The Utah Women's Giving Circle, a grassroots organization dedicated to empowering women in Utah, marked its twelfth and final round of grants by investing over $225,000 in 62 high-impact nonprofit projects. The organization, founded by Fraser Nelson, Peggy Hunt, and Mary Beth Reimondy, garnered support from 279 women and girls throughout its existence, fostering tangible philanthropy in the community.
During their last meeting on June 20th, members voted to allocate the remaining $30,000 across seven community initiatives, furthering the circle's commitment to uplifting women and girls in the state. Those seven initiatives are:
- Seekhaven Family Crisis & Resource Center - Created to provide emergency temporary lodging for survivors of violence in southeastern Utah until long-term solutions can be arranged, this grant will allow more than 20 additional women to access emergency lodging.
- AHA Foundation - This grant will support the AHA Foundation in establishing local educators to deliver training on female genital mutilation to at least 150 health professionals in Utah, increasing awareness and support for the estimated 3,000 women and girls who have been impacted locally.
- Utah Abortion Fund - In response to the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the Utah Abortion Fund is working to deliver reproductive wellness kits for free to any Utah mailing address, including emergency contraception like Plan B One-
Step, condoms, pregnancy tests, and reproductive health resources, reducing barriers, cost, and supply chain limits. Launched in July 2022, more than 900 kits have been delivered so far. - Utah Women & Leadership Project - This grant will fund a team of undergraduate students for one semester who will work to develop high
impact visual dashboards for key metrics measuring the well-being of Utah women and girls, supporting ongoing awareness and action to improve safety, health, and equal opportunities for Utah women. - Clean Slate Utah - In providing support for women eligible to request expungement of criminal records as they work to access better jobs and stable housing, this grant will specifically target the barrier of legal fees, ensuring
that low-income women have equal access to recovering their lives. - Utah Public Radio - A repeat partner of the Utah Women’s Giving Circle, Utah Public Radio will develop a multi-part radio and podcast series with this grant, sharing stories of Utah women and girls, as well as highlighting frontline services and organizations working to support Utah women to increase awareness.
- The Salt Lake Tribune - This grant will support female-centric reporting of stories relevant to Utah women and girls, such as reproductive health rights, gender bias, and equal pay. Additionally, The Salt Lake Tribune will host writing sessions for women and girls to share real stories of impact.
The Utah Women’s Giving Circle was fiscally sponsored by the Community Foundation of Utah, a catalyst for philanthropy that is visionary, diverse, and inclusive.
