Women for Women Giving Circle Announces $280,000 in Grants

The Women for Women (WFW) giving circle recently awarded eight grants totaling $280,000. Women for Women's mission is to improve the lives of women and girls through collective giving. In its 20th year and with support from the Women's Fund, WFW has invested more than $5.75 million in grants in WNC.

The 2026 grants are:

• Beacon of Hope - $35,000 to increase economic stability for women and girls by purchasing fresh produce from local, women-led farms in Madison County and increasing the availability of fresh produce during food distributions in Madison, Buncombe, and Yancey counties.

• Centro Unido Latino-Americano - $35,000 to support a biweekly by-choice pantry to provide access to nutritious, culturally familiar food for the Latinx community and beyond in McDowell, Burke, and Mitchell counties.

• Food Connection, Inc. - $35,000 to ease food insecurity and reduce waste by rescuing surplus chef-prepared food and redistributing it, free of charge, to individuals and families in Buncombe, Henderson, and McDowell counties. Funding supports staffing, food safe packaging, fuel and vehicle maintenance, volunteer coordination, and basic tracking.

• Homeward Bound - $35,000 to help end homelessness through permanent housing and wraparound support in Buncombe County. Funding will support maintenance of the Code Purple shelter during life-threatening weather conditions and relationship building to encourage women to access services.

• Mountain Housing Opportunities - $35,000 to build and improve homes and communities through essential no-cost home repair to low-income households, affordable apartments, and homeownership and downpayment assistance in Buncombe, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, and Rutherford counties.

• Open Hearts Place - $35,000 to move low-income working families from financial uncertainty to stability and homeownership in Burke County through wrap-around programming and case management for single mothers who are considered ALICE households (asset limited, income constrained, employed).

• The Haven of Transylvania County - $35,000 to support the renovation and opening of Haven House of Hope, a dedicated women's shelter providing a secure environment to enable clients to stabilize, access supportive services, and build community while working towards housing independence. The shelter will serve Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, Jackson, and Transylvania counties.

• Unidxs Western North Carolina - $35,000 to operate a community food pantry in Jackson County that provides consistent, culturally responsive nutritional support to families across Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties.

The Women's Fund, a CFWNC endowment addressing the unmet needs of women and girls, contributed $73,790 to the grants.

Women for Women is a CFWNC initiative. New members are always welcome. Membership is an annual, tax-deductible gift that is available at multiple giving levels to encourage broad participation and increase impact.

CFWNC works with families, businesses, and nonprofits to strengthen communities through the creation of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking. A permanent charitable resource, the Foundation manages over 1,300 funds and has facilitated more than $456 million in philanthropy since its founding in 1978. Learn more at www.cfwnc.org.