Our Partners
Women Unite! partners with three Chicago-based nonprofits for 12 months, offering our services to them for free.
2025–26 Partners: Now Accepting Applications!
Our partner application is live and submissions are due on Friday, March 14 at 5:00 p.m. CT. We have two options for those interested in submitting applications, a written or a video submission. Please select only ONE of the options.
Questions about the application or process?
Email womenuniteapplication@gmail.com
Eligibility Criteria
Must have a 501c3 or a fiscal sponsor
Must be based in Chicago
Must have an annual operating budget of $5M or less
Must focus on serving women, LGBTQIA+, and/or communities of color
Timeline
February 3, 2025: Application opens
March 14, 2025: Application closes at 5:00 p.m. CT
March 14–April 22, 2025: Board reviews applicants
April 23, 2025: Board selects 3 partners
Week of April 28, 2025: Applicants are notified
May–June: Partner on-boarding process
July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026: Partnership with Women Unite!
Please select only ONE option—Video or Written Application
Video Submissions
This year we’re excited to announce that we’ve introduced a video submission option!
Applicants must submit and complete this video submission form.
Videos must be submitted as a YouTube or Vimeo link using the form linked to in the previous bullet point.
Applicants can answer each question individually (aka submit one video response per question) or as a single video with responses to each question. Responses to each question should be no more than 2 minutes long, meaning videos should not exceed 8 minutes in length.
Questions that require a video response are:
What drives and inspires your work?
What needs do you see in your community? How is your organization meeting those needs?
Why are you interested in working with Women Unite!?
In what ways might Women Unite! support the work you organization is doing?
Written Submissions
Similar to past years we are offering a written submission option. Applicants must submit and complete this form. Feel free to utilize relevant responses from previous grant submissions.
WU! Board of Directors with Chez Smith, founder of 2022–23 partner Gyrls in the H.O.O.D.
Meet our 2024–25 partners!
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A House in Austin
A House in Austin (AHIA) is a dedicated parent-child resource hub committed to empowering families in a holistic manner, fostering growth and success at every level. By nurturing secure bonds for healthy families, AHIA helps communities build bright futures.
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Global Gardens Chicago
Global Gardens Chicago is committed to improving access to fresh vegetables for newly arrived refugee families and their neighbors, feed the souls of displaced farmers through reconnection with the soil and food production, provide supplemental income for participating refugee farmers, and foster new, refugee-operated farms.
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Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois
Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois believes in transformative justice as a necessary alternative to the current legal system. They are committed to the universal right of gender self-determination, abolition of the prison-industrial complex, and transformative justice. They live out these values by offering trangender people in Illinois support, advocacy, and free, holistic legal services.
Past Partners
2023–24
2022–23
2021–22
2020–21
2019–20
What our partners are saying
“Their team is focused on both the small and big pictures, and seamlessly tailor their approach depending on who they're working with and why.”
Leah Greenblum
Executive Director
Midwest Access Coalition
“The staff of Women Unite! have stepped in and provided indispensable resources in the areas of fundraising and marketing that have allowed us to increase our capacity. Most importantly, they have been a welcomed soundboard when strategizing on areas of growth.”
Christian Snow
Executive Director
Assata’s Daughters
“The folx at Women Unite! have been everything to our organization. They are creative, thought-provoking, and kind, and it is so fantastic to be able to work together with other industry professionals towards a mutual goal.”
Meredith Montgomery
Co-Founder and Program Director
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