Aurora Women And Girls Foundation Inc

OUR MISSION IS TO BE A CATALYST FOR POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN GREATER HARTFORD, WITH THE INTENDED EFFECT OF UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF THEIR FAMILIES AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

THE AURORA FOUNDATION CURRENTLY FOCUSES ITS GRANT MAKING ON GREATER HARTFORD AREA WOMEN'S COLLEGE SUCCESS PROGRAMS. AURORA'S GOAL THROUGH ITS GRANT MAKING IS TO EMPOWER MORE WOMEN TO COMPLETE THEIR COLLEGE EDUCATION, THEREFORE ENABLING THEM TO BETTER THEIR LIVES AND THOSE OF THEIR FAMILIES. OUR AURORA-FUNDED COLLEGE SUCCESS PROGRAMS GIVE WOMEN, ESPECIALLY LOW-INCOME, WOMEN OF COLOR, AND FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO NAVIGATE AND PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED BEST PRACTICES FOR THESE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING AND ADVISING, MENTORING AND INTRODUCING WOMEN TO ROLE MODELS, BUILDING SELF-ADVOCACY SKILLS, ADDRESSING BASIC NEEDS SUCH AS CHILDCARE AND TRANSPORTATION--AND NOW DURING THE PANDEMIC, HELP NAVIGATING ONLINE LEARNING, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND NEEDS FOR FOOD AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE. AURORA PRIDES ITSELF IN NOT JUST FUNDING EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO BEING A RESOURCE AND PARTNER TO OUR GRANTEES. OUR ESSENTIAL EQUITY REPORT ON THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 DOCUMENTED THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, WOMEN SURPASSED MEN IN APPLYING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IN CONNECTICUT. OF THOSE WOMEN APPLYING, 75% DID NOT HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE. THIS DATA TELLS US THAT INCREASING ACCESS TO AND SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IS AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY TO INCREASE WOMEN'S ECONOMIC MOBILITY AND PROTECT THEM FROM THE IMPACT OF HEALTH AND ECONOMIC CRISES.

AURORA'S RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS THE CRITICAL ISSUES FACING WOMEN AND GIRLS IN THE REGION. IN 2021, AURORA PARTNERED WITH OTHER CONNECTICUT WOMEN'S FUNDS AND CONNECTICUT DATA COLLABORATIVE TO UPDATE THE WOMEN AND GIRLS DATA PLATFORM (WGDP), A CUTTING-EDGE TOOL TO SHARE INFORMATION AND EQUIP NONPROFITS, GOVERNMENT, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH INFORMATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN CONNECTICUT. AN ONLINE, INTERACTIVE TOOL, THE WGDP PROVIDES ACCESS TO PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA SPECIFIC TO REGIONAL, CITY, AND STATEWIDE LEVELS THAT IS AGGREGATED FOR GENDER AND RACE. THE DATA COMPARES TRENDS ACROSS REGIONS AND THE STATE AND AIDS IN BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF LOCAL NEEDS. DATA IS FEATURED BY DEMOGRAPHICS, HEALTH AND SAFETY, EDUCATION, ECONOMIC SECURITY, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. THE COLLABORATION ON THE WGDP MEANT THAT WE HAD THE TEAM IN PLACE TO RESPOND QUICKLY TO THE DATA NEEDS OF THE PANDEMIC. IN JANUARY 2021, AURORA PUBLISHED ESSENTIAL EQUITY: WOMEN, COVID-19 AND REBUILDING CONNECTICUT, A REPORT THAT DOCUMENTED THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON WOMEN OF COLOR. AURORA DISTRIBUTED AND PRESENTED THE REPORT'S INFORMATION TO THE GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL ON WOMEN AND GIRLS, THE WOMEN'S CAUCUS OF THE CONNECTICUT STATE LEGISLATURE, THE GREATER GIVING SUMMIT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE HELD BY THE GATES FOUNDATION, THE PERMANENT COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN HARTFORD, AND NUMEROUS OTHER LOCAL AND STATEWIDE ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP CENTER THE NEEDS OF WOMEN OF COLOR IN PLANNING FOR PANDEMIC RELIEF AND RECOVERY. WE OFFERED TWO TRAINING SESSIONS ON DATA LITERACY, WITH 50 ORGANIZATIONS SERVING WOMEN AND GIRLS PARTICIPATING IN EDUCATION ON HOW TO USE THE WGDP AND ESSENTIAL EQUITY REPORT TO DOCUMENT THE NEED, IMPROVE PROGRAMMING AND SECURE FUNDING.

AURORA EDUCATES AND ENGAGES WOMEN AND MEN IN THE POWER OF PHILANTHROPY THAT IS TARGETED TO PROGRAMS THAT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS. WE INVITE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO JOIN US BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES WHERE WOMEN AND GIRLS THRIVE. IN SPRING OF 2021, AURORA'S WOMEN'S GIVING CIRCLE CONTINUED TO FOCUS ON THE ONGOING EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON WOMEN, AND PARTICULARLY WOMEN OF COLOR. FUNDS RAISED WENT TO HELP 3 ORGANIZATIONS ON-THE-GROUND, ADDRESS HOUSING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND CHILDCARE FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS SUFFERING THE IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC. 50 WOMEN JOINED THE GIVING CIRCLE AND RAISED $23,000 THAT WENT 100% TO THE ORGANIZATIONS IDENTIFIED AS MEETING THE COMMUNITY NEED. AURORA'S 100 MEN CAMPAIGN WAS RE-INSTATED AS A VIRTUAL EVENT FOR 2021, WITH MALE ADVOCATES FOR AURORA AND FOR PHILANTHROPY DIRECTED TO WOMEN AND GIRLS CREATING VIDEOS EXPLAINING THEIR SUPPORT, WITH A VIRTUAL EVENT SHARING THE IMPACT OF SUPPORTING AURORA. 154 MALE COMMUNITY LEADERS PARTICIPATED IN FUNDRAISING AND EFFECTIVELY ADVOCATED FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS.