Flagstaff Philanthropic Group Reaches Funding Milestone
The collective seeks new funding partners after losing its primary matching grant for local community donations.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Women Empowering Northern Arizona has surpassed $500,000 in total donations to local nonprofits. The group, which includes 100 members who gather three times annually, provides $10,000 grants to community organizations.
Why it matters
The organization provides a model for high-impact, low-overhead philanthropy that relies on collective member contributions. With the recent expiration of a key matching grant, the group is now reevaluating its funding structure to maintain its donation pace.
The group has reached $500,000 in total contributions since its 2014 founding, with each member donating $100 per meeting. This sustained effort previously benefited from a 50% matching grant from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation that provided up to $5,000 per meeting.
The players
Women Empowering Northern Arizona
A collective of 100 members based in Flagstaff that coordinates philanthropic contributions for regional nonprofits.
High Country Adaptive Sports
A local nonprofit that recently received a $10,000 donation from the group.
Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation
A private philanthropic organization that previously provided a 50% matching grant for the group's donations.
The details
Members facilitate funding by nominating nonprofits that have operated for at least two years and presenting their cases to the group. The 100-member collective then selects a single recipient to receive the $10,000 pool of donations. The loss of the matching grant, which ended within the last year, now requires the group to identify a new local funding partner to sustain previous donation levels.
Timeline
The group was founded in 2014.
Meetings occur three times annually.
Matching grants from the foundation ceased within the last year.
Market Landscape
The transition away from external matching grants highlights the challenges of sustaining philanthropic velocity as initial foundational support ends. This pattern follows a trend where local organizations must pivot from seed-phase corporate matching to autonomous, member-sustained models.
Local nonprofit operators should track how this group structures its next partnership to replace its lost matching grant. Businesses seeking community-level philanthropic support should note the group's two-year operational requirement for funding eligibility.
The takeaway
The group's success demonstrates that consistent, member-led micro-donations can create substantial local capital. Operators should monitor the group's search for a new matching donor as an indicator of local philanthropic capacity for the coming fiscal year.
Further reading
Learn more about local funding trends in Philanthropy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Arizona Daily Sun.
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