A collaborative of five Rhode Island nonprofits has been awarded a $750,000 grant to launch the state’s first coalition focused on supporting girls and gender-expansive youth.
The Rhode Island Foundation awarded the three-year Catalyst Grant to Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England, which will lead the effort in partnership with Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, Girls on the Run Rhode Island, Rhode Island for Community and Justice, and The Womxn Project Education Fund.
The investment will formalize and launch the RI Girls Coalition, a coordinated effort grounded in findings from the RI Girls Report, the first comprehensive data source focused on the well-being of girls in Rhode Island.
“It is vital for our community to understand the needs of girls and gender-expansive youth,” said Dana Borrelli-Murray, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England. “Through coalition-building, we can focus our energy, share resources and learning, and advocate for systems change to ensure our young people can thrive physically, emotionally, and socially.”
Over the next three years, the coalition plans to expand access to existing programming and create new programs, convene partners for shared learning, and publish a second edition of the RI Girls Report.
“This coalition represents the future of youth support in Rhode Island—collaborative, data-driven, and rooted in equity,” said Kelly Nevins, CEO of Women’s Fund of Rhode Island.