Texas Women’s Foundation Distributes $1.4 Million Through its Resilience Fund to Most Vulnerable Women and Families During Pandemic

In April 2020, Texas Women’s Foundation established the Resilience Fund to provide immediate, mid- and long-term support to women, girls and families most affected by the COVID-19 economic and community health crisis. With $1.4 million raised and granted, the Resilience Fund is impacting lives of many, especially women of color, who have been the hardest hit this year.

During this season of giving, the Foundation is asking the community to donate to the Resilience Fund to assist the many women and families who are struggling: https://www.txwf.org/texas-womens-foundation-establishes-resilience-fund/

The Resilience Fund supports the following:

Child Care:

The Resilience Fund provides grants to support the child care system and working mothers facing the lack of immediate and long-term child care options. The coronavirus has forced temporary and permanent closure of almost half of Texas’s child care providers, impacting low-income working mothers, especially women of color. Child care is an essential support for working families, especially those who do not have the option to work from home.

Housing:

The Resilience Fund also provides grants to support housing stability, offering families rental assistance, transitional housing and self-sufficiency programs. With jobs lost overnight for low-wage workers–many of whom are Black and Latina women and families–women are unable to pay rent and face eviction at a staggering rate.

Working Mothers at the Margins:

The Resilience Fund provides grants to support working mothers who are at the greatest economic fragility and risk due to the pandemic. In April, women accounted for 55 percent of the 20.5 million jobs lost. This percentage continued to rise with devastating economic consequences. Texas Women’s Foundation’s research shows that women, especially women of color, are more likely to experience economic insecurity even in normal times. During today’s challenging times, Texas women are the most economically vulnerable.

Health Insurance:

Texas has the highest rate of people without insurance in the nation. To help the uninsured, the Resilience Fund improves access to services for women whose only options are free or at a greatly reduced cost through community-based programs. These services help women with chronic conditions, women who need obstetrical and reproductive health services, and those who have suffered trauma and violence and are in need of mental health services. As Texas’s uninsured rate continues to climb, an alarming number of women are experiencing increasing challenges to their physical and mental well-being during the pandemic.

Roslyn Dawson Thompson, president and CEO of Texas Women’s Foundation, said, “Texas Women’s Foundation has long supported women at the margins. They are the reason we are focused on women’s economic security as a critical mandate for Texas’ future. We know low income women and their families have borne the brunt of the pandemic’s impact, and they continue to face relentless and ongoing challenges in the weeks and months ahead. With the help of our community of donors and friends, we provide timely and meaningful responses to the needs of vulnerable women and families through the Resilience Fund. We hope you will join us in support of those who need us now more than ever.”

About Texas Women’s Foundation:

Texas Women’s Foundation is Transforming Texas for Women and Girls, empowering them to build stronger, more equitable communities. One of the world’s largest women’s foundations, the Foundation raises funding from a broad base of donors, including individuals, foundations and corporations. These resources support more than $7 million in investments that advance economic security and leadership for Texas women and girls through groundbreaking research, advocacy, grants and programs.

Since inception in 1985, the Foundation has invested $57 million in women and girls, including $43 million since 2011. The Foundation’s statewide research on issues affecting women and girls provides decision-makers and lawmakers with critical data to inform policies, practices and programs in the state. Its advocacy, grantmaking and innovative programs support solutions that help Texas women and girls thrive.

In addition, Texas Women’s Foundation is an acknowledged leader and advocate in the gender lens investing movement and has deployed 100 percent of its assets–endowments, operating investments and donor-advised funds–in a gendered impact portfolio that yields strong financial returns and social benefits to women and girls. For more information, visit www.txwf.org, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram or donate now.