Women's Fund Of Smith County

What Women's Fund Of Smith County does

Women's Fund of Smith County is a Tyler, Texas-based nonprofit women's giving circle founded in 2007 that pools individual pledges from more than 120 members into annual impact grants of $30,000 to $100,000 awarded to vetted Smith County nonprofits serving women and children. Since 2009 the fund has distributed a cumulative $3,831,953 across 38 nonprofit agencies, with $259,485 disbursed in the 2026 grant cycle alone. The organization operates four programmatic pillars: the Annual Grants Program, the Membership Program, the GIVE youth philanthropy program for high school girls in grades 9-12, and the Monarch Legacy Fund endowment. Its business model combines recurring annual member pledges with event-based fundraising through the Power of the Purse Luncheon and Mother's Day Luncheon, plus legacy donations.

The Women's Fund ran as a program of The Fourth Partner from January 2011 until achieving independent nonprofit status on July 1, 2015. Governance rests with a President/CEO (Zoe Lawhorn), a Chair (Smittee Root), and a board spanning Vice Chairs for Governance, Advancement, Grants, and Membership, alongside 18 additional board members. Go-to-market is community-led: members are recruited through personal invitations, luncheons, and word-of-mouth; grant applications are reviewed by a volunteer Grants Committee with semi-finalist presentations and full membership voting in October. Distribution is single-geography, restricted to tax-exempt nonprofits with operating budgets of $120,000 or more that deliver services to Smith County residents in one of four focus areas: Arts & Culture, Education, Health & Wellness, and Human Services. There is no proprietary technology layer; the organization runs on a WordPress-based website, email newsletter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Financially, Women's Fund of Smith County is small (1-10 employees) and self-sustaining on member contributions. Its competitive position rests on long-standing local relationships with Smith County nonprofits and a member community that has held at 120+ for over a decade, with first-year cohort of 128 Charter Members raising $150,000 in 2009. Recent strategic emphasis has been on long-term sustainability through the Monarch Legacy endowment and on next-generation donor cultivation via GIVE.

Name

Women's Fund Of Smith County

Legal name

Women's Fund of Smith County

Website

https://womensfundsc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women's Fund of Smith County is a Tyler, Texas-based nonprofit women's giving circle founded in 2007 that pools annual pledges from 120+ members into impact grants of $30,000 to $100,000 for Smith County nonprofits serving women and children, with $3.8M+ awarded across 38 agencies since 2009.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Philanthropy and Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAB

Community Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYBPAGAKAG

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Collective giving circle
• Community philanthropy grants
• Women's grantmaking nonprofit
• Impact grant program
• Member-based philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Tyler

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Pledges: Individual women pledge annual gifts that are pooled together to create an impactful grant fund. Each member contributes to the collective giving model.
2. Donations and Sponsorships: The organization accepts donations and sponsorships for events such as the Power of the Purse Luncheon and Mother's Day Luncheon.
3. The Monarch Legacy Fund: Legacy donations support Women’s Fund programming including GIVE and membership engagement activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Women's Fund of Smith County operates a women-led collective giving circle whose members pledge annual gifts that are pooled into a fund awarding impact grants of $30,000 to $100,000 to vetted Smith County, Texas nonprofits serving women and children. It complements the grants program with a youth philanthropy initiative (GIVE), an endowment (Monarch Legacy Fund), and signature fundraising events.

Product overview

Women’s Fund of Smith County operates as a collective giving nonprofit organization offering membership-based philanthropy, grant programs, and youth development services. The core offering is its Annual Grants Program that awards impact grants of $30,000 to $100,000 to vetted Smith County nonprofits. Supporting programs include GIVE (Girls Invested in Volunteer Efforts), a grant-making program for high school girls, and the Monarch Legacy Fund for endowment. The organization also hosts two major annual events: the Power of the Purse Luncheon and Mother’s Day Luncheon. Together, these programs form a philanthropic ecosystem focused on enriching the lives of women and children in Smith County through collective giving.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GIVE (Girls Invested in Volunteer Efforts): A passionate initiative of The Women's Fund of Smith County for high school girls (grades 9-12) to experience collective giving and grant-making.

Products and services

• Annual Grants Program Annual impact grant program awarding $30,000 to $100,000 to Smith County tax-exempt nonprofits (operating budgets of $120,000+) that run new or expanded programs benefiting women and children, evaluated by a volunteer Grants Committee and voted on by membership.
• Membership Program Collective giving membership for women in Smith County who pledge annual gifts that are pooled to fund the Annual Grants Program and engagement activities.
• GIVE (Girls Invested in Volunteer Efforts) Youth philanthropy and leadership program for high school girls (grades 9-12) in Smith County that teaches collective giving and grant-making through monthly gatherings during the school year.
• Monarch Legacy Fund Endowment fund that channels legacy gifts to support Women's Fund programming, including GIVE and membership engagement, sustaining the collective giving model over time.
• Power of the Purse Luncheon Annual signature fundraising and community event celebrating collective giving, featuring keynote speakers and highlighting nonprofits impacted by Women's Fund grants.
• Mother's Day Luncheon Annual Mother's Day event honoring mothers and inspiring women, featuring stories from nonprofit partners and celebrating women's philanthropy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Awarded over $3.8 million in grants to 38 Smith County nonprofits since 2009

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Fourth PartnercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011The Women's Fund of Smith County agreed to become a program of The Fourth Partner organization in January 2011 and continued to grow in members and community impact. This relationship helped establish the organization before it became independent.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• East Texas Communities Foundation: Regional community foundation serving East Texas including Smith County. Directly comparable grantmaking function and donor-advised funds; was a founding partner organization for Women's Fund of Smith County in 2007.
• Texas Women's Foundation: Texas-based women's collective giving and grantmaking organization serving North Texas. Directly comparable as a women's fund pooling member pledges to award impact grants to nonprofits serving women and children in a defined Texas region.
• Women's Foundation of Colorado: Statewide women's foundation operating a pooled giving and grantmaking model to advance economic security for women and girls. Comparable collective giving structure and women-and-children focus, scaled to a larger geography.
• The Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee: Local women's collective giving circle pooling member contributions to award grants to nonprofits serving women and girls in Greater Milwaukee. Closely mirrors the collective giving, women-only member model of Women's Fund of Smith County.

Others

• Women's Funding Network: National membership association for women's funds and foundations across the U.S. and globally. Comparable as the trade body representing the women's collective giving category in which Women's Fund of Smith County operates.

Regional players

• United Way of Smith County: Federated giving organization in the same Smith County geography pooling workplace contributions to fund local human services. Comparable pooled-giving, community-impact model but serves broader demographics and causes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/womensfundsc
• Instagraminstagram.com/womensfundsmithcounty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-s-fund-of-smith-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles27 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Women's Fund Of Smith County