Beyond Our Borders

Extending Philanthropy to Help Women & Girls Across the Globe Reach Economic Security

Beyond Our Borders, a group-advised fund held at The Women's Foundation of Colorado, shares WFCO’s belief that to strengthen families and communities, we must advance and amplify opportunities for women to be empowered to reach economic self-sufficiency.

Beyond Our Borders extends our mission beyond Colorado and the U.S., focusing on grantmaking to promote equity and social justice and to create educational, economic, and social opportunities for women and girls in global settings who have few resources or agency to enable them to participate fully in society.

Beyond our Borders also focuses on building the strength and capacity of the U.S. based organizations that serve women and girls or advocate on behalf of the advancement of women and girls globally.

We prefer to invest in programs that:

• Fill a need for women and/or girls
• Are innovative, diverse, effective, and collaborative
• Display program impact in women’s and girls’ empowerment and social and economic justice
• Have local women in management and decision-making positions
• Employ local people in all areas of management and fieldwork and purchase local goods and materials from the host country
• Demonstrate a need in the community through local requests by residents
• Focus on systemic change

We provide grants annually to national organizations with ties to the international setting that provide direct services to women and girls who have the least resources to enable them to participate fully in society; and/or build the strength and capacity of the organizations that directly serve women and girls, or advocate on behalf of the well-being of women and girls. 

Our history  

The Beyond Our Borders Group-Advised Fund was established in 2000 through The Women’s Foundation of Colorado by Jane Ragle. Beyond Our Borders invests in U.S.-based nonprofit organizations working to ensure women and girls in other parts of the world are empowered to achieve their full potential and participate fully in society. Beyond Our Borders has also built an endowment for future giving.

Our vision

While The Women’s Foundation of Colorado focuses on women and girls in Colorado, we recognize the interconnectedness we have to women and girls around the world. Through the Beyond Our Borders group-advised fund held at The Women’s Foundation of Colorado, we work to create a world in which more women:

• Have comprehensive human rights
• Are able to reach their full potential
• Are equal partners in creating a world that reflects talents and contributions of all humanity

Grantmaking

Each year, Beyond Our Borders members gather in May to establish granting priority areas. During this time organizations are nominated by the membership and assigned a sponsor if the group expresses an interest to further research a nominee. Final recommendations are presented in October or November each year, with final grant approval issued in December. Funds awarded in this calendar year are expected to be used during the following calendar year.

Currently, Beyond Our Borders does not accept unsolicited proposals. If you are interested in learning more about the grantmaking process, please contact Renee Ferrufino, vice president of development, at reneef@wfco.org.

Join us

Beyond Our Borders is looking for members who are thoughtful grantmakers and who strive to make an impact on the lives of women around the world. Members of Beyond Our Borders commit to donating at least $2,000 per year - or, if they are Young Professional (under age 40), at least $1,000 per year.

Members are expected to attend two annual meetings, once during the late spring for a retreat and once during the early fall to make grant decisions. Optional events and trainings are offered throughout the year. The sessions are designed to provide a learning community for participants, with some members having extensive international women’s and grantmaking experience, and others who are new to the field of international women’s issues and grantmaking and hope to gain new learning. 

If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Renee Ferrufino, vice president of development, at reneef@wfco.org.

Donate to Beyond Our Borders