Each year we use the occasion of the Wildflower Run to encourage our members to make a donation to support our various causes. Member donations, corporate sponsorships, and runner registrations are all added to the “Wildflower Fund.” Branch leaders then meet to determine carefully and collectively how the money in the Wildflower Fund will be allocated over the upcoming year. Usually, the total amount is about $60,000 to $70,000.

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Last year besides our traditional fund raising dollars, we were fortunate to receive additional directed grants and donations.  These included:

1. memorial scholarship funds,
2. grants from Silicon Valley Clean Energy (for the Young Women Leaders and Earth Day Festival), and
3. a generous $10,000 grant from the Edward Boss Prado Foundation (used to supplement Keeping in Touch grants awarded to previous scholarship recipients).

This enabled us to distribute over $90,000 to support AAUW’s mission of gender equity for women and girls.

Objectives of this annual allocation process include:

• providing financial support for AAUW national priorities that are best supported at a national level
• supporting worthy local students with financial need in their quest for a college degree
• providing encouragement and support for girls and teens interested in STEM
• providing encouragement and support for girls and teens in developing leadership skills
• developing leadership skills in our branch members and women in our community
• expanding recognition of AAUW MH as the face of equity and education for women and girls in Morgan Hill
• expanding recognition of AAUW MH as a major non-profit organization that gives generously and in meaningful ways to our community
• expanding recognition of AAUW MH members as community leaders

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Funds are allocated into several broad categories:

AAUW Fund

We support AAUW programming that operates at a national level, such as graduate fellowships and research on policies or practices particularly adversely affect women.

Local Scholarships

Our branch offers a broad variety of scholarships for women: for high school graduates, for students returning to school after a gap in their education, for previous scholarship recipients through graduation, and for specialized interests such as healthcare or STEM.

Scholarship recipients at the 2023 Wildflower Run

Tech Trek

Middle School MHUSD girls attend a one week STEM camp on a college campus. The girls consistently describe it as “life-changing” as it opens up ideas and opportunities for them.

Some 2023 Morgan Hill Tech Trek campers

Leadership Programs

We send a woman to Leadership Morgan Hill, mentor local teens through our “Young Women Leaders” program, and sponsor a college student to attend NCCWSL (National Conference for College Women Student Leaders), an AAUW-sponsored leadership development  conference.

AAUW NCCWSL leadership scholarship recipient at NCCWSL

Community Action Grants

AAUW Morgan Hill invites local non-profits and public schools to apply for grants of up to $1000 each to fund programming that is consistent with AAUW’s mission of gender equity.

PA Walsh Mini-Mermaids received a grant

Advocacy

DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) as well as Climate Change are two topics of particular interest to women. Our branch has a special focus here, for example sponsoring Morgan Hill’s annual Earth Day Festival.

2023 Earth Day Festival

Questions? Please contact Elizabeth Mandel, Allocations Chair