Grants for Emergency Assistance, Shelter, and Housing Options for Homeless Women

Grants for Emergency Assistance, Shelter, and Housing Options for Homeless Women is sponsored by Fund for Homeless Women (a fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County). The Fund for Homeless Women seeks proposals from nonprofit organizations that address one or more of their grantmaking priorities: small grants for emergency assistance (up to $5,000) to support emergency shelter, transportation, and personal care for homeless women; and support…

Fund for Homeless Women | Community Foundation for Monterey County The Fund for Homeless Women is a field of interest fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) established to support programs and services for homeless women on the Monterey Peninsula. The Fund for Homeless Women supports programs and services for homeless women on the Monterey Peninsula.

In its initial years, the Fund supported both emergency assistance (e.g., temporary motel lodging, transportation expenses, laundry, etc.) and innovative ideas that expanded temporary and permanent housing options and case management services. Review the current grant guidelines (below) for more information.

Homeless Women on the Monterey Peninsula In 2016 the CFMC commissioned the Assessment of Homeless Women on the Monterey Peninsula on behalf of the Fund for Homeless Women to document the primary causes of homelessness for local women, their needs and challenges and existing services. Researchers found there were an estimated 400 homeless women on the Monterey Peninsula, whose challenges are complex and diverse.

Read the Full Report or Key Findings to learn more. What grant funds will support Planning and start-up costs for new programs or expansion of existing programs to fill a gap or support a new approach. Consideration will be given to operating costs for existing programs where a small amount of funding can make a difference.

Personnel expenses that relate to specific program goals; equipment, materials or facilities costs that directly benefit participants or are an identifiable part of the proposed project. For emergency assistance small grants to nonprofits, funding will support only direct assistance to homeless women, such as hotel vouchers or personal care expenses.

What grant funds CANNOT support Grants are open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations and public agencies. Only one grant application per organization will be considered. Fiscal sponsors may submit more than one application for different sponsored groups and one for their own organization.

Only proposals serving homeless women on the Monterey Peninsula will be accepted. Guidelines and Application The Fund for Homeless Women seeks proposals from nonprofit organizations that address one or more of the following grantmaking priorities: Small grants for emergency assistance: up to $5,000 to support emergency shelter, transportation, and personal care for homeless women.

Support for innovative ideas that expand emergency/temporary shelter, permanent housing options and/or case management services: $10,000 to $50,000 for initiatives designed to provide emergency/temporary shelter, permanent housing, day programs, or case management services for homeless women. The fund does not provide direct assistance to individuals. Please see recent grants below for organizations providing assistance.

Please review the grant guidelines and application questions , then review how to apply for a grant. Applications are due by 11:59 PM, on Friday, October 2, 2026 and grant decisions are announced in December. For larger grants that increase access to shelter, grant applications will be expected to provide a clear plan describing how program goals and activities will monitor and measure success.

If a grant is received, a final report will be due in a year after receiving the grant that articulates how the grant was used, a description of activities and people who benefitted, and what was learned.

Organization Purpose Amount Awarded Community Homeless Solutions Moving Day: Shelter to Sustainable Space $10,000 Community Human Services Shuman HeartHouse--Emergency Shelter, Housing Navigation and Rapid Rehousing $45,000 Gathering for Women-Monterey Supportive Services for Homeless and Housing Insecure Women $50,000 Outreach Unlimited I-HELP for Women $35,000 Community Foundation for Monterey County awards grants to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations and does not provide direct services.

Here is some information that can provide some local shelter resources, including 2-1-1 , Coalition of Homeless Service Providers , Homeless Services Resource Guide , and Homeless Services Resource Guide (Spanish) Big Sur Fund in Memory of Weston Call Community Fund for Carmel Valley Northern Monterey County Foundation Southern Monterey County Foundation Charitable Planning (MOCI) Discussing Charitable Giving Charitable Planning (MOCI) Organizational Development Big Sur Fund in Memory of Weston Call Community Fund for Carmel Valley Northern Monterey County Foundation Southern Monterey County Foundation Center for Nonprofit Excellence Community Impact Investing