The Morgan Hill Branch of AAUW (American Association of University Women) is committed to providing local and national support for AAUW’s mission, promoting equity for women and girls. The growing success of our annual Morgan Hill Wildflower Run fundraiser enables AAUW Morgan Hill to expand our philanthropic activities, and we are now awarding discretionary grants of up to $1000 each to local charitable organizations.  (For further information about our mission and our other charitable activities, please visit our website, www.aauwmh.org.)

AAUW’s Community Action Grants committee has awarded $7,000 in grants to 10 local organizations for 2019-2020.

Recipients are:

• Community Solutions: “Liberated: Self-Sufficiency for Survivors of Interpersonal Violence, a monthly group for survivors who are ready to set financial goals and create career plans to achieve them. Goals of the program are for survivors to be able to earn a self-sufficient income, raise their credit score, eliminate revolving debt and build savings to cover three months of living expenses. Meetings will be facilitated by a professional instructor from SparkPoint, a nonprofit which operates workforce institutes for low-income Bay Area residents.
• Morgan Hill Peace Project: Funds to complete a 10-foot basalt column etched with the word “peace” in 10 languages and capped with a bronze dove holding an olive branch; the monument will be surrounded by three basalt benches. The Peace Project will be installed between City Hall and the library.
• Literary Legacies: “We Are Ourselves,” a gender identity workshop for South County youth between the ages of 10 and 18 to discuss how they view gender roles and ways to achieve gender equality in their lifetimes.
• BookSmart Community Advantage: “The Gift of Reading Morgan Hill,” to provide books to children in underserved communities during the holiday period.
• Learning and Loving Education Center: Supporting “English Now!,” a national program to help, locally, 20 women to form Learning Circles, utilize an application called Cell-Ed and interact with other learning communities.
• Discovery Counseling Center: “Bold Quest” mentor program and “Bold Journey” elementary program, to teach teen mentors and elementary school students how positive self-image and healthy self-esteem affect their ability to build successful relationships. Students learn communication skills, anger/anxiety management techniques and conflict resolution skills.
• Poppy Jasper International Film Festival: “See It and Be It 2020,” a workshop for high school girls on positive female representation in film; making films with strong female characters; showing high school films at the festival; attending the Women in Film panel at the festival; and meeting illustrious women in the film industry.
• Britton Middle School: Intramural soccer and flag football program, to support girls’ participation in recess and lunchtime pickup games.
• PA Walsh STEAM Academy: Positive Behavior and Beautification, development of a fifth-grade leadership team to reward students who are on time to school; and funds to beautify the campus.
• Advent Group Ministries: “First Aid Art Groups for Brighter Trauma-Free Futures, training for responder and group facilitator to provide young women in the Morgan Hill residential treatment facility with tools to express and heal from their trauma through the use of art-based therapy groups.

We are accepting grant applications for the 2020-2021 year. Applications must be submitted by December 15, 2020.

GRANT APPLICATION

GRANT APPLICATION

Timeline

Completed 2020-2021 grant applications must be submitted (AAUW Morgan Hill, Attn: Community Action Grants, P.O. Box 1528, Morgan Hill, CA 95038) and postmarked no later than December 15. Alternatively, they may be emailed to grants@aauwmh.org. Successful candidates will be notified of their selection by December 31, 2020. Funding must be used before the end of the 2021 calendar year.

Application Criteria

Grants for up to $1000 each will be provided to local non-profit organizations requesting funding for a specific program or expense that is in alignment with AAUW’s mission. An organization may request funding for more than one project or program, but separate applications are required for each.

2015-2016 grant recipient Community Solutions took teens to see Maccario by Teatro Visión

Priority consideration will be given to grant requests in support of:

• A local non-profit organization that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue code.
• A specific program or expense that is in alignment with AAUW’s mission. Examples include:

Broad based education programs, for any age group.
Education programs targeted at under served segments of the population.
Programs specifically targeted at equity for women and girls.

• Events, programs, or projects that have a broad reach or impact, with the opportunity to create long-term value.
• Programs that support individuals from the Morgan Hill community, as defined by the boundaries of the Morgan Hill Unified School District.
• Programs that charge minimal or no fees to participate.

We do not anticipate awarding grants to:

• Benefit individuals or families. (Note: we also offer a separate scholarship program; see our website, www.aauwmh.org for details.)
• For-profit entities.
• Support political or religious purposes.
• Cover costs already incurred.
• Support fundraising events (door prizes, raffles, auctions, etc.).
• Cover operational expenses (except perhaps in the case of a start-up proposal).
• Programs or organizations located outside of the South Bay area.