WomenRise
WomenRise is a scholarship program run by United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg that provides financial assistance to single mothers to cover the cost of childcare while they work toward a post-secondary degree or credential. Awards are paid directly to licensed or voluntarily registered childcare providers during the mother's enrollment in a qualifying education or training program. Recipients also gain access to mentoring, community support through the Women United giving community, and other United Way resources.
Single mothers, Childcare scholarship, Post-secondary education, Workforce training, Virginia
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg
- City
- Richmond
- State / Province
- Virginia
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Application status
- Timed
- Funding type
- Nonprofit, Philanthropic, Corporate
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Payment frequency
- Variable
- Distribution Type
- Vendor payment — funds paid directly to the childcare provider/vendor on behalf of the recipient
- Benefit details
WomenRise scholarships cover the cost of childcare (paid directly to a licensed or voluntarily registered childcare provider) while a recipient is enrolled in classes or a training program, and the program has also referenced emergency financial assistance and other support costs. The total funding pool and number of scholars varies each year based on fundraising ($110,000 total in the most recently reported cycle; $150,000 to 19 moms in 2023; $185,000 to 23 moms in 2022; $400,000 to 31 participants cumulatively since the 2021 launch through 2023). Scholarship length and dollar amount per recipient vary by individual education plan rather than being a fixed monthly stipend.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Applicants must be a single female head of household with custody of at least one child; be enrolled or planning to enroll in an education or career training program (at least ~4 weeks per the current site; earlier cycles cited 40 hours) that leads to a degree or credential; have annual household income at or below $65,000 (earlier cycles cited a $60,000 cap); reside in the United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg service region; and use a licensed or voluntarily registered childcare provider.
Demographics
- Sex
- Female
- Gender
- Female
- Education level
- Bridge Program, Associate, Bachelor's
Family
- Family Status
- Single Parent
- Number of dependents (minimum)
- 1
Financial
- Income limit (annual household)
- $65,000
Geography
- US states covered
- Virginia
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Richmond, Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Hopewell
- Counties covered
- Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Application Process
- How to apply
Applicants register for an account in Foundant (United Way's grants portal at grantinterface.com/Opportunity/Catalog?urlkey=yourunitedway), click 'Apply' under the current year's 'WomenRise Childcare Scholarship' listing, complete the online application (savable at any point), and click 'Submit Application.' Applications open annually, historically in spring (e.g., May 1) through May 31, with decisions announced later that summer. As of this research, applications for the 2026-2027 academic year are closed.
- Selection process
Scholarship recipients are reviewed and selected by volunteer members of United Way's local Women United giving community, which also leads fundraising, event planning, and mentoring for the program. Specific scoring/ranking criteria beyond the published eligibility requirements are not publicly detailed.
