Community Partners

Over the past few years, from 2015 to 2021, IWF Northern California’s Legacy Foundation identified established non-profit organizations whose missions were aligned with the Legacy Foundation’s mission “to improve the status of women and foster the development of future leaders.” In addition to providing grants to these organizations through the Legacy Foundation, IWF NorCal members supported them through mentorship, expertise and leadership support.  

In September 2021, the Legacy Foundation was dissolved and the IWF Northern California Community Committee was formed to continue the forum's community related activities. Furthering the status and leadership of women is important to many IWF NorCal members and as the Community Committee identifies specific opportunities to support aligned organizations, we invite you to engage with our Community Partners during the year. You can find upcoming opportunities to do so here. 

Legacy Grantee (2019, 2020, 2021) — Rise Up

Rise Up invests in visionary leaders and local solutions that advance health, education and equity for girls, youth and women. Rise Up furthers exponential change through leadership development, capacity building grant-making, and advocacy.

Rise Up has expanded their efforts locally, advancing social justice and improving education, equity and opportunity for girls and women in Northern and Central California through their Gender Equity Initiative (GEI), supported by the Legacy Foundation. To learn more about Rise Up, contact IWF NorCal's Denise Dunning, Founder and Executive Director of Rise Up, or IWF NorCal and Rise Up Leadership Council members Jodi Morris, Amy Schioldager, Karen Pajarillo, Rosana Han and Kathy Anderson.

Legacy Grantee (2019, 2020, 2021) — GirlVentures

GirlVentures' mission is to inspire girls to lead through outdoor adventure, inner discovery, and collective action. They use nature as a catalyst to build girls' confidence, courage, and empathy--equipping them to succeed in school and beyond. To learn more about GirlVentures, contact IWF NorCal's Kathy Anderson.

Legacy Grantee (2019, 2020, 2021) — Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY)

FLY's mission is to prevent juvenile crime and incarceration through legal education, one-on-one mentoring, and leadership training. Girls are the fastest growing demographic in the criminal justice system. FLY's vision is that the most at-risk and disadvantaged youth will transform into positive community leaders. To learn more about FLY, contact Director of Development, Katie Sandoval-Clark.

Legacy Grantee (2017, 2018, 2020, 2021) — Girl Scouts of Northern California

As the preeminent leadership development organization for girls globally, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success.

Girl Scouts of Northern California serves 44,000 girls (ages 5–17) in 19 counties, offering traditional summer camps and volunteer led troops, as well as innovative programs to support the most vulnerable girls. The Legacy Foundation supported Girl Scouts' Got Choices program in San Francisco and Alameda counties, a prevention and intervention program for high-risk girls involved in the juvenile justice system. The program is designed to reduce risky behaviors, increase protective factors, and support positive decision-making. 

To learn more about Girl Scouts of Northern California, contact IWF NorCal's Marina Park, CEO of Girl Scouts of Northern California, or IWF NorCal member and Girl Scouts board member Karen Derr Gilbert. 

Legacy Grantee (2016, 2018, 2020, 2021) — Year Up Bay Area

Year Up is a national organization empowering low-income young adults to go from poverty to professional careers by connecting them with companies who need their talent.

Since 2008, Year Up Bay Area has offered an intensive one-year training program that provides low-income young adults, ages 18-24, with a combination of hands-on skill development, coursework eligible for college credits, corporate internships, and wrap-around support, at firms such as LinkedIn, Salesforce, Google, Facebook, Kaiser Permanente, Blue Shield of California and Charles Schwab. Through the Legacy Foundation, IWF NorCal members have mentored Year Up staff, focusing on leadership development and career skills.

To learn more about Year Up Bay Area, contact IWF NorCal member and Year Up board member Kirsten Wolberg.

We encourage all IWF NorCal members to ENGAGE with our Community Partners.

• DONATE directly to any of our Community Partners
  
• LEARN MORE about Community Partner Engagement opportunities
  
• To learn more about the IWF NorCal Community Committee, please email IWFNorCal@gmail.com.