Women’s Pathway to Success Program

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Women’s Pathway to Success is a transformative program, resulting in job creation, reduction in poverty, and eliminating barriers to employment for women in metro Atlanta. This program has impacted over 20,000 women over 5-years. Investing in women achieves lasting returns for families and communities.

Over the past five years, the Women’s Pathway to Success Program has supported local nonprofit organizations in providing the critical combination of services needed to move women to economic self-sufficiency. This combination of services includes access to:

  • Workforce training and development,
  • Microenterprise development,
  • Childcare,
  • Financial literacy, and
  • Employment opportunities for women at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

AWF has awarded $2.3 million in grants to this initiative.

AWF applies a Collective Impact Approach to its grantmaking. Through this approach AWF brings together our grantees in order to do the most good for the largest number of women and girls. As the backbone organization, AWF guides the vision and strategy of the project, maintains communication, ensures all data is collected and measured in the same way, and provides supportive activities like annual convenings.

Program components include cohort multi-year funding; facilitated discussions to foster a safe environment for peer sharing; program evaluation technical assistance; individualized one-on-one consultation; workshops and trainings; and interactive convenings that allow nonprofits an opportunity to share their work and explore collaboration.

AWF is grateful to Georgia Power, Inspire Atlanta, and Stitch Fix for their support of the Women's Pathway to Success Program.

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Behind every number is a woman...

Due to her father-in-law’s failing health, Juanisa, better known as Ms. Niecy in her community, quit her job to take care of him full-time. After he passed away, her family was hit with another loss when her husband lost his job and suffered from depression.

Now both jobless, Ms. Niecy turned to prayer to seek guidance and was inspired to open a daycare center. The name of her new daycare would be “Ms. Niecy’s Home Away from Home” because she wanted the children to feel like they were at a home away from home, to feel safe and loved, a place where a kid could feel like a kid.

Ms. Niecy and her husband John opened a successful, in-home daycare and were ready to take their business to the next level! But when they went to the bank for a loan to expand the business, they were denied - even by their own bank.

However, Ms. Niecy learned about one of AWF’s grantee partners, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Ms. Niecy and her husband were able to get funding, not only for their initial facility, but for two other expansions as well.

Not only is Ms. Niecy able to provide for her family, she has created jobs in her community and provides safe, quality, and affordable childcare so that other women can establish their pathway to economic self-sufficiency.

Give to help women like Ms. Niecy.

Yes, I want to make a donation to help women obtain a job with a living wage, start their own business, and have access to quality, affordable child care.

Project Outcomes: 4-Year Results

Women had access to workforce training and development, microenterprise development, childcare, financial literacy, or employment opportunities.
New businesses have been created.
Women have been able to secure a job within 3 months of completing a program supported through this grant.
Women have achieved economic stability (make a living wage based on the MIT Living Wage Calculator, Georgia).
Childcare scholarships/free childcare services have been provided.
Women have received services through this grant and were able to secure housing.

2022-2023 Grantees

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