ANN ARBOR, Mich. - s4story -- The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) is proud to announce the conversion of the Academy for Sport Leadership Endowment Fund into the newly established Washtenaw Women & Girls Fund, a permanent endowment dedicated to advancing the full participation of women and girls in society.

The purpose of the Washtenaw Women & Girls Fund is to promote equity and remove barriers to women's and girls' economic, educational, physical, emotional, social, artistic, personal, and leadership potential. Through strategic grantmaking and advocacy, the fund will support programs that foster meaningful, systemic change for women and girls across Washtenaw County.

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AAACF President & CEO Shannon Polk emphasized that the launch of the Washtenaw Women & Girls Fund reflects the Foundation's ongoing commitment to equity and empowerment in Washtenaw County and reinforces the Foundation's long-term vision to support women's leadership, education, and economic mobility for generations to come.

Originally established in 2004 as the Academy for Sport Leadership Endowment Fund, the fund supported The Academy for Sport Leadership (TASL), a statewide organization dedicated to attracting and empowering young women in the coaching profession. Building upon that legacy, the new Washtenaw Women & Girls Fund broadens its impact to include all areas of advancement for women and girls throughout the county.

The fund's priorities include:

1. Supporting programs that advocate for policy and system changes on issues affecting women and girls.
   
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2. Encouraging initiatives that help women's and girls' organizations achieve economic self-sufficiency.
   
   
3. Expanding opportunities and choices available to women and girls.
   
   
4. Giving high priority to organizations in which women are the primary decision-makers.

The Washtenaw Women & Girls Fund is now open to receive gifts and will begin awarding grants in 2026. Through donor support, AAACF aims to create lasting change by funding initiatives that strengthen the voices, choices, and opportunities of women and girls in Washtenaw County.

About the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF):
AAACF partners with donors, nonprofits, and community leaders to build a more equitable and thriving Washtenaw County. For more than 60 years, AAACF has worked to grow permanent endowments that support the community's greatest needs and opportunities. Learn more or make a gift to the Washtenaw Women & Girls Fund at aaacf.org.