• Our Mission
• History
• Committees
• News
• Events
• Contributing to the Women & Girls Fund
• Grant Distribution & Awards

Visit the Women & Girls Fund Facebook page for all the latest news and happenings.

Our Mission

Make it possible for women and girls to improve the quality of their lives.
The Women & Girls Fund was established in 2001 as a community based endowment of the Main Street Community Foundation. The Women & Girls Fund exists because we believe in the potential of women and girls and the power they have to build strong communities. This fund supports programs and initiatives that benefit women and girls of all ages in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott. We tap into the power of women to strengthen their communities by:

• Funding programs and organizations that help women and girls obtain the skills they need to lead successful lives. A total of $921,000 in program and immediate response grants has been awarded over the past 24 years.
• Empowering and celebrating women by hosting events such as the annual WOW fundraiser, publishing news, sponsoring community gatherings and by inviting women to volunteer on the Women & Girls Fund Advisory Board and committees.
• Increasing public awareness of the needs that exist for women and girls and the opportunities available to help bridge the gap.

Advisory Board

• Morgan Murphy, Chair
• Lisa Palen, Secretary
• Jessica Pieri, Past Chair
• Jarre Betts, Member-at-Large
• Marguerite P. Fletcher
• Lori Gottschall
• Dawn Leger
• Laura S. Minor
• Colleen Nicastro
• Molly J. Plante
• Sharon Stotz
• Kathleen M. Sweetman

Directors Emeritae

The Directors Emeritae of the Women & Girls Fund are those who served with distinction and excellence, and who made extraordinary contributions to the Fund through their devotion of time, expertise, special initiatives, and service. We are pleased to recognize the following Directors Emeritae: 

Cathryn Addy Melanie Barnes Mary Benoit Trudy Brown Barbara Campbell Catherine Cassin Ann Clark Cindy Donovan Cheryl Dumont-Smith Pattie Dunn Marguerite Fletcher Rita Gerzanick Wilma Hart

Dee Hession Susan Laberge Dawn Leger Diane Macklosky Susan Moreau Dawn Nielsen Carolyn Norton Jeanne Radcliff Susan Scarritt Susan Scully Jessica Weed Katherine Weed

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History

The creation of the Women & Girls Fund at Main Street Community Foundation came at a time when the Foundation was still relatively new and looking for ways to grow and to increase its presence in the six communities of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott.

At a MSCF board meeting, then Executive Director Cheryl Dumont-Smith mentioned that a number of community foundations had funds dedicated to serving the needs of women and girls. The Board of Directors loved the idea.

With that challenge, a breakfast meeting of local women was held at one of their houses to see if there would be sufficient interest to pursue the creation of a fund.

There was so much enthusiasm that the women came out of that meeting with a task force and committees formed. Focus groups were held in each of the six communities served by the Foundation – inviting social service providers, non-profits and community leaders to discuss the needs of the women and girls they served. Then began a marketing campaign to raise the $10,000 needed to create a fund at MSCF.

The funds were raised, and the Fund was established at MSCF in 2001. In addition, a match from the Bristol Brass Fund at the Foundation was awarded. But the income from the Women & Girls Fund wouldn’t generate enough income initially to make any significant grants to the local organizations improving the lives of women and girls. So some fundraisers were held, including the first WOW event.

Since its establishment in 2001, the Women and Girls Fund has provided funding to over 80 organizations. The funds for these grants come from two sources, the proceeds of the annual WOW spring event and an annual distribution from the endowment.

The Advisory Board of the Women & Girls Fund directs the activities of the Fund. The Advisory Board sets funding goals and strives to reach more and more women as the fund grows each year.

At the initial meetings, the Early Leaders of the Fund set a goal - building the endowment to at least $500,000 to ensure that there will always be funds available to identify and meet the needs of women and girls in the six communities served.

As part of the Fund's 10th anniversary in 2011, the Women & Girls Fund launched an Endowment Building Program to build the endowment closer to the $500,000 goal. In the Spring of 2011, thanks to the generosity of Women & Girls Fund Founding Member Noreen Schumann, the Women & Girls Fund was challenged to raise $25,000 in gifts toward the endowment by December 31, 2011. We did just that, and as a result, we increased our endowment by over $50,000 in 2011.

In 2016, the Advisory Board announced the First 500 Challenge, a campaign to bring the Fund's endowment up to and over $500,000 by the end of the 15th year. The Fund received a pledge of $15,000 from a few anonymous donors to help kick off the challenge, which was announced at the annual Wonder of Women WOW event in March 2016. In addition, the original founders of the Fund pledged $10,000. The Advisory Board also announced the establishment of the 500 Club, which will include all donors who have donated $500 or more to the First 500 Challenge. Thanks to over 150 generous donors, the goal was reached and the original dream of the Founders to have an endowment of $500,000 was realized by the end of 2016! But we can't stop there. We need to continue to grow the Fund so every woman and girl in your local communities can improve her conditions and opportunities.

We thank all current and future supporters of the Women & Girls Fund who are investing in our community by providing funding to a variety of organizations that address the vital needs of women and girls of all ages... now and in the future. 
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Committees

The Women & Girls Fund Advisory Board cordially invites you to join one of our committees. We ask that you bring your ideas, talents, community spirit, and your dedication to assisting women and girls to obtain their goals! We welcome your valuable time and expertise in any of these committees:

• Distribution
• Events

Please consider attending a meeting of any committee or speak with its chairperson or members to gather more information. To make a connection, please contact Main Street Community Foundation at 860.583.6363 or send an email to office@mainstreetfoundation.org. We'll make sure you get the information you need and the welcome you deserve!

