The Cape Cod Foundation recently launched a two-year Community Challenge to raise $200,000 in funding by the end of 2024 for The Women and Girls Fund. To help kick-start the fundraising, Eastern Bank Foundation will donate $50,000 to the campaign.
“Community support for this initiative has been incredible so far, I am confident that we will be able to raise the remaining $150,000 during the challenge period,” said Kristin O’Malley, President and CEO of the Foundation.
The Cape Cod Foundation established this permanent endowment fund in 2022 to build flexible resources to support programs and initiatives that strengthen the lives of women and girls throughout the region, now and in the years to come. Earlier this year, the Foundation awarded inaugural grants totaling $50,000 to four local nonprofits: WE CAN, Amplify POC, Falmouth Volunteers In Public Schools and Entrepreneurship for All (Cape Cod)
“We decided that our first grants would support initiatives that help break the cycle of poverty by increasing economic opportunity and self-sufficiency for women through trainings and educational programs and break down barriers for girls by providing new, expanded, or more accessible educational opportunities, out-of-school programs, and mentorship opportunities,” O’Malley said.
“Women consistently serve as lynchpins in our families, communities, and workplaces yet women of all ages, especially those from historically marginalized groups, don’t always get the social, educational, and financial support they need to reach their full potential,” said Nancy Huntington Stager, President & CEO of Eastern Bank Foundation, “The Women and Girls Fund of The Cape Cod Foundation empowers non profits preparing women for more success at school and on the job, which is a vital stepping stone to building greater economic equity and more mobility and Eastern Bank Foundation is proud to support these efforts.”
O’Malley said the Foundation’s five-year fundraising goal for The Women and Girls Fund is $1 million.
“This endowment will allow us to award $50,000 in grants every year,” she added. “With continued support from individuals, private foundations, and businesses, like Eastern Bank Foundation, we will be able to expand our impact across the region and drive systemic change.”
To schedule a meeting or group presentation about The Women and Girls Fund or to make a multi-year pledge to The Women and Girls Fund Community Challenge, contact Kristin O’Malley at 508.790.3040 or email komalley@capecodfoundation.org. To learn more about or to donate online to the Community Challenge, visit capecodfoundation.org. Donations can also be sent to: The Cape Cod Foundation; 261 White’s Path; Unit 2; South Yarmouth, MA 02664.
