Hendricks County Women's Giving Circle Grants

The Hendricks County Women's Giving Circle (HCWGC) Grant Program is a funding opportunity offered through the Hendricks County Community Foundation (HCCF). The HCWGC is a collective giving program that brings together women in Hendricks County to pool their charitable contributions and award grants to local nonprofit organizations that serve women and children. This grant cycle opened on February 14, 2025, and will close on March 12, 2025, at 3:00 pm. The program encourages both philanthropy and community engagement among women who are members of the giving circle, with grants to be awarded at special celebration events throughout the year.

Eligible applicants for the HCWGC Grant Program must be 501(c)(3) public charities in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service and relevant state and local regulatory bodies. Additionally, applicants must demonstrate that their programs or projects serve women and children in Hendricks County and meet a measurable or demonstrable local need. Organizations must also follow non-discrimination policies in both program delivery and hiring practices. Ineligible applicants include for-profit companies, individuals, religious institutions, political organizations, units of government, hospitals, schools, and fundraising events.

The application process involves an online submission through the HCCF grant portal. After the March 12 deadline, HCWGC members will review all applications from March 14 to April 9, using a pre-established rubric to evaluate each submission. On April 11, applicants will be notified of their status. The nine highest-scoring applicants will be invited to present their projects at one of three HCWGC Award Celebrations, scheduled for June 4, September 10, and November 12. At these events, HCWGC members will vote on grant awards based on the presentations.

Grant amounts are determined by membership contributions, and the exact award sizes will be set once the total membership count is finalized. Each celebration will feature presentations from three of the nine selected nonprofits, and members will vote to rank the nonprofits for first, second, and third-place awards. Grants are disbursed from the Women's Giving Circle Fund, administered by HCCF, and recipients are required to report back to the membership the following year detailing how the funds were used and the impact achieved.

The grant program timeline begins with applications opening on February 14 and closing on March 12 at 3:00 pm. Reviews occur between March 14 and April 9, with notifications sent by April 11. Award Celebrations will take place on June 4, September 10, and November 12. These events allow HCWGC members to directly engage with and vote on the nonprofits they wish to support. All funding must be used to support projects serving women and children within Hendricks County.

For questions about eligibility, the application process, or the grant program in general, applicants can contact HCCF Vice President of Programs, Eric Hessel, at eric@hendrickscountycf.org or 317-268-6240. The Hendricks County Community Foundation’s offices are located at 6319 East U.S. Highway 36, Suite 211, Avon, Indiana 46123, and general inquiries can also be sent to info@hendrickscountycf.org.