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Chambers Family Fund partnered with the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma to create a women’s fund in 2003. The Women’s Foundation of Oklahoma provides grants to organizations that work to remove systemic barriers, to provide stable social support and to ensure long term economic self-sufficiency. Oklahoma’s founding women helped establish the state’s towns and cities. Honoring their legacy, the Women’s Foundation of Oklahoma addresses issues affecting today’s women and girls such as systemic barriers and expanded opportunities for women to become economically self-sufficient. Oklahoma has the highest female incarceration rate in the nation and two-thirds of these women are single parents. Oklahoma ranks 8th in the nation for the highest number of teen pregnancies and nearly half of families living in poverty are female-headed households, a majority of whom lack access to child care. These statistics directly impact the well-being of every Oklahoman. Using this knowledge as the spur for change, the Women’s Foundation of Oklahoma is committed to the economic self-sufficiency of women and girls and mobilizing a state-wide effort on their behalf. Initial funding from Chambers Family Fund supported a needs assessment in 2003 to identify the challenges facing women and girls in Oklahoma. Findings from the assessment guide grantmaking and systems change initiatives to fund worthwhile programs and strengthen organizations that are helping women and girls reach their potential. In its first three years, the Advisory Board, comprised of women from across the state, raised more than $750,000 of the initial $1 million endowment goal and made grants of nearly $100,000 to organizations improving the economic status of women and positively impacting girls' futures. |
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