Women's Philanthropy Network (WPN) Now Accepting Applications for 2012 Grants

Women's Philanthropy Network (WPN) Now Accepting Applications for 2012 Grants

Shreveport, La (October 21, 2011) – The Women's Philanthropy Network (WPN) of The Community Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2012 grant. The WPN, an organization of women aged 16 and older who pool their annual dues to make high-impact gifts in this community, plans to award a grant in the area of early childhood and/or elementary education in May 2012. The amount of the grant award will be $75,000 to $100,000, and applications for grants of less than $75,000 will not be accepted. The WPN is particularly interested in programs that are evidence-based, replicable, focus on literacy and/or numeracy, and serve at-risk children.

Proposed programs must include well-designed benchmarking and evaluation plans and must take place between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013. Preference will be given to programs that address the needs of underserved populations and that demonstrate collaboration with other nonprofits, faith-based organizations or governmental entities.

Eligible applicants must:

· be a 501(c) 3 organization;

· have been in existence for a minimum of three years;

· file an annual Form 990 with the IRS;

· and conduct an annual independent audit.

Additionally, the proposed program must serve individuals in Caddo Parish.

Nonprofit organizations interested in applying should submit a one-page letter that outlines a proposed program and its expected outcomes no later than November 15, 2011 to The Community Foundation at 401 Edwards Street, Suite 105; Shreveport, La; 71101. Include a copy of the organization's most recent Form 990, audit, and the proposed project budget form, which can be accessed on the WPN's website at http://www.twpn.org/. If the proposed program is already in existence, applicants must provide data relative to the program's past outcomes and the metrics used to obtain those outcomes.

In December 2011, the WPN grants committee will select several proposals for further research and review and selected organizations will be asked to complete a full grant application. The top grant proposals will be presented to the WPN membership at the group's annual meeting that will be held in May 2012. The recipient of the grant award will be determined by a vote of the membership.

In the spring of 2011, the WPN announced its awards to three local nonprofit organizations to support their work on K-12 education in the Shreveport-Bossier. The grants, which together total $86,691, were awarded Biomedical Research Foundation's BioStart Laboratory Boot Camp for High School Seniors; Youth Enrichment Program's (YEP) YEP Plus; and the LSUS' Foundation's LaPrep.

Past WPN grant recipients include:

· Bethune Middle Academy: Grants of more than $300,000 over three years awarded to both the Caddo Parish School System and local nonprofits working with Bethune students. Achievements included improved student attendance; decreased suspensions; growth in math and reading scores; school-wide book club; student-faculty mentoring system; rewards for students with good grades and attendance; National Board Certification for eight teachers; and improved faculty morale and commitment. One hundred percent of children stayed in school the first year, 99 percent of children stayed in school the second year.

· BioStart Mentorship Program: A one-time grant of $45,000 in 2009 supported the BioStart Mentorship Program for Southwood High School students. The WPN grant helped the Biomedical Research Foundation leverage a National Institutes of Health award of $1.3 million to expand and continue the program, which has produced tangible benefits for area students: all of 2009 participants graduated from high school and are now attending college, and a majority of 2010-11 BioStart seniors will be the first in their families to attend college.

· Vivian Elementary and Middle School: Also in 2009, the WPN awarded $55,000 to the Rensselaerville Institute to conduct the School Turnaround Program at Vivian Elementary and Middle School. Faculty teams learned how to set effective achievement targets, create a new message for their school, and set a pragmatic course of action based on proven strategies for immediate and incisive change in student performance.

Individuals who would like to learn more about the WPN's grants process or women that would like to become members of the WPN can visit http://www.twpn.org/ or call Margo Shideler at The Community Foundation at (318) 221-0582 for more information.

About the Community Foundation of North Louisiana

Established in 1961, the Community Foundation of North Louisiana's mission is to strengthen communities through philanthropy. By bringing together fund donors, their financial advisors and nonprofit agencies, the Foundation is a powerful catalyst for building charitable giving and effecting positive change in our area. Through the generosity and vision of our family of donors, both past and present, the Foundation has granted nearly $40,000,000 to vital nonprofit organizations since our inception. In our shared endeavor to build a more robust, vibrant community, we fund a variety of critical initiatives, including education, health, arts and culture, and poverty alleviation. Through integrity and sound financial practices, the Foundation has successfully stewarded the philanthropic interests of past donors and is poised to lead the next generation of givers to address the challenges facing our region.