Unidas - A Girls' Philanthropy Program

Unidas, a feminization of the Spanish word unidos (united), teaches young women about philanthropy, social change, and leadership. The program is designed to give high school-aged young women a hands-on experience in grantmaking. Participants will have a total of $10,000 to grant to community organizations that serve young women and girls.

Under the auspices of the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona, Unidas participants in Tucson and Sierra Vista will research and analyze the social justice issues facing young women and girls in their community, and walk through a grantmaking process, including creation of a request for proposal, application review, site visits, and allocation of funds to local agencies.

During meetings, participants hear from experts in the community and discuss some of the issues facing young women and girls today. They learn how to read and assess grants, value the need for social change, and train in all aspects of philanthropy - notably the sharing of time, talent, and treasure. After this comprehensive training is concluded, the young women have walked away stronger, more knowledgeable, and empowered by their ability to have funded programs that they believe are doing compelling work.

The Spanish origin of the name Unidas reflects not only Southern Arizona's prominent Hispanic heritage, but also the uniting of groups diverse in their ethnicities, sexual orientation, religion, geographic location, and income levels. It unites our established supporters with the up-and-coming generation of philanthropists; it unites the needs of the community with the desires of the donors, and most importantly, it unites the young women with some of the most fundamental issues touching their lives today.