Group that works to empower local women is offering grants for women business owners. Deadline: Sept. 30
By David L. Podos
For Debra Altdoerffer, the president of the Women’s Fund of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, financial independence is a cornerstone of empowerment and self-sufficiency, especially for women.
She is in the right place.
The Clinton-based organization she leads began more than 25 years ago by a group of women in the community whose main purpose was to start giving money to women in need.
“These were woman who for example were trying to get out of a domestic abuse situation and or women who were in financial crisis, that is how it really started,” Altdoerffer said.
The late Richard Hanna, a local construction developer and former New York state congressman, was instrumental in giving seed money to financially help the organization.
Hanna came to the organization with a proposal to create a fund to help individual women in temporary but immediate crisis situations. He suggested the name Annie’s Fund as he once helped a woman named Ann by purchasing a much-needed washer and dryer. This small gesture made an immeasurable difference for the woman and became the mission of Annie’s Fund to assist women striving to overcome obstacles and transform their lives.
Today the Women’s Fund helps women in both Oneida ad Herkimer counties.
“We work with several nonprofits in the community and we also donate to nonprofits. When we do our grants we donate to those nonprofits that are offering programs and services that support women and girls,” Altdoerffer said.
The Women’s Fund currently has four distinct grant programs: The Women’s Fund, Annie’s Fund, Isla’s Fund and Women Investing in Women.
It also offers scholarships through the Ann P. Allen Memorial Scholarship Fund.
The Women’s Fund grants support to nonprofit organization programs that benefit women and girls. Annie’s Fund provides support to individual women in crisis. Isla’s Fund provides support to women in crisis that need assistance with educational pursuits. Women Investing in Women provides grants to women business owners.
The Women’s Fund of Herkimer and Oneida Counties can make a huge difference for women who have their own business.
According to data from the 2023 Census Bureau, women businesses make up 23.8% of all firms in the United States. Women-owned businesses in the United States are responsible for an estimated $2.1 trillion in receipts. Data compiled a little more than 10 years ago shows that women-owned businesses in Oneida County comprise 26%; in Herkimer County, 27%.
“Our Isla’s fund helps out young women in school, for example, we had a student who needed help in getting an iPad so she could finish her nursing degree. She went through our program and we were able to get her the iPad,” Altdoerffer said.
The Women’s Fund of Herkimer and Oneida Counties collaborates with a number of local nonprofits, including the YWCA, RCIL, The Neighborhood Center, Legal Aid Society and ICAN.
The Women’s Fund is opening a new round of grants. Women-owned businesses may apply for grants by Sept. 30.
For more information on the Women’s Fund, visit info@womensfundhoc.org or call 315-381-3072.