Women of Courage Fund
Disrupting cycles of generational poverty and restoring flourishing for women and girls in the name of Christ
The Board of Directors of Hope for San Diego seeks to advance the same values of its founding into the next chapter — investing in bold, creative initiatives that deepen the organization's mission of loving our most vulnerable neighbors in the name of Christ.
In honor of Susie Fikse, the founding Executive Director of Hope for San Diego, we established the Women of Courage Fund to disrupt cycles of generational poverty, with a particular focus on exploited women and girls. Unique vulnerabilities leave women and girls, particularly those in marginalized racial and social groups, at risk for exploitation: gender-based violence, caregiving responsibilities, and lower economic opportunity, among others.
Fund Mission
Hope for San Diego’s Women of Courage Fund invests in innovative, creative, and collaborative efforts to disrupt cycles of generational poverty, with a focus on vulnerable or exploited women and girls, committed to whole-person flourishing.
Funding Priorities
1. Innovative Approaches
New or untested models that disrupt cycles of poverty in creative, effective ways.
2. Strategic Partnerships
Collaborative efforts with other organizations, churches, or community partners that multiply impact.
3. Entrepreneurial Initiatives
Pilot programs or ventures that, if successful, could be scaled or replicated.
4. Human Connection
Programs that emphasize the importance of interrupting social isolation with intentional relationship building.
Applicant Eligibility
Who May Apply - Any existing affiliate of Hope for San Diego may apply alone or with a collaborative partner, which may or may not also be an affiliate of Hope for San Diego. Any organization not currently affiliated with Hope for San Diego that has demonstrated success in similar contexts and seeks to establish a presence in San Diego County.
Project Requirements
The following requirements reflect the values at the heart of this Fund: a belief in whole-person flourishing, the power of collaboration, the courage to try new things, and the conviction that Christ’s love is the foundation of lasting change.
- Focus Areas: Population served must fall within one of Hope for San Diego’s four focus areas: homelessness, sex trafficking, refugees/immigrants, or at-risk youth.
- Primary Population: Population served must be primarily exploited women and/or girls.
- Whole-Person Framework: Projects must demonstrate how they address poverty holistically — attending to the physical, spiritual, emotional, economic, and relational dimensions of a participant’s life.
- Measurable Flourishing: Projects must include at least one measurable outcome tied to participant flourishing (e.g., economic stability, relational health, spiritual growth, reduced exploitation risk).
- Faith Alignment: Projects need not be explicitly Christian in delivery, but must align with the Fund’s foundational belief in human dignity as rooted in the image of God, and that lasting restoration is spiritual as well as material.
Grant Parameters
Grant Tiers
Courage Grants: $5,000–$15,000 for bold, early-stage pilots or exploratory partnerships that need a pilot phase.
Flourishing Grants: $15,000–$50,000 for initiatives with demonstrated early traction seeking to scale and deepen impact.
Cycle & Period
Grant Cycle: Annual cycle with a rolling letter of inquiry process; full applications by invitation only.
Grant Period: Typically 12 months; multi-year funding considered for high-performing grantees.
Reporting & Learning
Grantees must submit a mid-year progress report and a final impact report within 60 days of grant period close. Final reports should include a reflection on what the organization learned — what worked, what didn’t, and how the experience informs future work. Because we’re focused on pilot projects and new initiatives, the Fund values honest learning as much as measurable success.
*The Board retains discretion to adjust grant amounts and cycles as the Fund grows and organizational needs evolve. HFSD makes every effort to apply gifts toward the donor’s expressed project preference. Contributions are solicited with the understanding that HFSD maintains ultimate control, discretion, and variance power over all donated funds. In the event that a designated project becomes fully funded, delayed, or impossible to carry out, funds will be redirected to a similar initiative or where the need is greatest.
Application Process
Letter of Inquiry (LOI)
Prospective applicants submit a 1–2 page LOI describing the organization, the proposed project, population served, and alignment with Fund priorities. LOIs accepted on a rolling basis.
Invitation to Apply
Prospective applicants submit a 1–2 page LOI describing the organization, the proposed project, population served, and alignment with Fund priorities. LOIs accepted on a rolling basis.
Full Application
Invited applicants complete a detailed application including project narrative, budget, theory of change, and evaluation plan.
Board Review & Decision
The Board reviews full applications and may request a brief presentation or site visit before making funding decisions.
Grant Agreement
Approved grantees execute a grant agreement outlining deliverables, reporting requirements, and payment schedule.
In reviewing applications, the Board will weigh the following:
- Mission Alignment — Does the project clearly serve exploited women and/or girls within Hope for San Diego’s focus areas?
- Innovation & Creativity — Does the approach offer something genuinely new or underutilized in San Diego County?
- Whole-Person Approach — Does the project address physical, spiritual, emotional, economic, and relational dimensions of flourishing? Does the program emphasize the value of intentional relationships in interrupting cycles of poverty?
- Organizational Capacity — Does the applicant have the leadership, infrastructure, and track record to execute the proposed work?
- Scalability & Sustainability — If successful, could this model be replicated, expanded, or sustained beyond the grant period?
- Collaborative Spirit — Does the project reflect genuine partnership rather than siloed service delivery?
- Faith Integrity — Is Christ’s love authentically reflected as the foundation and motivation?
The Fund shall be maintained as a restricted fund within the organization’s accounting system.
Funds not awarded in a given cycle roll over to the next cycle.
The Board may establish a minimum reserve to ensure the Fund’s long-term sustainability.
Investment of Fund assets (if applicable) shall follow Hope for San Diego’s existing investment policy.