Texas Women’s Foundation (TXWF) announced that the organization has increased its investment in Tarrant County, providing grants totaling $260,000 to three organizations—WiNGS, Women’s Center of Tarrant County and Girls Inc. of Tarrant County—to support economic security for women and girls.
Roslyn Dawson Thompson, Texas Women’s Foundation president and CEO, said, “The future workforce and future economy in Texas depend upon investing in solutions that get to the root causes of women’s and girls’ economic insecurity – and reverse them. Our goal is to ensure that Texas women and girls, and their families, have the knowledge, financial competence and support to enable them to move from surviving to thriving. We’re pleased to work with and invest in these Tarrant County nonprofits to help achieve these goals.”
The Women’s Center of Tarrant County grant funds the “Working Families Success” model, a proven best-practice program to advance economic security for more than 400 people. The program provides bundled career and financial coaching and support for Tarrant County women and families overcoming violence, crisis and poverty situations.
The WiNGS grant provides capacity building services in Tarrant County via the WiNGS Coaching Institute. The Institute provides ongoing training, support and continuing-education for financial coaches at nonprofit organizations in Tarrant County. By supporting the front-line staff at nonprofit agencies across the region and standardizing training for financial coaches, the Institute strengthens the financial coaching services provided to women who are clients of multiple nonprofit organizations across the region.
The grant to Girls Inc. of Tarrant County helps fund College & Career Programs for 1,700 at-risk girls in Tarrant County. In 2018, Girls Inc. achieved a 100% graduation rate for its high school seniors who were active in Girls Inc. programs, and 85% of those graduates are pursuing higher education opportunities. Of the girls who started college in fall 2018, 60% were first-generation college students, and of those, 86% were the first in their families to graduate from high school.
Jennifer Limas, Girls Inc. of Tarrant County’s president and CEO, said, “Support from Texas Women’s Foundation creates a space for more girls to dream of economic independence by allowing us to expand our College & Career Programs and add additional cohorts of our Boost mentoring program and solidify financial literacy education, including financial literacy training for the families of college-bound girls.”
Girls Inc. of Tarrant County ensures girls are prepared to be economically independent and have a plan for their future after high school. The College & Career Programs help guide students through that process and provide resources to ensure each girl and her family is aware of the financial aid system, scholarships and demands of the university setting. Additionally, practical knowledge of budgeting and other financial topics are taught. Each girl is also part of the Girls Inc. Economic Literacy program, which is a research-based, outcomes-focused curriculum. It builds a foundation of financial and economic knowledge including: budgeting, investing, understanding needs vs. wants, and aspirational financial planning. Girls Inc.’s goal is to inspire girls to be prepared, capable and successful future leaders in the community.
Faith M., a Girls Inc. alum who went from a “C” student to graduating top 10 from Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School in June 2015 after joining Girls Inc., said, “Being selected to be part of Girls In Charge, a leadership and entrepreneurship program, gave me the opportunity to travel to Indianapolis, where I met girls from across the country and Canada. We stayed in the dorms at Butler University, and it gave me a sense of what it would feel like to be in college. I remember telling myself, ‘This is a feeling I want to savor forever.’ If I could describe what a spark of hope felt like, that was it.” Faith graduated in May 2019 with honors from the University of Texas at Arlington with her degree in social work and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in social work.
For those interested in learning more about Texas Women’s Foundation, the organization is hosting a Viewpoints: Unlocking Assets breakfast panel discussion on women’s business ownership in Fort Worth on October 24, 9:00-10:30 a.m. at Fort Worth Club (306 W. 7th St., Fort Worth, TX 76102). More information can be found at https://www.txwf.co/unlockingassetsviewpoints.
Texas Women’s Foundation, formerly Dallas Women’s Foundation, is investing to Transform Texas for Women and Girls, empowering them to build stronger, more equitable communities throughout Texas. One of the world’s largest women’s funds, it is a trusted leader in advocating for and advancing economic security for Texas women, girls and families, and ensuring women and girls are enabled and supported in taking leadership roles in every sector in the state. With more than $36 million in assets, Texas Women’s Foundation raises approximately $9 million a year to underwrite groundbreaking statewide research on issues affecting women and girls – providing decision-makers and lawmakers with critical data to inform policies, practices and programs in the state. Funds also sustain the Foundation’s $6 million in annual grants, advocacy, mission-focused gendered asset investments, and support for innovative programs and solutions to help Texas women and girls thrive. For more information, visit www.txwf.org, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram or donate now.