SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — Lumina Alliance is honored to announce that it has received $70k in funding from the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls as part of the highly competitive Women’s Recovery Response Grant Program.
This dedicated investment of state funding into organizations serving women and girls locally across the state represents a unique investment in the economic health and well-being of nearly half of California’s citizens.
California women not only face a significant wage gap, but they also face bias and opportunity gaps that mean women are more likely than men to earn low wages and to live in poverty. These barriers, along with other forms of discrimination mean that the 50.3% of California’s residents that are female are significantly less likely to be able to weather a financial crisis like the one COVID-19 caused, and they will require significant ongoing investment to recover.
“We are so grateful for the Commission’s support, which will fund our onsite childcare program for survivors with children who need care during crisis support, advocacy, and therapy sessions. This funding has allowed us to hire a qualified, full time Children’s Services Coordinator, and to open the door for survivors with children to begin to heal,” said Jennifer Adams, CEO of Lumina Alliance.
“The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls is the only state agency dedicated exclusively to gender equity concerns. As such, it is critical that we be a resource for organizations in local communities that are doing the hard work of directly supporting equity and economic growth for California’s diverse women and girls,” said CCSWG Chair, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan. “The Commission’s research has made clear the need for sustained investment in women who are key stakeholders and drivers of what will soon be the fourth largest economy in the world. Women are essential to our workforce, to innovation, and to creative problem-solving and leadership. We must invest in California’s more than 20 million women today, tomorrow, and every day.”
Lumina Alliance is proud to have been chosen as one of 74 organizations serving women and girls in California who have been disproportionately affected economically by the pandemic. CCSWG’s grantees include organizations serving low-income, unemployed, or underemployed, AIAN, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, unhoused, rural, disabled, senior, and veteran populations.
“The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls is elated to embark on the second year of this highly competitive and transformative grant opportunity, which continues to funnel much-needed resources to diverse communities centering women and girls throughout the state,” said CCSWG Deputy Director of Operations and Grants, Tifani Bartow. “It is clear that the need for economic recovery, and sustained investment in economic equity, access to opportunity and supportive resources for women, girls and all Californians remain a priority especially when we see the growing needs and challenges of women and girls on the rise.”
Year-two of this state investment will bring up to $5 million in funds to local communities through nonprofits, direct service providers, local women’s commissions, intermediary organizations, and governmental entities in response to the economic needs of California women. In the award process, the Commission prioritized new and returning organizations who work to improve access and affordability of child and/or elder care services, increase utilization and uptake of safety-net programs that offer services to support basic needs such as shelter, food, clothing, etc., achieve reskilling/upskilling through accreditation, certification, or vocational or educational programs, and enhance financial ability to grow economic security, assets, and wealth building.
“We cannot build a thriving and equitable California without economic investments in gender parity at the state, county, city and community levels,” said CCSWG Executive Director Holly Martinez. “With women still facing a persistent wage gap, limited investment in their businesses, a disproportionate level of student debt and rent burden, and a persistent expectation that they shoulder the bulk of family caregiving responsibilities in addition to holding full-time jobs, it has never been more apparent that investing in women’s economic equity is investing in the future of California’s growth and global competitiveness. Women are half the workforce and the only way to grow is to support the expansion of their opportunities and success.”
A complete list of grant recipients can be found at
https://women.ca.gov/2023-2024-womensrecovery-response/
ABOUT LUMINA ALLIANCE — Lumina Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization created by the merging of RISE and Stand Strong in July 2021. Their mission is to empower those impacted by sexual and intimate partner violence through innovative advocacy, healing, and prevention programs. Services include 24/7 crisis and information line, case management, accompaniment and advocacy, emergency shelters, transitional housing, individual and group therapy, and robust prevention education. For more information, please visit www.LuminaAlliance.org.
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ABOUT the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls
The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls works in a culturally inclusive manner to promote equality and justice for all women and girls by advocating on their behalf with the Governor, the Legislature and other public policymakers, and by educating the public in the areas of economic equity including educational equity, access to health care including reproductive choice, violence against women and other key issue areas identified by the Commission as significantly affecting women and girls.