Local Heroes: The Fund for Women & Girls

At a listening session at The Garage Community & Youth Center last year, one issue came up repeatedly: many girls lacked accessible, affordable menstrual products. Students expressed frustration about missing class time to trek to the nurse’s office for basic supplies, while some skipped school altogether during their periods.

After hosting the listening session, The Fund for Women & Girls went to work. The Fund partnered with The Garage to create Project Dignity, guiding the students to create a school district policy to make menstrual products available in school bathrooms, where students can easily access them.

“Initially, the girls were like, ‘No way can I meet with the school board,’” said Cheryl Brubaker, Executive Director of The Fund for Women & Girls. “By the end of the program, all of them ended up presenting at a school board meeting.”

The girls were successful. Starting this school year, every middle and high schooler in the Avon Grove School District has access to a variety of menstrual products in all the girls’ and unisex bathrooms. Soon after, students in other school districts learned about Project Dignity and reached out to take action.

This is just one of many ways The Fund for Women & Girls is improving lives across Chester County. For 30 years, The Fund has fought for gender equity, ensuring that women and girls have resources and opportunities to thrive.

Addressing Gender Inequities

The Fund for Women & Girls was founded in 1996, when a philanthropist and fundraiser assembled a board of visionary leaders to launch a fund focused on the needs of women and girls in Chester County. Originally under the umbrella of the Chester County Community Foundation, The Fund became an independent nonprofit organization in 2003.

Today, The Fund works to advance gender equity in Chester County by addressing both immediate community needs and the systemic barriers that prevent women, girls and anyone facing gender discrimination — including transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming individuals — from reaching their full potential.

In 1997, The Fund made its first two grants of $2,500 each. In the three decades since, they’ve awarded $4.9 million to 102 nonprofits in three core areas: equity in education, health and safety, and economic stability. This includes addressing barriers to education like funding inequities and period poverty, accessible healthcare, fair pay, paid family leave, and affordable, accessible childcare.

The Fund also publishes a comprehensive Blueprint Report assessment every five years. Following the latest edition in 2022, The Fund launched focus groups centered on Black and Latina women, whose voices are often missing from local data, culminating in a Supplemental Focus Group Report in 2025.

Advocating for Women and Girls

While grantmaking and research continue to drive much of The Fund’s work, the organization has recently expanded their advocacy efforts. “A common misconception is that The Fund is primarily a grantmaking organization,” said Brubaker. “We see grantmaking as serving immediate needs and advocacy as working on underlying issues.”

For the last two years, The Fund has championed the Family Care Act, which would allow Pennsylvanians to take paid time off for parental leave, or if they or a family member have a serious medical condition or are victims of violence. “It’s astounding how many women go through maternity and childbirth without paid leave,” said Brubaker. “Around one in four women go back to work within 10 days of giving birth due to financial needs.” The Fund has worked alongside fellow nonprofits and bill sponsors in the Pennsylvania legislature to promote the bill.

Other advocacy work includes Empower Her Vote, an initiative aiming to make voter participation more accessible, which launched on the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. This legacy is depicted in the “100 Years” mural on East Market Street in West Chester, which The Fund commissioned.

Empowering the Next Generation

Since its founding, The Fund has understood the need to include the next generation in their mission — it’s why “Girls” is in the name. In 2005, they launched the Girls Advisory Board, putting grantmaking decisions in the hands of young women, resulting in 120 grants totaling over $420,000.

Another new initiative is Vote16PA, a nonpartisan, youth-led project advocating for 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local school board elections — giving students a voice in their education and future. High school and college students learn about the legislative process, build connections across the state, develop strategies and meet with legislators. Because of their efforts, House Representatives announced forthcoming legislation on this issue.

Get Involved

Help The Fund make equity and security for women and girls a reality by getting involved. “You can help us spread the word by getting on our email list and joining us on social media,” said Brubaker. “A lot of people say, ‘I don’t have time.’ But just like and share!”

Or join the Gender Equity Action Group, where 90+ volunteers work to advance gender equity in Pennsylvania. It’s a “choose-your-own-adventure” approach to advocacy, where you decide your level of involvement, from making phone calls and sending emails to legislators to taking trips to Harrisburg, with support from The Fund’s staff. Start by signing up for their advocacy newsletter online.

Other opportunities include attending and volunteering at The Fund’s events, contributing funds to support programming and advocacy, or hosting a “Gathering for Good” event — you pick the theme, they bring the program.

For 30 years, The Fund has worked tirelessly to support women and girls in Chester County and across the state. “I think The Fund for Women & Girls is a perfect example of what happens when two or three people really care about an issue and get involved,” said Brubaker. “It’s an incredible legacy of women and men who stepped up and decided to work on these issues together. That’s what’s so powerful about The Fund.”

Through grantmaking, research and advocacy, The Fund’s staff and volunteers have improved the lives of countless women and girls in our community. For that reason, we honor them as this year’s Local Heroes.

The Fund for Women & Girls can’t do this work alone. To learn more, visit TheFundCC.org and CountyLinesMagazine.com.

Be a Local Hero!

In addition to The Fund for Women & Girls, many local organizations need your support. Here are just a few of the nonprofits improving the lives of women and girls in our community.

Black Women of Chester County in Action: P.O. Box 825, Downingtown. BWCCA.org

Domestic Violence Center of Chester County: Offices in Coatesville, Kennett Square, Phoenixville and Oxford. DVCCCPA.org

Home of the Sparrow: 969 Swedesford Rd., Exton. HomeOfTheSparrow.org

The Wardrobe: Locations in Kennett Square, Malvern, Upper Darby and more. CareerWardrobe.org

YoungMoms: 708 E. Baltimore Pk., Kennett Square. YoungMomsCC.org