Overview
The Fund was created in 1996 to respond to the vital needs and challenges affecting women, girls, and their families in Chester County. Today, The Fund works to advance gender equity and human rights by championing policies, partnerships, and community solutions that strengthen equity in education, health and safety, and economic stability for women and families across our county. Through advocacy, awareness, and strategic investments in local nonprofits, The Fund supports both immediate needs and long-term systemic change.
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Our Founding
The women’s funding movement was grounded in the belief that philanthropy and social change must more fully recognize and include women’s voices. The first dedicated women’s funds, established in the 1970s and 1980s, provided targeted support for women’s rights movements and challenged traditional philanthropic approaches.
After the movement gained momentum in the 1980s and 1990s, philanthropist Barbara Jordan and fundraiser Heidi McPherson partnered to launch a women’s fund focused specifically on addressing the needs of women and girls in Chester County. Committed to preparing future philanthropic leaders, the founding board of directors believed it was essential to include “girls” in the name, mission, and programming of The Fund. Formed in 1996 as a fund within the Chester County Community Foundation, The Fund for Women & Girls later incorporated as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2003.