Over the last 15 years, the Women’s Giving Circle has combined our giving power to award more than $818,000 in grants to organizations making a real difference to the lives of women and children in Cumberland County.
“The Women's Giving Circle is among the most philanthropic organizations in our community. With an emphasis of giving to programs directly impacting women and children, it matches perfectly with Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity. The vast majority of the families we serve are single women with children. The Women's Giving Circle funds help us lower the cost of housing for families, allowing these families an affordable mortgage for newly constructed homes. This creates stability for these families which directly impacts the mental, emotional, physical growth, intellectual growth and social development for their children.” - Brandon Price, Esq., Chief Executive Officer of Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity
2024 Grantees
- Action Pathways/Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina - Meeting the Personal Hygiene Challenge - $15,000
- Alms House - KAPP (KIDS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PLUS) - $5,000
- Better Health - Medical Emergency Direct Aid Program - $20,000
- Center for Economic Empowerment and Development - Financial Literacy: Understanding Your Money Mindset & the Importance of your Finances - $6,600
- Greater Life of Fayetteville - Just Us Program - $2,000
- Janice Faye’s Ranch - Resilience Retreat - $10,000
- Myrover Reese - Women’s Fellowship Home (MRWFH) - $10,000
2023 Grantees
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, Inc. (CHSNC)
Cumberland County Area Family Foster Care Recruitment
Amount Awarded: $10,000
Cumberland County leads the state in the number of children in need of foster care. The need is well documented. The lack of qualified families here necessitates out-of-county placements. The program funded increases awareness of the need for licensed foster families and help fund various recruitment strategies and advertising, to educate interested families encourage applications. Their foster placements are documented to be more stable than the state average with a significantly higher number of children who were able to stay with one family.
Connections of Cumberland County, Inc.
Connect to E (Enterprise)
Amount Awarded: $15,000
This program includes specific skill development with objective measures of progress coupled with weekly, one-on-one counseling by qualified professionals. Participants have access to the broad scope of available services via case management available through the existing programs so they are fully supported. The goal is that 70% of the participants will attain sustained employment.
Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity, Inc.
Affordable House for Single Mother
Amount Awarded: $15,000
This project fits the Women's Giving Circle focus by providing housing for a deserving, hard working mother that would otherwise be unable to become a homeowner. Children from these low-income families that do not own their home often face challenges and live in communities with limited access to quality health care, comprehensive support services and enriching activities. An affordable mortgage gives the family an opportunity to budget, save, and grow in a secure environment.
Miller’s Crew, Inc.
Miller’s Crew Training Co. – Phase 3
Amount Awarded: $15,000
Their mission is to connect special needs adolescents and adults to their community by providing training to obtain goals and create employment opportunities leading to a meaningful life. With the success of their food truck, they are now onto Phase 3, Miller’s Crew Coffee Shop. This grant provided funds for equipment for the coffee shop which opened in January 2023 on Haymount Hill. Through business partnerships trained crew members will then have the opportunity to seek employment.
St. Ann Neighborhood Youth Center
Amount Awarded: $1,000
This grant assisted in providing financial support for meals to assist paying for students and staff participating in their Summer Camp program. Providing nutrition that children could look forward to set the stage for their participation and comfort level throughout the day’s activities. Meals were cooked on site as well as provided during their community field trips.
2022 Grantees
Armed Services YMCA
Baby bundles and Child Care
Amount awarded: $3,100
This is an established organization with good support from the military community that leverages their resources with private donations and volunteer support. This request will help fund Baby Bundles and childcare for mother’s doctor appointments. Baby Bundles are given to new military mothers whose family falls in the lowest pay grades placing them within poverty level guidelines. 1200 bundles are distributed annually through Womack Hospital. Bundles include a wide variety of baby items. Information is included about other essential services provided by the YMCA such as parenting info and a food bank that provides monthly access baby items like formula, baby food and diapers. This grant will also use funds to help staff childcare during mother’s mental health or ob/gyn appointments. This service has in the past, resulted in as much as a 40% increase in kept appointments. Programs are well thought out, coordinated, and professionally delivered.
Children’s Home Society (CHSNC)
Cumberland County New Foster Parent Recruitment
Amount awarded: $9,000
CHSNC is a professional and well- run organization with an exceptionally long track record of placing children in adoptive or foster homes. Cumberland County has one of the largest and fastest growing need for foster placements in NC. CHSNC is successfully increasing resources to foster children here. They were funded last year to recruit new foster parents and documented the following results: 2,000 new visitors from Fayetteville to their website and a 46% increase in foster homes available to Cumberland County Children, 131 Women Served, 173 Children Served. They have requested funds to continue their online marketing targeting Cumberland County, monthly information sessions.
Connections of Cumberland County, Inc.
Improving Quality of Life at Connections Day Resource Center
Amount awarded: $7,500
Connections provides a day resource center that assists single women and their children that are homeless or at risk for homelessness. They offer one-stop, comprehensive case management and support services using a wide variety of community resources including graduate level interns. The use of these resources greatly leverages their ability to offer services. They assist women in finding and retaining housing and increase employment marketability via case management, employment workshops and access to employment resources.
