MINNEAPOLIS — The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota recently awarded 18 multi-year grants and four planning grants totaling $330,000 to nonprofit organizations.
The seventh cohort of girlsBEST, or girls Building Economic Success Together, grantee-partners are receiving the first year of funding on a multi-year grant through girlsBEST.
Since 2002, girlsBEST has supported girl-led programs that increase the readiness of girls to achieve economic well-being.
According to a release, $5.1 million has been granted to 159 girl-led and girl-driven programs and engaged 48,536 young women and their families.
Bagosendaan in Mahnomen received a multi-year $15,000 grant to support a speaker program and encourage leadership opportunities for girls to mentor newer participants to develop horse-rider competence, promote a strong sense of positive and cultural identity, and provide support or intervention when a participant is unhoused or abused.
Bagosendaan has been a girlsBEST partner since 2010, serving low-income youths ages 11 to 18, to engage their interests, provide motivation, and build competence by engaging in talking circles, counselors, guest speakers and horseback riding, the news release stated.
In the current cohort, 23% of partners are based in Greater Minnesota.
Grantees in this cohort have a primary focus on STEAME, or science, technology, engineering, art, math and entrepreneurship.
Partner grantees are also responding to the isolation many youths experienced since the pandemic, focusing on mental health and activities designed to build connections and decrease stress.
