Heels Together: Women Stepping Up

Heels Together is a women-led initiative uniting money, ideas and actions to create a lasting change for women and girls, their families and communities. 

Why help women and girls? Only 7% of all philanthropic dollars each year are specifically allocated to address needs of women and girls, yet 70% of the world’s poor are women. In Kentucky, 18% of women older than 18 live in poverty. Funding projects to address these issues and improve individual lives will strengthen our community.


The 2023 Grant Portal is now closed

The Heels Together Investors’ Banquet will be held on Thursday, October 26th at
CKCF’s Home of Philanthropy Community Hall.

Overview

Heels Together was established as a Central Kentucky Community Foundation initiative in 2014 by a group of community-minded leaders who wanted to invest in long-term solutions for transforming the lives of women and girls and improving the well-being of our entire community.

Heels Together focus’ on women-led solutions by providing leadership and stewardship in identifying the needs and supporting solutions for women and girls. It’s a catalyst, identifying challenges, marshaling resources and pursuing opportunities in Central Kentucky. 

Heels Together is supported by a $1,000 annual gift from individual investors. Half of the annual gift is set aside in an endowment fund to forever carry out our mission and the other half is used for annual grant-making putting our beliefs and desires for women and girls in our community into action today. At the yearly Heels Together banquet, investors hear presentations from grant finalists and vote to select the winning grants.

Grant funding is awarded to programs addressing:

  • Achievement of economic self-sufficiency for women
  • Prevention of violence and crime against women and girls
  • Promotion of health and physical well-being and talent for women and girls

Together, we can unite money, ideas and actions to create lasting change for females and their families.

Investors

Heels Together – Join Us!

Heels Together strives to connect women and girls with resources that bring health, hope, education and enrichment. Join us and help grow the Heels Together endowment and grantmaking abilities.

Heels Together is supported by a $1,000 annual gift from individual investors. Half of the annual gift is set aside in an endowment fund to forever carry out our mission and the other half is used for annual grant-making putting our beliefs and desires for women and girls in our community into action today. The endowment, a fund that preserves the initial investment and only spends the earnings, provides for the forever impact of Heels Together.

In 2019, we celebrated our 5th anniversary, reached 50 investors and grew our endowment to $145,000!

At the yearly Heels Together banquet, investors see presentations from grant finalists and vote to select the winner.

We believe that when a woman is successful, her community is strengthened. Join us in strengthening our community! If you have a passion for improving the lives of females in our community and want to learn more contact Davette B. Swiney, President/CEO at dswiney@ckcf4people.org or 270-737-8393 .

Grants

Each year, Heels Together awards grants for programs to enrich the lives of women and girls in our community. Annual grant-making puts our beliefs and desires for women and girls in our community into action today. 

In eight years, Heels Together has awarded over $184,000 in grants. 

To apply for a Heels Together grant, organizations must qualify under IRS Code Section 501(c)3 with at least one full year of financial records. Applicants are required to submit a Letter of Intent to apply by July 15 and include the total amount to be requested. We know the pandemic has affected many area nonprofits this past year. so 60% of the grant can be used for general operating expenses. A mid-year status report is required from organizations that receive a Heels Together grant. Organizations are not eligible to receive a Heels Together grant in consecutive years.

Congratulations to our 2022 Grant Winners!

Family Scholar House A Step up for Student Moms Program $20,000
Wesley Hilltop House and PURE Inc. Step Ahead Institute for Leadership $15,000

Past Grant Recipients

2021

  • Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana’s Day Camp Program $5,443
  • Helping Hand of Hope’s Steps to Success Program $14,557

2020

  • Hardin County School’s ExCEL Program $20,000

2019

  • Elizabethtown Community and Technical College: Camp Forge Ahead $15,000
  • Hardin County Attorney’s Office: Breaking the Silence on Dating Violence $10,000

2018

  • Community Health Clinic: Women’s Health Initiative $15,000
  • Warm Blessings: Ride to Independence $7,000

2017

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana: Project ReacHER $5,000
  • Elizabethtown Independent Schools: STEM-tastic SumMIT $5,000
  • Silverleaf Sexual Trauma Recovery Services: Healing Garden $8,500

2016

  • Communicare Inc.: Passages Transitional Housing Program $15,000
  • Hardin County Schools: Shattered Glass Summit $4,850

2015

  • Helping Hand of Hope: Heels Academy $12,000
  • CASA of the Heartland $12,500

Investors' Banquet

2020 Heels Together Investors’ Banquet

Heels Together hosted our 6th annual Investors’ Banquet and first virtual year of women helping women and awarded $20,000 to Hardin County Schools for the ExCel program.

Thanks to all our investors for making this grant possible and to those who participated virtually this year to make the award selection. The presentations from our other two finalists, Communicare and the Community Health Clinic were strong contenders.

The Excel program currently serves teen moms, helping them overcome the challenges and setbacks that come with teenage pregnancy. This grant will help them expand their outreach to address the needs of expecting teens from their first trimester of pregnancy through childbirth. This will be a comprehensive program of academic and mental health services, community partnerships and teen mentoring programs that proactively address the risk factors and accelerates the success of expecting Hardin County Teens.

Investors also heard from last year’s grant recipients, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and the Hardin County Attorney’s Office with an update on their projects.

The grant awards were made possible by 51 local women who make a $1,000 annual gift to support initiatives, such as the ones awarded at the banquet, that benefit women and girls. Heels Together investors have now granted $130,000 in the past 6 years and grown our endowment to $185,000!

“By helping to serve these girls, these programs will not only benefit the girls receiving assistance, but their families and communities will as well,” said Davette B. Swiney, president and CEO of Central Kentucky Community Foundation. “We know that when women and girls thrive, communities prosper, and that is why we are passionate about Heels Together.”

We look forward to connecting with you!

Why Become a Heels Together Investor?

Can you think of a woman in your life who believed in you, listened to you and gave you sound advice? Being a Heels Together Investor allows you to be that cheerleader and mentor to women and girls who need it the most. Heels Investor, Marilyn Ford, shares her story.
There’s a place for you in Heels Together!