Washington Women's Foundation Receives $100,000 Grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for Replication Handbook

SEATTLE -- Washington Women's Foundation, a three-year old organization that aims to cultivate philanthropy among females, announced today it has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the production of a foundation replication handbook.

The handbook, now in progress, will describe the Washington Women's Foundation and provide a pattern, directions and suggestions on how to implement its model in any city or town across the country. The Washington Women's Foundation hopes to replicate the success of its model in other similar philanthropic groups. Publication of the model handbook is scheduled for late spring.

"We are extremely grateful and very proud of the confidence the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has in our work," said Washington Women's Foundation President Colleen Willoughby. "The replication handbook is a very important project for us and with this support we will be able to make it a true success."

The Washington Women's Foundation, established in 1996, targets women of all income levels, encouraging them to invest in their community by becoming philanthropists. To become a member, women pledge $2000 a year for five years. Half of the pledge is placed in a pooled fund and the group votes on distribution of those funds. Individual members decided on their own where they'd like the other half to go.

For more information about the replication handbook or other Washington Women's Foundation projects, please contact Colleen Willoughby, President, Washington Women's Foundation at 206-340-1710.