G Girl

Zeroing In


A short tiered program can be run in 3 months, whether during the school year or over summer vacation. This includes the entire process, from pre-recruitment to grant awards.

As you make your way through the Toolkit, you have the ability to skip ahead using the tabs above in header to move ahead or scroll through step-by-step. In the short tiered pathway, you will find:

 

Timing Is Everything


There are many different ways to structure a Girls Grantmaking program. Short tiered programs can be run in 3 months. Critical ingredients in developing your own program timeline are:

- Pre-recruitment

+ Recruitment & Selection Process

+ Curriculum Development

+ Girls Meetings

+ Distribution of Grants

+ Post Program Debrief

This includes development or refinement of an application, establishing a meeting schedule, and advanced promotion through local print media, electronic social media, websites, and school counselors.

For existing Girls Grantmaking programs- girls currently in the program are given the opportunity to participate for an additional year before new applicants are accepted.  Local schools often recommend girls and the recruitment process is designed to attract a diverse group.  For greater detail, see the “Calling All Girls” section.

Curriculum development is always a fluid process and may be refined throughout the entire program.  This is when you will develop your materials for distribution.  For greater detail, see the “Diving In” section.

Allow up to two months for meeting with girls, facilitators and guest speakers.  Note that programs run during the school year should make every effort to work around important dates such as, SATs, ACT’s, religious holidays and/or school breaks.

Once final decisions have been made allow a few weeks to formally notify grantees of their award or decline and distribute grant money. Some girls programs might choose to have a celebratory event for the girls and their families recognizing the grantees.  In addition, the public announcement of grantees can be done through local print media, electronic social media and websites. For examples of press releases, see the “Wrapping Up” section or in the “Resource Section”.

Consider evaluations from girls and/or facilitators.  For greater detail on exit interviews, see “Wrapping Up” section.

*Note that many of the steps listed above can and will occur concurrently.

Dollars & Sense


Budgeting and costs are an integral part of every Girls Grantmaking program. All Girls Grantmaking programs are an investment in the future of women leaders of tomorrow! But, it is important to develop an accurate and realistic budget for your program.

A sound budget should factor in the following expenses:
Staffing
Meetings
(food, lodging, speakers, materials, transportation)
Organizational Costs
(overhead for operations)
Grant Awards
Sources of income are a crucial component of a Girls Grantmaking program. Funding models are very diverse and the girls role, if any, in any fundraising will need to be considered before recruitment.

Innovative Leadership


The leadership of a Girls Grantmaking program depends upon the resources and infrastructure of the larger organization. Models of leadership range from a fully volunteer coordinated program to one that utilizes an internal staff member responsible for all duties.

Staffing options range from a full time person who manages the Girls Grantmaking program as one of many responsibilities to a part time or contracted position. Some organizations make this a seasonal position.
Volunteer resources include Board members, committee members, parents and community supporters. Many organizations have one designated committee for the oversight of their Girls Grantmaking program.

Calling All Girls!


The recruitment process is a critical part of your girls grantmaking program. It is important to have clear expectations and a set of standards communicated during the interview process.

Steps of the recruitment process for a short tier program:
01.
Create your application
Consider qualities that you’ll look for, transportation and logistics, references, diversity
02.
Post and Promote the Application
Utilize social media, local newspapers, guidance counselors and teachers
03.
Distribute
Distribute permission and consent forms, release forms, policy and information sheets, confidentiality, privacy and cyber security are all important

There are many similarities in the recruitment process of all tiers. Check out the resources section for more info and examples!

Diving In!


A thoughtful and well developed curriculum is pivotal to the creation and sustainability of a strong program. There are many goals for a Girls Grantmaking program—learning to be a philanthropist, a community advocate or developing leadership skills. Whatever your program goals are, the girls will also strengthen their own individual life skills including: active listening, tolerance, and team building among others your fund will identify.

Be sure to check out the resources section for more great exercises and curriculum examples!

Wrapping Up


Building and sustaining a strong program involves external communication as well as internal evaluation and refinement.

Internal
Internal Evaluations from leadership
and program participants play a valuable
role in identifying strengths as well as areas needing improvement.
External
At the end of the program external
communication can include a celebration for participants and families, ongoing communication through social media as well as public announcements to the community at large.