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News

April 30, 2026 - A Million Reasons to Celebrate, a video that was shown at the WOW event and showcases the history and impact of the Women & Girls Fund. View here.
March 3, 2026 - Women & Girls Fund of Main Street Community Foundation Pays Tribute to the Early Leaders to Kick Off the Fund’s 25th Anniversary. Read more here.
January 28, 2026 - MSCF Awards $60,000 in Grants to Support Local Women and Girls. Read more here.
January 28, 2025 - $60,000 in Grants Awarded to Support Local Women and Girls from MSCF. Read more here.
July 10, 2024 - Over $6,000 Awarded to Local Organizations to Support Senior Women Due to Generosity at WOW Event. Read more here.

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Events

2027 Annual Wonder of Women WOW

Save the date for the 26th annual WOW event, which will be held on May 5, 2027, at 5:30pm at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington! Tickets are $75 per person. The guest speaker will be Sherry Pocknett, a Mashpee Wampanoag chef and caterer. In 2023, Sherry received the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Northeast. She is the first Indigenous woman to be honored by the James Beard Foundation. Sherry’s parents instilled in her a deep love for food and education, passing down traditions of hunting, fishing, and foraging that she then passed down through youth cultural classes and her cooking. She is committed to cultural preservation and embodies a rich heritage of Indigenous cuisine and New England cooking.
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25th Anniversary Wonder of Women WOW

We have A Million Reasons to Celebrate this year as the Women & Girls Fund of Main Street Community Foundation commemorates its 25th anniversary in 2026! To help celebrate, the 25th Anniversary Wonder of Women (WOW) event was held on April 30, 2026, at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. The guest speaker was Kara Wolters, an Olympic Gold Medalist, UConn National Champion and WNBA Champion as well as a nationally-recognized broadcaster and entrepreneur. We thank all the sponsors, attendees, and silent auction donors for their support and commitment to improving the lives of local women and girls!

Proceeds from the event support grants to programs that assist women and girls in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, and Wolcott.

We invite you to view A Million Reasons to Celebrate, a video that was shown at the WOW event and showcases the history and impact of the Women & Girls Fund.

Big Thank You to the 2026 WOW Sponsors!

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Contributing to the Women & Girls Fund

To make a donation directly to the Women & Girls Fund, please click here.
To contribute to any other funds, please visit our Donate Now page.

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Grant Distribution & Awards

Since 2001, the Women & Girls Fund has awarded over $989,000 in grants to organizations and individuals in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott. In 2026, $61,800 in program grants were awarded to 11 organizations. In addition, two additional named funds at Main Street Community Foundation supported proposals submitted to the Women & Girls Fund.

The grant priorities for the Women & Girls Fund have evolved as Main Street Community Foundation stays connected to the local nonprofits and the emerging needs of women and girls in the communities served. To see a summary of the latest grantmaking priorities, visit the Apply for a Grant page.

The 2026 annual grant cycle for the Women & Girls Fund is now closed. Applications for the 2027 grant cycle will be made available during the third quarter of 2027 and if you have any questions, please contact us.

The 2026 grants supported the following causes, programs and projects:

Boys & Girls Club of Bristol - $5,000
Funds will be used to support SMART Girls: Giving Girls Confidence, helping girls ages 8-12 build responsibility and healthy attitudes and lifestyles through discussions and activities.

Bristol Family Resource Centers - $7,000
Funds will be used to support the Girl Up! Leadership Development Initiative, building leadership skills in girls ages 6-12 at Greene-Hills School, South Side School and West Bristol School.

Bristol Works Inc. - $8,000
Funds will support the Ready to Rise: Confidence, Leadership & Wellness for Rising Women, which is a series of workshops for early-career women combining leadership development, confidence building, and wellness strategies.
Women & Girls Fund - $5,170
Barbara Hackman Franklin Fund for Women - $2,830

Community Counseling Centers of Central CT - $3,000
Funds will be used to support the Self-Care and Empowerment Retreat, promoting women’s self-esteem, empowerment, and building personal agency.

Memorial Military Museum - $2,500
Funds will support the Bristol Military Womens Monument to create a permanent public memorial on Veterans Memorial Boulevard Park honoring past, present, and future women of Bristol in the United States Armed Forces.

PARC, Inc. - $5,000
Funds will be used to support the Golden Gang Senior Women's Program, enhancing the quality of life for senior women with developmental disabilities.
Women & Girls Field of Interest Fund - $3,960
John & Gloria DiFrancesco Fund for Women and Girls - $1,040

Plainville Community Food Pantry - $1,700
Funds will be used to support the PCFP Women's Assistance Program, which will provide women with feminine products, personal care items, and diapers and formula for new families.

Plainville Youth Services - $5,000
Funds will be used to support A Space to Shine II program for young girls to develop confidence, leadership, and coping skills using arts and humanities workshops.

Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center, Inc. - $8,600
Funds will support Connection at the Barn, offering senior women opportunities to build connection, confidence, and well-being through hands-on experiences with horses while reducing social isolation.

YWCA of New Britain - $11,000
Funds will support the Sexual Assault Crisis Services program for women and girls, providing free confidential services to survivors of sexual violence.

Aurora Women & Girls Foundation, Inc. - $5,000
Funds will support the development, publication, and marketing for the Connecticut State of the Girl Report.

To view previous years' grants awarded from the Women & Girls Fund, visit the Foundation's Grants Awarded page and click on the various years.

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