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Women’s Philanthropy Network

About the Women’s Philanthropy Network

Women working together to build a stronger future for North Louisiana. 

Founded in 2005, the Women’s Philanthropy Network (WPN) was established as a way for local women of all generations and philanthropic capacity to leverage their charitable giving to address pressing issues in the community. To accomplish this, members pool their annual dues to make a high-impact grant to a local nonprofit focusing on education initiatives. The WPN also hosts educational programs to keep members informed about our community.

Membership

The 2023-24 membership year begins on July 1, 2023, and concludes on June 30, 2024. In order to vote on the 2024 WPN grant, dues must be paid no later than March 31, 2024. (Dues received after March 31st are applied to membership for the following year.)

As a CFNLA fund, 80% of annual dues are granted in the donation year while 20% are invested in the WPN Endowment Fund for future grants. Each year, 4% of the market value of the endowed fund is added to the grant pool. The WPN Endowment is currently valued at $567,000.

There are six membership levels:

  • Junior Member (ages 16-49): $200-$499
  • Ruby: $500-$999
  • Sapphire: $1,000-$2,499
  • Emerald: $2,500-$4,999
  • Diamond: $5,000-$24,999
  • Lifetime Member: $25,000+.
Join WPN

Members may serve, but are not required, on one of two committees:

  • Guidance Committee – Serves as the governing board of the group. It makes decisions about the management and direction of WPN.
  • Grants Committee – Reviews grant applications, narrows the pool of applicants, and presents the group of finalists to the general membership at the annual meeting. The general membership then votes on the grant recipient.

To learn more about WPN, please email wpn@cfnla.org.

WPN Grants

Since inception, the WPN has granted over $1.4 million to educational initiatives in our community! Past recipients include Volunteers of America of North Louisiana, Volunteers for Youth Justice, Step Forward, Caddo Parish Schools Transformation Zone, and the LSU Shreveport Foundation. To learn more about applying for a WPN grant, click the link below.

Apply for a Grant

2023 Recipient

Volunteers for Youth Justice (VYJ)

  • $90,000 granted to VYJ for The Harbor School Based Center. The Harbor is VYJ’s resource center featuring wraparound services aimed at meeting the needs of families in the community.

2022 Recipient

Volunteers of America of North Louisiana (VOA)

  • $75,000 granted to VOA for the expansion of the Communities In Schools (CIS) program, serving Caddo students at highest risk for academic failure.
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