Women’s and Girls’ Fund Announces 2026-27 Grant Cycle – Calls for LOI’s by Nov. 14!
The Women’s and Girls’ Fund (WGF) is a leadership initiative of Kern Community Foundation (KCF). We work to transform the lives of women and girls in Kern County by mobilizing the power and passion of women working together. In particular, we educate to build awareness of needs unmet by current strategies, endow a permanent fund whose annual yield supports programs benefiting women and girls, and empower women and girls to be philanthropists and advocates for positive social change.
The application process begins with the submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply for funding by 5 p.m. Nov. 14.
We encourage applicants to do the following:
- First, learn about The Women’s and Girls’ Fund by visiting the WGF page on Kern Community Foundation’s website, kernfoundation.org/WGF.
- Review The Women’s and Girls’ Fund’s Grantmaking Policy, which outlines qualifying criteria and our focus for 2026-2030 Grants: Education + Daily‑Life Knowledge.
- Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply for funding via Kern Community Foundation’s Online Grants Platform (which can also be accessed through kernfoundation.org/grants) by the hard deadline of 5 p.m. Friday, November 14, 2025.
- Following evaluation of LOI’s by the WGF’s Grants Allocation Committee, a number of agencies will be invited in early December to submit full grant applications. Find deadlines and other key dates and useful information related to the current Grantmaking Cycle on the WGF’s Grantmaking page by clicking here.
Grantees who received WGF grants in the Spring of 2025 may not apply for WGF 2026 funding. Any previous awardees of WGF or other grants from the Foundation that have outstanding follow-up reports must complete those reports before they can apply for WGF funding.
Agencies must also comply with Kern Community Foundation’s grantmaking guidelines, which include:
- Being registered with Kern Community Foundation through the same Online Grants Platform that can be accessed via the hyperlink above; and
- Having a Silver or higher transparency rating on GuideStar.org, the world’s largest database on nonprofits.
About The Women’s and Girls’ Fund
The Women’s and Girls’ Fund (WGF) is a leadership initiative of Kern Community Foundation (KCF). We work to transform the lives of women and girls in Kern County by mobilizing the power and passion of women working together. In particular, we educate to build awareness of needs unmet by current strategies, endow a permanent fund whose annual yield supports programs benefiting women and girls, and empower women and girls to be philanthropists and advocates for positive social change.
About Kern Community Foundation
Kern Community Foundation is a vibrant nonprofit enterprise with a simple mission: “Growing Community. Growing Philanthropy.” For 25 years, the Foundation has been in business to serve as a charitable resource for local donors and corporations and to generate capital that provides philanthropic solutions to help make Kern County a better place to live, work, and visit. Since its establishment in 1999, we have been home to almost 200 charitable funds. We have awarded close to $30 million in grants and scholarships. For more information about Kern Community Foundation, visit kernfoundation.org.