Women helping women: Project W nears grant announcements, prepares for June 10 event

March may have been Women’s History Month, but at Project W, a Delaware County Women’s Giving Circle, women aim to support other women in need all year-round. The group is dedicated to supporting women in need no matter what date is on the calendar. But, as the organization recently announced, June 10 will be a big one of those. That’s when $60,000 will be awarded to four Delaware County nonprofits, thanks to Project W, a program of The Community’s Foundation (TFC).

“Through a highly rigorous and transparent process which included vetting 51 organizations that submitted Letters of Inquiry in the fall of 2025, approximately 40 organizations were then evaluated by the Project W membership,” said Carol Lunger, senior communications advisor of Lunger Communications public relations firm. “Following this process, 18 organizations were asked to apply in the categories of Education, Family, Health, and Small Grants.”

The rigorous process did not stop there!

“These organizations submitted their applications in late 2025 through early 2026,” explained Lunger. From there, she said, the organizations were “thoroughly evaluated through committee meetings and site visits.” 

Once the nominees have been narrowed down to top choices, Lunger said the announcements will be made official. This April, the committees will select their finalists.

“Project W will then award the four deserving organizations in each category their grants at the Annual Grant Award Celebration on June 10th,” said Lunger. “This event is free and open to the public.”

Education, Family, and Health awardees will each receive a $17,000 grant, while the Small Grants awardee will receive $9,000.  

“Throughout this process, more than 50 Project W members collectively volunteered more than 650 hours in the form of leadership, due diligence, application review, committee meetings and site visits,” said Lunger. “Project W is honored to be the only giving circle in Delaware County for women, by women and is proud to have provided over $500,000 worth of impact between grants and in-kind contributions since its inception in 2019.”

Unique in its formation and mission, Project W aims to give back to the community in a variety of ways. The group spends many hours in order to further the work of women throughout the county.

“Project W is a Giving Circle whose membership is open to all women seeking to enhance the lives of women in Delaware County through collective giving,” explained Lunger. “While members come from many backgrounds and perspectives, one commonality is the organization’s deep commitment to helping women and their families who are struggling in our community.” 

While it can be difficult for one person to make a big difference, Project W members believe that together, they can truly cause change.

“By pooling our resources, we can make a significant impact in their lives,” said Lunger.

Project W operates under TCF charitable umbrella. TCF offers administrative and fiduciary services to a variety of community-minded groups across Delaware County, as a means to empower every-day citizens to take philanthropy into their own hands.

To learn more about Project W, visit www.ProjW.org or email [email protected].