canada.
Grants for Women and Girls, Immigrants and Refugees
Mary’s Pence supports women’s organizations that are “[w]orking with their local community to create long-term systemic change.” Given this broad grantmaking approach, the foundation invests in a wide range of issues including, but not limited to, gender equality, economic security, women’s rights, social justice, human trafficking, domestic violence, immigrants and refugees, education and leadership skill building. Past grantees include the Justice Project, which received funding for its work serving women who have been sexually exploited through prostitution and Isuroon, an organization that helps Somali immigrants learn about the political process in the United States. To learn more about the types of organizations Mary’s Pence supports, explore its grantees page.
Grants for Violence Prevention and Criminal Justice
In the violence prevention space, Mary’s Pence focuses on organizations that are led by women and those that work directly with the populations they serve. Recent grantmaking has focused on Black, Indigenous, immigrant and incarcerated women. Past grantees include WomenNC, which received funding for its program combating injustice against women and girls, and the Justice Project, which received a grant for its work with survivors of crimes against women. To learn more about the types of organizations Mary’s Pence supports, explore its grantees page.
Important Grant Details:
May’s Pence makes about $150,000 in grants a year, with grants typically ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. This funder generally supports small organizations with under $200,000, where small amounts can make a difference. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s Grantees Archive.
This funder accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry and requests for funding with deadlines on the first of February and August of each year. Decisions can take up to two months, so this may not be a good source for emergency funding. Inquiries may be directed to the foundation’s staff, whose email addresses are available at the organization’s contact page.
PEOPLE:
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