The Women’s Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation has announced its grants for 2019, totaling $50,000. Area organizations receiving grants are:

Miami University Regional Campus - $6,750 for summer STEAM Studio Program for girls. The STEAM Studio summer camp program is designed to create opportunities to excite and engage young women in the community (grades 5-8) through hands-on learning experiences at Miami Regionals campuses in the STEAM subject fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). The leadership of STEAM Studio is largely female, with a female program manager and 3 out of 4 female counselors. 

Supports to Encourage Low-Income Families (SELF) - $6,676 for the Build Up Academy. It provides female participants  learning opportunities in the construcdtion trade that builds job readiness skills, self-confidence, leadership skills and more. This program uses the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) curriculum, which focuses on 9 modules: basic safety, construction math, hand tools, power tools, construction drawings, rigging, communication skills, employability and materials handling. 

Women Helping Women - $20,000 for crisis support.  Women Helping Women actively provides crisis intervention services to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence/intimate partner violence, stalking and human trafficking in Butler County.

YWCA Hamilton - $15,000 for the FIERCE Girls Program - FIERCE Girls is a youth empowerment program for girls in grades 3-6.  The goal of FIERCE Girls is to help develop girls that are Fearless.Independent.Educated.Resilient.Confident.Engaged while indentifying girls who may be experiencing trauma. FIERCE Girls aims to intervene, providing positive experiences and strengthening protective factors helping to protect girls from negative health and life outcomes even after adversity has occurred. 

Girls on the Run - $5,000 for scholarship assistance for girls in the Hamilton School District. GIRLS ON THE RUN, is designed for girls in grades 3-5. The program inspires girls to recognize their inner strength and celebrate what makes them one of a kind. Trained coaches lead small teams of girls at their school through GOTR's research-based curriculum that includes dynamic discussions, activities, and running games. Over the course of 10 weeks, girls develop essential skills to help them navigate their worlds and establish a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness. The program culminates with girls completing a meaningful service project and participating in a celebratory 5K event. 

“This Fund presents a unique opportunity for women in our community to step into the role of philanthropist,” says Joan Witt, Women’s Fund Committee Chair. “It is a chance for women to help other women, building stronger individuals and a better community.”

The Women’s Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation is committed to making grants that have a positive impact on women and girls in our community. Its mission is to promote philanthropy among women by establishing a local, permanent, expanding endowment dedicated to the needs of women and girls. This fund is made possible by donors who have contributed to it since its inception in 1997.