Fayetteville Technical Community College Foundation (FTCC)
H.O.P.E. Childcare support and Tuition Assistance
Amount awarded: $10,000
HOPE is a new initiative to connect and prepare adult learners with better skills to obtain better paying employment. FTCC has received funding to offer tuition/scholarships for off-site classes to low wealth students, many of whom find transportation a barrier to attending classes at the main FTCC campus. Students will earn certificates in a variety of high demand trades. FTCC is partnering with multiple community agencies to establish these off-site locations. FTCC is applying to WGC for a grant to fund 2 childcare staff members at each off-site location, which would address another obstacle that prevents adult learners from attending classes. FTCC is also partnering with other organizations, including FTCC programs that can provide childcare staffing while earning observation and student teaching credits.
Fayetteville Urban Ministry (FUM)
Emergency Assistance Program Reefer Truck Project
Amount awarded: $17,610
This project seeks to purchase a refrigerated truck with a lift gate to increase capability of accepting large donations of food. Currently FUM is not able to accept large, palleted donations of fresh foods and meats from businesses such as Smithfield Packing, Publix, and Walmart. FUM is currently installing refrigerator/freezer space to accommodate large food donations. FUM estimates it can double the number of meals provided from 118,000 in current year to 250,000.The one-time purchase of a refrigerated truck will have a significant impact on the community by substantially and permanently enhancing FUM’s capacity to provide meals for those in need.
Methodist University
Speaking Senses
Amount Awarded: $4,044.49
Speaking Senses is a supplemental education program for parents and caregivers of children (K-12) with sensory processing challenges. Sensory challenges are children with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Downs Syndrome, Traumatic Brain Injuries or other developmental delays. Classes are conducted by second and third year Doctor of Occupational Therapy students. This grant will fund the first three years of the in-person launch of classes for start-up costs that cover therapeutic and recording equipment and the first year of marketing materials and office supplies.
School of Hope
Adaptive Learning Materials/Books
Amount Awarded: $2,965
The School of Hope is a private school that educates students with Autism and learning disabilities. The grant funds will provide for a license to download and utilize 300 adaptive learning materials and books. Adaptive materials are especially beneficial for this student population; typical reading materials overstimulate and are less effective. The School of Hope is creating a library that will be utilized by children, teachers and parents. These materials will be used at the school and at home. The WGC grant funds were used for a copyright license that will not require renewals and serve children and families for years to come.
St. Ann Neighborhood Youth Center
After School and Summer Reading Program
Amount Awarded: $2,300
This is an existing program that serves low-wealth communities as well as deaf and hard of hearing students. The program was suspended due to the pandemic. They are re-starting the on-site after-school and summer reading and tutoring program. St. Ann has found less expensive reading tools to create more individualized learning plans for students. The tool allows students to create a video summary of what they read which also helps them to enhance other communication skills. St. Ann’s has partnered with the Cumberland County schools. Students who have been relocated to Spring Lake schools are bused to St. Ann’s in the afternoon so that they can participate in the program. This has provided stability and normalcy for those children.
2021 Grantees
• Alms House - $8,018
• Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina, Inc. - $5,518
• Child Advocacy Center, Inc. - $5,818
• Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, Inc. - $5,518
• Connections of Cumberland County, Inc. - $10,518
• Fayetteville Urban Ministry, Inc. - $10,518
• Fayetteville Technical Community College Foundation, Inc. - $10,518
2020 Grantees
• Better Health of Cumberland County, Inc. – $8,814
• Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina, Inc. – $8,986
• Child Advocacy Center, Inc. – $7,986
• Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, Inc. – $8,986
• Connections of Cumberland County, Inc. – $12,986
• Partnership for Children of Cumberland County, Inc. – $7,572
• The St. Ann Neighborhood Youth Center – $1,300
2019 Grantees
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Cumberland County, Inc. –$10,000
• Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina, Inc. –$8,800
• Child Advocacy Center, Inc. – $11,811
• Connections of Cumberland County, Inc. – $11,811
• Friends of Cumberland County Public Library – $12,148
2018 Grantees:
- Alms House, Inc. – $13,700
- Connections of Cumberland County, Inc. – $18,784
- The Salvation Army of Fayetteville – $10,000
- Serving With Accountability and Teamwork (SWAT) – $5,596
2017 Grantees:
- Alms House, Inc. – $12,000
- Connections of Cumberland County, Inc. – $26,000
- Fayetteville Urban Ministry, Inc. – $10,715
- St. Ann Neighborhood Youth Center – $2,000
2016 Grantees:
- Cumberland County Coordinating Council on Older Adults – $17,000
- Action Pathways/Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeastern NC – $13,500
- Alms House – $13,354
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Cumberland County – $5,000
- St. Ann Neighborhood Youth Center – $4,000
2015 Grantees:
- Connections of Cumberland County – $22,580
- Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center – $8,625
- Ferguson-Easley Elementary School – $6,505
- The Partnership for Children of Cumberland County, Inc. – $11,040
2014 Grantees:
- Fayetteville Urban Ministry – $30,000
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina – $25,000
- Child Advocacy Center – $7,000
2013 Grantees:
- Better Health of Cumberland County – $25,000
- Cumberland Interfaith Hospitality Network – $20,000
- The Fayetteville Police Department – $3,000
- The Salvation Army – $6,050
- St. Ann’s Neighborhood Youth Center – $4,000
2012 Grantees:
- CARE Center Family Violence Program – $15,000
- Cumberland Co. Coordinating Council on Older Adults – $15,000
- Cumberland Interfaith Hospitality Network, Inc. – $15,000
- Hungry Angelz – $5,000
2011 Grantees:
- Fayetteville Area Operation Inasmuch – $25,000
- Cumberland Interfaith Hospitality Network – $15,000
- Grace & Mercy House, Inc. – $9,340
