About the Network
More than 330,000 households in the Chicago region are headed by single working women with annual incomes of less than $50,000. The average income for these female-headed households is $19,000.
This income level is shockingly low. Too many working women in Chicago—including tens of thousands of single working mothers—have annual incomes lower than what is needed to support and strengthen their families. Fewer than 6% of these women receive any public benefits or assistance. And a staggering 44% of them pay more than half of their annual income on housing alone.
The Eleanor Foundation is changing that, by supporting these women in their efforts to achieve economic independence. We're expanding our network of service providers throughout Chicago—the Eleanor Network—to address the needs of this large, important population of women and their dependent children.
Our Grantmaking Program
Programs to Support Economic Independence
During 2012, the Eleanor Foundation continues its grantmaking program to build The Eleanor Network in Chicago. A research-driven public grantmaker, the Eleanor Foundation seeks to leverage our financial resources and program experience with direct service providers who want to launch initiatives that support our target population: single working female heads of households who earn between $10,000 and $40,000.
The Eleanor Foundation is seeking grant proposals from direct service organizations that want to partner with us to create programs and deliver services that promote sustained economic self-sufficiency for single working female heads-of-households—especially those with children.
- The Foundation accepts proposals once a year, and releases its annual grant guidelines in the spring.
- Meanwhile, interested parties can download our 2011 Request for Proposals here.
- For a list of frequently asked questions, click here.
Launched in 2006 through the Eleanor Foundation's research-driven Self-Sufficiency Initiative, the Eleanor Network has become a citywide system of programs and resources that fills a long-standing void in services to support the economic self-sufficiency of these single working female heads-of-households. Currently, the Eleanor Network is comprised of Hub Partners that operate as single-points-of-access to integrated services for single working women. The Network also includes Resource Partners that offer specialized services, especially employer-driven skills training that advance the careers of working women with limited incomes.
What We Fund
Our grant awards focus on funding and building market-driven programs that provide working women with practical, skills-based job training and access to career-track jobs that pay living wages. They also focus on building Hub programs on the northwest and southwest sides of the City of Chicago.
To learn more about our grant programs and the organizations we support, click here. For a list of our grants, click here.
Note: Programs we fund must support women who live or work in the City of Chicago.
For more information, please or call (312) 337-7766.
© 2012 The Eleanor Foundation. All Rights Reserved.