There is no shortage of women with big ideas. Finding the money to actually build them is another story.
Pave HER Way is looking to close some of that gap. The national nonprofit will open applications August 31 for its inaugural grant cycle, offering women the opportunity to receive funding, mentorship, professional connections, and community support through three programs designed to support women creating change for other women and girls.
The organization is offering awards of up to $90,000 through its Disruptor Award, up to $30,000 through Financial Aid, and up to $90,000 through its Change Agent Prize. Those figures represent the maximum funding available through each program, not a guaranteed award amount for every recipient.
There is also an important difference in how women can access the three opportunities. The Disruptor Award and Financial Aid programs will accept applications, while the Change Agent Prize is reserved for women who are nominated through Pave HER Way’s invited pool of nominators.
For women who have been trying to figure out how to fund the next phase of their work, the August 31 opening date is one to have on the calendar.
Three Programs, Different Kinds of Support
Pave HER Way did not create one catch-all grant. Its inaugural cycle is divided into three opportunities, each aimed at a different kind of need.
The Disruptor Award offers up to $90,000 to support transformational projects and ideas that create meaningful public benefit for women and girls.
That could make the program relevant to women working on ambitious ideas that need significant resources to get off the ground or grow. Pave HER Way says it is accepting women from all industries and backgrounds, with the focus on the potential public benefit of their work.
Then there is Financial Aid, which offers up to $30,000 to women dealing with financial barriers while pursuing education, professional development, or work that advances equity for women.
The difference between the two programs is worth paying attention to. A woman does not necessarily need to arrive with a large-scale project to be considered for support through Financial Aid. The program is specifically designed around financial barriers that can prevent women from pursuing an educational, professional, or equity-focused opportunity.
The third opportunity, the Change Agent Prize, also offers up to $90,000. It is intended for women who have already demonstrated a track record of expanding opportunities for other women and girls.
But there is no application form for this one.
Pave HER Way says Change Agent Prize candidates must be nominated by someone within its invited pool of nominators. So while the Disruptor Award and Financial Aid programs are opportunities women can pursue directly, the Change Agent Prize works through recognition and nomination.
Who Is Eligible?
The basic eligibility requirements are straightforward.
Applicants must identify as women, be at least 18 years old, and be a U.S. citizen or resident. Pave HER Way also excludes relatives, officers, employees, and members of its Board of Directors from eligibility.
Beyond those requirements, the organization says it welcomes women across industries and backgrounds.
That matters because women’s grant opportunities can often be narrowly tailored to a particular profession, business model, age group, or type of organization. Pave HER Way is taking a broader approach with its inaugural programs, looking at women through the lens of what they are trying to accomplish and the barriers they may be facing.
For anyone considering applying, the first step is figuring out which program actually matches the work.
If you are building a project with the potential to benefit women and girls on a broader scale, the Disruptor Award may be the program to examine.
If money is the thing standing between you and education, professional development, or work focused on advancing equity for women, Financial Aid may be the better fit.
And if you have already spent years creating opportunities for other women, the Change Agent Prize is the program to know about, even though direct applications are not being accepted.
The Money Comes With Access
Pave HER Way is also putting resources around the funding.
Recipients will have access to mentorship, professional networks, and a community of women who are also committed to creating change. The organization says its goal is to give women support that extends beyond the initial financial award.
For Jamie Mohn, Co-Founder of Pave HER Way, the need for that kind of support is tied to a problem women know well: being told to work harder when the real issue is often a lack of access.
“We started Pave HER Way because too many extraordinary women are still expected to overcome structural barriers with determination alone,” Mohn said. “Talent is everywhere. Opportunity isn’t.”
Mohn said the organization wants women to have access to the funding, mentorship, relationships, and community needed to pursue their ideas without having to choose between their ambitions and the barriers in front of them.
“When women have funding, mentorship, access, and a community behind them, they don’t just succeed. They expand what’s possible for other women,” she said.
That idea runs through all three programs. Pave HER Way is looking for women whose work can have an impact beyond themselves, whether they are developing a new idea, working through a financial obstacle, or building on a history of creating opportunities for other women.
Pave HER Way Is Building a Network, Too
The grant programs are only one part of what the organization is putting together.
Pave HER Way is also inviting professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and community leaders to become part of its growing national network. Those individuals can participate as mentors, connectors, builders, and supporters.
Irene Shih, Founding CEO of Pave HER Way, said the organization is interested in creating a community around the women it supports rather than simply issuing grants and moving on.
“Our mission isn’t simply to fund women,” Shih said. “It’s to find women who are committed to making life better for other women and girls, to sponsor their vision and talents, and to create a community around them that will champion their cause.”
Shih said Pave HER Way wants its impact to extend beyond the women who receive direct funding by bringing together grant recipients, volunteers, donors, partners, and others who can contribute to the work.
“We are, above all, a movement,” she said.
For women interested in participating as applicants, mentors, or supporters, that distinction gives the organization a wider reach than a traditional grant program. The money is one piece. The relationships and access being built around it are another.
Applications Open August 31
Women interested in applying should start by looking at the three programs and being honest about which one fits their current situation. The largest award is not automatically the right opportunity, and the Change Agent Prize cannot be pursued through a standard application.
The Disruptor Award offers up to $90,000 for transformational projects and ideas that create meaningful public benefit for women and girls.
Financial Aid offers up to $30,000 for women facing financial barriers as they pursue education, professional development, or work that advances equity for women.
The Change Agent Prize offers up to $90,000 to women with a demonstrated record of expanding opportunities for other women and girls, but candidates must be nominated through Pave HER Way’s invited pool of nominators.
Pave HER Way’s first grant cycle opens August 31. Women can learn more about eligibility, the funding programs, and volunteer opportunities through PaveHERWay.org.
For women who have been waiting for the resources to make the next move, the opportunity is worth knowing about before the application window opens.
