Women's Fund logo

Who We Are

The Women’s Fund of The Capital Region is a dynamic collaboration of The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region and United Way of the Greater Capital Region. Our programs and grants serve women and girls in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady and Schoharie counties.

Community Foundation logo United Way logo

Photos from our May 2007 event

Women’s Funding Network logo The Women's Fund of the Capital Region is proud to be a member of the Women’s Funding Network, an international organization of women’s foundations and funds.

How the Women’s Fund Works

By investing and working together through the Women’s Fund, we can make a difference in the lives of women and girls in our region. Women often face discrimination, domestic violence, difficulty finding high quality child care and inadequate employment training. The Women’s Fund supports projects that help overcome these obstacles, including programs that:

  • develop careers for underemployed women
  • ensure older women’s financial stability and independence
  • help women start successful small businesses.

Photo collage of 2007 grant recipients

 
Our Steering Committee

Our Steering Committee is a group of women who are community leaders and philanthropists. Each brings a commitment to creating opportunities for women and girls in the greater Capital Region.

Photo of Steering Committee Feb. 2006 photo by: JoanHeffler.com
Susan Haigh Houpt, Chair, Community Volunteer
Ellie Alexander, Newkirk Products, Inc.
Karen L. Bilowith, Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region
Kim Cardillo, RPI
Lorraine D'Aleo, Consultant
Nancy E. Hoffman, Civil Service Employees Association
Alicia Lasch, Community Volunteer
Ruth Mahoney, Key Private Bank
Colleen O'Laughlin, GE Global Research
Katherine D. Pelham, United Way of the Greater Capital Region
Mary A. Shaheen, United Way of New York State
Mary E. Stokes, Mary Stokes Financial Planning
Tricia Tauss, GE Global Research

Founding 500 Members

Please join the proud group of people who are the founding force behind the Women's Fund of the Capital Region: the Founding 500! Each member of the Founding 500 contributes $500 or more to support the work of the Women's Fund.

Our Financial Goals

  • Raise funds to award grants that make a difference for women and girls in our communities
  • Build an endowment of at least one million dollars that will support initiatives for women and girls for generations to come
  • Grow this endowment through careful investment management so that it will sustain the Women's Fund into the future

Photo of grant check being delivered, May 2007 Of the total, up to 60% of each gift is granted for the following year; 30% of each gift is deposited into the Women’s Fund Endowment; and 10% is used to cover direct administrative costs (all staff time is provided in-kind by the founding partners and volunteers).