Chicago Foundation For Women

Capacity building: cfw intentionally couples its grant making with a broad range of high-quality programs ranging from board development, to fundraising to executive coaching for emerging women leaders on the frontlines of the gender equity movement. Through this work, cfw builds the strength of women-led organizations and ensures that organizational and leadership development is applied with a gender lens, particularly when organizational leaders are working to address poverty and inequity.cfw's giving councils and circles represent groups of energized and diverse people who have come together around shared interests to raise money and award grants. Cfw hosts two giving councils and three giving circles.

Outreach, advocacy and communications: thanks to the past, sustained support of these movements and their infrastructure, cfw and our partners have been able to harness the opportunity to drive progressive change. Cfw's investment in coalitions, advocacy and building the leadership development of advocates has contributed to many pro-women, girls and gender expansive people legislation. As a result, illinois is increasingly becoming a bastion for women's rights and protections.

Strategic initiatives: cfw is uniquely positioned to coordinate and lead collective impact work. For example, cfw has supported a cohort of 30 grantee partners as part of the eleanor network (en). Individually, these nonprofit organizations work to address the economic security of low- to moderate-income women and families throughout the region. Beyond grants, cfw provides technical assistance and capacity-building to en members, convenes them quarterly to share resources and build trusting relationships. In 2017 cfw, building on the success of the eleanor network, launched the englewood women's initiative (ewi), a place-based, community-centered and holistic approach to women's economic security. These initiatives contribute to the larger body of cfw's expertise, discovery, and partnerships.cfw is host to the willie's warriors leadership initiative, a unique leadership development program named in honor of the late civil rights leader, rev. Willie t. Barrow. Willie's warriors, established in 2018, offers selected women a space to gain a deeper sense of themselves as leaders, strengthening their personal leadership style and bringing their whole selves to the table. Warriors explore the idea of leadership, personal growth and transformation, and how to sustain themselves while moving our communities forward. In 2024, the foundation welcomed the sixth cohort.