Afghan Advantage is honored to share that we have been selected as the inaugural recipient of Washington Women’s Foundation’s Direct Services Grant.
Out of 162 applications from across the state, AA+ was chosen as WaWF’s partner for the next three years. This grant represents more than funding. It is an investment in Afghan women’s leadership, grassroots innovation, and community-based solutions that expand opportunity for women and girls in Washington.
Washington Women’s Foundation describes its mission as fostering “an intentional community of women of all backgrounds, united in building a just, equitable, and thriving Washington.” Through long-term, unrestricted capital, organizational support, and networking, WaWF invests in social change efforts supporting women and girls statewide.
So what does unrestricted capital, organizational support, and networking look like for a grassroots, community-based organization like Afghan Advantage?
It looks like agility, innovation, and sustainability. Flexible funding allows AA+ to respond quickly to emerging challenges and opportunities. For nonprofits rooted in community needs, this kind of trust-based support is the lifeblood of effective work.
It looks like Shona ba Shona — shoulder to shoulder partnership. WaWF volunteer Ellen brought her professional expertise alongside the AA+ team to help create a policy that strengthens our accounting practices and supports long-term organizational health.
It looks like connecting women across language, culture, and lived experience. This partnership helps bring Afghan women leaders into broader conversations about the barriers facing women and girls in Washington. Their wisdom and experience offer more effective, nuanced solutions rooted in real life.
At its core, WaWF is a collective of women funding women and girls in Washington State. As WaWF says, “We believe the wisdom, experience, and strength of women can break barriers, open opportunities, and create generational change.”
We are deeply grateful to Washington Women’s Foundation for trusting Afghan Advantage, investing in Afghan women’s leadership, and walking with us Shona ba Shona.
Together, we are building pathways from literacy to leadership, from isolation to participation, and from opportunity to lasting change.