By providing flexible funding with fewer hoops and deeper relationships, we help build the power and capacity needed to create lasting change so every community has what it needs to thrive.
We are more than funders. We are connectors, amplifiers, and co-conspirators.
We believe communities closest to the challenges hold the solutions.
That is why our approach is grounded in:
We fund bold ideas, emerging leaders, and grassroots organizations building racial, gender, and economic equity across Arizona.
WFSA is grateful to work alongside dozens of nonprofit organizations statewide.
Grant Amount: $50K-$100K unrestricted
FORGE challenges traditional philanthropy by centering accessibility, transparency, and shared decision-making. Community leaders design and select grantees, ensuring funding reaches those driving meaningful systems change.
FORGE invests not just in programs but in power, sustainability, and long-term impact.
Grant Amount: $5K – $25K flexible funding
Designed to meet organizations where they are, ember supports emerging leaders and smaller organizations building more just and resilient systems across Arizona.
ember recognizes that sustainable impact requires more than funding alone. It requires trust, relationships, and support.
Fiscal sponsorship is a partnership that allows emerging projects and grassroots initiatives to operate under the legal and tax-exempt status of an established nonprofit organization.
As a fiscal sponsor, we provide the financial infrastructure and oversight that enable community leaders to receive tax-deductible donations, apply for grants, and focus on their mission without forming a separate 501(c)(3).
What We Provide:
We approach fiscal sponsorship through a trust-based, equity-centered lens, helping bold, community-led ideas grow into sustainable and lasting impact across Arizona.
A giving circle brings people together to pool their resources, learn about community needs, and collectively decide where to invest for meaningful impact. Read on to learn more about the giving circles held by WFSA and how you can get involved.
Founded in 2009, the Latina Giving Circle is a fiscally sponsored program under the Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona. LGC pools members’ time, talent, and treasure to support Latina-led organizations, advancing gender and racial equity while strengthening Arizona’s Latina community through collective philanthropy.
Give today
The Giving Collective brings together a passionate group of changemakers to pool resources and directly fund grassroots organizations statewide. By giving as a collective rather than an individual, this option promotes shared decision-making, shifts philanthropy from transactional to transformational, and centers community in fundraising.
Give todayWe are always looking for new ways to support community through trust-based grantmaking. Check back regularly for new opportunities.
New grant opportunities are coming soon. Sign up for updates to be notified when applications launch.
Together, FORGE and ember reflect our commitment to reshaping philanthropy through trust, equity, and community leadership by investing in the people and organizations building Arizona’s more just future.
Yes. We welcome partnerships with individuals, businesses, and institutions that want to support community-led change. Sponsorship opportunities may include support for grant programs, events, or special initiatives. Please contact us to learn more about current sponsorship opportunities and how to get involved.
Yes. We are continually exploring new ways to invest in community-led solutions. New grant opportunities will be announced on our website and through our newsletter. We encourage organizations to stay connected for updates.
Yes. Both programs include capacity-building, technical assistance, and opportunities for peer learning and connection. We believe strong ecosystems strengthen impact.
Both FORGE and ember incorporate community leadership into the selection process. Community members and leaders help design criteria and review applications to ensure equitable and transparent decision-making.
Unrestricted funding allows organizations to use grant dollars where they are most needed, including operations, staffing, programs, or infrastructure, without rigid spending categories.
Organizations based in Arizona that are led by and serving women, girls, and gender-expansive people, particularly BIWOC and historically excluded communities, are encouraged to apply. Specific eligibility criteria will be shared when applications open.
We fund organizations providing direct support to women and girls and we go beyond the check. Grantees receive flexible funding, technical assistance, and opportunities to grow their impact without compromising their missions.
Stable leadership is essential not only to maintain a historic facility, but to grow it responsibly. It ensures thoughtful programming, strong partnerships, and engagement that reflects the people we serve. Support from WFSA allows the Dunbar Pavilion to honor its legacy while building forward, creating space for culture, connection, and opportunity for generations to come. We are deeply grateful for their confidence and commitment to community-rooted leadership.
Afterschool Anarchy has focused on building community relationships amongst youth. We have been doing biweekly workshops, skillshares, and hangouts where our focus is learning to care for each other. This is the first year that we have been able to distribute food to encampments twice a week. It has been a year of growth and collaboration thanks to WFSA!
Thanks to WFSA’s grant and partnership, BOSS has been able to offer hands-on, small group workshop sessions that create a welcoming, affirming space for Women, Queer, Trans, and Femme of Center folks to build practical tool skills. Folx consistently named the value of patient, skilled and representative facilitators and the opportunity to ask questions unafraid of not belonging and get real time experience on machines that are often inaccessible.
Sagrado Wellness doubled our reach by supporting more femme identified and gender-expansive individuals in 2025 thanks to WFSA. We were able to provide mental health and somatic therapy to 20 women, girls, and gender expansive individuals who did not have access to this support as well as offer free community wellness workshops with a positive response from participants. This impact is deeply felt, and we are grateful for the partnership from WFSA and the ember award.
With support from the Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona, we were able to keep our free grocery assistance program running, launch a community wellness club, and cover essential costs that allow our work to thrive. This partnership has strengthened our ability to serve neighbors in meaningful, sustainable ways. We’re so grateful to WFSA for making these opportunities possible and helping our community flourish.
WFSA’s investment made it possible to operate our annual Wheel Deal Bike Program—addressing transportation access with an art-based component—while also strengthening organizational stability and supporting Queens Rise, our annual art gallery uplifting women artists.
With the support of the WFSA grant, Seed Exchange of Central Arizona was able to directly place seeds, soil, gardening tools, and educational materials into the hands of community members at no cost. This support made it possible for us to remove financial barriers to growing food while also sharing practical knowledge that builds confidence and connection to the land.
Amid political chaos and rampant immigration enforcement, WFSA’s unrestricted support allowed us to respond to emergent needs while preserving critical programs for Undocumented youth.
We were able to empower over 1,200 community members through “Know Your Rights” workshops and support over 100 families preparing for immigration emergencies thanks to our FORGE grant through WFSA
When women are resourced and supported, families, communities, and generations thrive. Your donation powers grassroots leaders, drives policy change, and expands opportunity for millions of Arizonans.