Amplifying Our Impact: SR Women for Good Selected for Grant

We are very excited to announce that we have received a grant through the Close the Gap campaign, a national initiative by Grapevine and the Nextdoor Foundation to support local nonprofits making a big difference in their communities. It is very exciting to have our giving circle selected and recognized for the work we are doing here locally in Sonoma County.

Through the Close the Gap initiative, Santa Rosa Women for Good has been awarded $2,000 in matching funds to support our most recent grantee Ruthless Kindness, a local nonprofit working to help survivors and their pets escape abuse together. In August, we voted to award a $5,000 grant to Ruthless Kindness and these additional matching funds will increase our impact greatly.

Each quarter the members of Santa Rosa Women for good donate $100 each and nominate three local nonprofits to select from to receive a collective grant. In addition to the financial impact to our chosen nonprofit organizations, our group offers an opportunity for women to network, build a community of friendships, and gain a deeper understanding of the needs and resources available in the community. 

Giving Circles are now considered to be the fastest-growing form of philanthropy, according to a Johnson Center for Philanthropy 2024 report that showed they have now engaged more than 370,000 people and moved more than $3.1 billion. Santa Rosa Women for Good was founded in November 2022 and has been steadily growing since, to date having awarded over $60,000 to Sonoma County nonprofit organizations. 

“I believe that people working together can make an important difference and that creating a space for the sharing of ideas and resources in our community is an exciting opportunity to get to know each other and our neighbors,” said Alex Hailey, a member of the giving circle’s volunteer Leadership Team. “This additional grant and support from Grapevine and the Nextdoor Foundation means so much for Ruthless Kindness and helps Santa Rosa Women for Good to make an even larger impact in Sonoma County."

The Close the Gap campaign is distributing $127,500 to Giving Circles nationwide, with matching funds going to organizations with annual budgets under $2 million. In addition to the matching grants, five nonprofits will be selected for surprise bonus grants of up to $10,000 based on their community impact.

Thank you Grapevine and The Nextdoor Foundation for supporting Santa Rosa Women for Good and our work to support the organizations making a big difference in our community.