Community
About the Women’s Philanthropy Network
Women working together to build a stronger future for North Louisiana.
Founded in 2005, the Women’s Philanthropy Network (WPN) was established as a way for local women of all generations and philanthropic capacity to leverage their charitable giving to address pressing issues in the community.
To accomplish this, members pool their annual dues to make a high-impact grant to a local nonprofit focusing on education initiatives. The WPN also hosts educational programs to keep members informed about our community.
Since its inception, the WPN has granted over $1.7 million to educational initiatives in our community!
Membership
The membership year begins on July 1, 2026, and concludes on June 30, 2027. In order to vote on the 2027 WPN grant, dues must be paid no later than March 31, 2027. (Dues received after March 31st are applied to membership for the following year.)
As a CFNLA fund, WPN grants are funded through a combination of annual dues and the WPN endowment fund. Specifically, 80% of a WPN member’s dues are allocated to the grant pool while 20% is invested in the WPN endowment. Each year, the growing WPN endowment returns 4% of its market value to the grant pool resulting in a larger grant than dues alone would provide. The WPN endowment is currently valued at over $700,000.
WPN members have the opportunity to vote on the WPN grantee at the Annual Meeting held in May. Members will also be acknowledged in the Community Foundation’s Annual Report, receive invitations to special events, and connect with other women dedicated to improving education for children in Caddo Parish.
Membership Levels
Junior Member (ages 16-49)- $200-499
Ruby- $500-999
Sapphire- $1,000-2,499
Emerald- $2,500-4,999
Diamond- $5,000-24,999
Lifetime Member- $25,000+
Recent Grantees
- 2026 Grant Recipients
- 2025 Grant Recipients
- 2024 Grant Recipients
- 2023 Grant Recipient
- 2022 Grant Recipient
Volunteers for Youth Justice (VYJ)
- VYJ received a $60,000 grant for its School-Based Resource Center. VYJ’s School-Based program is a trauma-informed, relationship-based program designed to provide on campus support for at-risk students struggling with educational challenges, particularly those related to truancy and trauma. Rooted in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) principles, the program focuses on building resilience, strengthening emotional
- Basic Necessities received a $10,000 grant for its Healthy Foundations for Learning program. Basic Necessities supports families across Caddo Parish by addressing hygiene insecurity and promoting family stability, health, and child wellbeing. The core of the program is the distribution of essential hygiene supplies to low-income families in Caddo Parish. Supplies are distributed through community partners and school-based channels. Reliable access to hygiene essentials helps reduce school absenteeism, prevent classroom disruptions, and ensure students can participate in school with dignity and confidence.
Girls Empowered for More Society, Inc. (GEMS)
- Girls Empowered for More Society, Inc. (GEMS) received a $10,000 grant for its GEMS Leadership & Opportunity Pathway program. GEMS is dedicated to bringing gender diversity gaps in STEAM, entrepreneurship, and leadership for girls. GEMS aims to promote empowerment and self-confidence, enabling girls to become strong leaders and advocates for themselves and others. The program will provide 50 girls with STEAM tour, self-care Saturdays, and pajama powers.
Volunteers for Youth Justice (VYJ)
- $60,000 was granted to VYJ’s School Based Resource Center. VYJ’s School Based program is a trauma-informed, relationship-based program designed to provide on campus support for at-risk students struggling with educational challenges, particularly those related to truancy and trauma.
Volunteers of America North Louisiana (VOANLA)
- $60,000 was granted to VOANLA’s Broadmoor STEM Academy Communities in Schools (CIS) and The LightHouse (LH). CIS primarily serves K-12 students enrolled in Achievement Zone schools in Caddo Parish. The CIS partnership is based on a national model focusing on attendance, behavior, and course performance. Broadmoor is one of six locations with both CIS and LH co-located on campus. This grant will provide continued, sustaining program support for the CIS and LH programs at the Broadmoor STEM Academy.
- $55,000 was granted to The Arc for The Goldman School. The Goldman School provides high-quality childcare to children, both with and without disabilities, ages two months through age five
Louisiana Key Academy for Caddo
- $55,000 was granted to Key Academy for the Caddo STEAM Program. Louisiana Key Academy is a tuition free charter school for dyslexic children. The STEAM program is a bonus for students. It plays to students’ strengths of creativity and higher thinking. The format allows the students to work in a group while learning to problem solve.
Volunteers for Youth Justice (VYJ)
- $90,000 was granted to VYJ for The Harbor School Based Center. The Harbor is VYJ’s resource center featuring wraparound services aimed at meeting the needs of families in the community.
Volunteers of America of North Louisiana (VOA)
- $75,000 was granted to VOA for the expansion of the Communities In Schools (CIS) program, serving Caddo students at highest risk for academic failure.
Connecting Women for a Common Cause: Women’s Philanthropy Network celebrates 20th anniversary in 2025
Twenty years ago, a “new” group debuted in North Louisiana’s philanthropic landscape. The Women’s Philanthropy Network (WPN) was established in 2005 as an endowed fund of the Community Foundation of North Louisiana. The network that emerged two decades ago, however, was rooted in a much longer community tradition of women’s philanthropic initiatives and leadership. As the former Executive Director of the Community Foundation, Paula Hickman explains, “Women have always been at the forefront of philanthropy locally – in fact, it was really Hortense Tucker (wife of Colonel John H. Tucker, jr., the primary architect of CFNLA’s existence) who brought the idea of community foundations to her husband. Historically, women have so often performed the hard work to keep community organizations and institutions alive, even if they were not perceived to be ‘running’ them.”