Apply Now: WFA Fall 2025 Grant Cycle to Empower Women Across the State

BIRMINGHAM, AL —August 8th, 2025— Women’s Foundation of Alabama is pleased to announce the opening of its Fall 2025 Competitive Grant Cycle, which aims to support local, community-based organizations throughout Alabama. This year’s cycle will award nine grants of $50,000 each to innovative, high-impact programs that advance women’s economic opportunity. 

This cycle reflects a strategic shift in the Foundation’s approach to grantmaking, deepening investments while sharpening focus on its goal of moving 10,000 women into the workforce and on the path to economic mobility by 2027. Alabama has one of the lowest labor force participation rates for women in the country and in the South, at just 51%. Despite 74% of Alabama women serving as breadwinners, many still face challenges such as limited access to workforce training and child care, which can make it harder to find quality employment.

“We recognize that this has been a particularly difficult year for nonprofit organizations, especially those doing the critical work of serving women and families most impacted by economic instability,” said Zhaundra Jones, Vice President of Philanthropy and Learning. “By increasing our grant awards to $50,000, we’re both deepening our investment in high-impact programs and reaffirming our belief that community-rooted solutions deserve flexible funding.”

Organizations are invited to apply under one of three focus areas, with a prioritization on projects demonstrating clear and measurable impacts on participants’ economic mobility:

Women + Work: Programs that equip women with the education, skills, coaching, and support needed to access quality jobs and thrive in the workforce. This includes career readiness, training, and placement services that help women enter, re-enter, or advance along meaningful career pathways.

Women + Leadership: Programs that build women’s personal and professional leadership capacity—fueling career advancement, economic mobility, and community influence. From mentorship and public speaking to executive coaching and civic engagement, these initiatives help women lead with impact.

Women + Wellbeing —  Financial Wellbeing: Programs that enhance the financial position and possibilities of women and their families. From matched savings and down payment assistance to legal services and debt reduction, this category includes any initiative that improves the bottom line for women and families, laying the foundation for intergenerational wealth.

The deadline for submitting brief proposals is Friday, August 29, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eligible applicants must be currently designated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization by the IRS, a 501(c)(3) exempt religious institution, or a government entity, and must provide services in Alabama. 

For more information or to ask questions, please contact a member of the Philanthropy & Learning Team:

Zhaundra C. Jones, Vice President of Philanthropy & Learning

zjones@wfalabama.org

Kaitlee Daw, Senior Program Officer

kdaw@wfalabama.org