The YWCA Madison announced today the first three project winners of the Amplify Madison Grant that funds collaborative projects to build skill, voice, and visibility for women working in the Madison region’s thriving nonprofit community.
The Amplify Madison project funds significant professional development opportunities for women from nonprofit organizations, with an emphasis on building partnerships between organizations. This innovative approach will lead to cross-sector collaborations and community-wide conversations, while also giving women, and particularly women of color, opportunities that will result in their voices being amplified in Madison. As part of this project, these women will be asked to share their experiences and have opportunities to become part of an informal speaker’s bureau.
The winners for the first selection process are:
Support Without Borders: An international exchange between direct-service professionals working with survivors of domestic abuse in the U.S. and Mexico, this partnership includes representatives from UNIDOS WI, Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, and YWCA Madison. Each member of the cohort provides a wide range of support to victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. By travelling to a partner agency in Mexico that provides similar services to survivors, the project aims to build an international supportive collaboration and learning exchange to support culturally responsive services.
Social Entrepreneurship on a Global Scale: advancing youth social entrepreneurship in Madison and extending this work globally, this partnership includes representatives from CEOs of Tomorrow and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. This group will attend the Enactus World Cup on Entrepreneurial Action and Social Innovation where they will learn about the positive power of business, entrepreneurial action and shared innovation that transforms lives and creates a better future worldwide. They will use the information gained through this conference to prepare for their first cohort of teens that they will be leading on a trip to South Africa to engage in social entrepreneurship on a global scale.
The Empowering Three: a bridge connecting non-traditional students with educational and career opportunities here in Madison by increasing leadership, advocacy, and technological skills. This represents a group from the Literacy Network who will grow their leadership skills through leadership, advocacy, and technological skills.
Amplify Madison is made possible with a $75,000 grant from the Madison Community Foundation (MCF). This grant is part of the MCF’s 75th anniversary year of giving, continuing to strengthen the Madison Community. The selected winners receive a stipend to attend a professional development opportunity that increases their knowledge in the field, exposes them to best practices, and fosters relationships and partnerships with other nonprofits.
Amplify Madison is open now for the next cohort of applicants. Applications will be due on Nov. 1. Each cohort of three women will be eligible for a total of $8,250 to fund a professional development opportunity in which they would otherwise be unable to participate. To apply, visit the www.ywcamadison.org homepage for more information.
