ONYA - Ontario/Yates Fund for Women and Girls
Celebrating 24 years of service to our community!
ONYA Grants
Strengthening Our Community
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Since 2000, ONYA has awarded over $440,500 to
47 different agencies, for 123 programs, that have impacted the lives of over 9,027 women and girls in Ontario and Yates Counties.
ONYA Grant Application
The Ontario Yates Fund for Women (ONYA) is seeking proposals from not for profit 501 (c)(3) organizations for programs serving women and girls in Ontario and Yates Counties. The Fund is an independent fundraising and grant making community organization which funds programs that have a positive impact on the economic and social status of women and girls.
All grant requests received will be screened for completeness and to assure that they meet ONYA’s criteria; a site visit by an ONYA Grant Committee representative may also be requested prior to the awarding of the grants. Grant requests must be received by September 1st of any year for consideration for that year’s grant cycle. Grants will be awarded in the fall for the following year’s program funding. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of our review by November 1st.
The 2024 Application packet for 2025 program year grants is below.
2024 ONYA Grants
Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes
“Empowering Myself”
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This grant will focus on giving women and girls the training and tools to feel more confident in themselves and the future. Even if things are difficult at this time, they can still plan for a brighter future and work towards that goal. The grant will cover the supplies needed to run groups or offer extra support to survivors.
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Boys and Girls Club
“First 1000 Days”
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This grant will provide support for First 1000 Days to address the needs of and empower young mothers by easing the increased financial responsibility of parenting. The program provides access to essential items such as diapers, formula, and groceries as well as support for unanticipated expenses such as auto repairs, relocation costs, a delinquent water bill, or emergency medical equipment.
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Big Brothers/Big Sisters
"Growing Confident Big and Little Sisters"
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This project will revitalize High School Bigs programming in Ontario and Yates counties. It will serve at least 60 children and teenage girls. The program impacts both the high school mentors and the elementary school mentees. The Big and Little sisters engage in preplanned activities by the BBBS staff.
Family Counseling
“Beyond the Crisis: Skills for the Self-Sufficiency”
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This grant will provide two 10-week self-sufficiency classes for victims/survivors of domestic violence. This program will help assist victims with financial logging and ways to better their credit and will help to rebuild their self-esteem and self-worth through affirmation, increased knowledge about how to be independent and self-reliant, and through support from others experiencing similar situations.
Keuka Housing Council
“Munch and LEARN"
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The LEARN program will provide Yates and Ontario County women with a 2-hour monthly series of educational and experiential workshops to develop leadership skills, improve self-confidence, and provide personal growth.
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Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County
“4-H Youth Development Partnership with Local Artists"
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This grant would allow 10 low cost, hands-on workshops for Yates County 4-H youth and their families. Funding would cover the cost of artist time, supplies to complete each project, staff time to coordinate workshops and create promotional materials, and printing expenses.
2023 ONYA Grants
Child & Family Resources, Inc.
“Mother and Child Emergency Need & Personal Growth Project”
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This grant will allow for emergency need purchases, such as a phone card or gas card in order to assist families with daily needs. The funds will also help with larger needs such as a college class for a mom who wants to finish her degree, a car repair so she can get to work and the kids to doctor appointments, or a security deposit so she can secure a safe home.
Dress for Success Rochester
“Mobile Career Center Programming: DFS Express Ontario & Yates Expansion”
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This grant will expand Dress for Success Rochester by helping to cover the costs of Mobile Career Center Programming at two locations in Ontario and Yates counties. The program offered includes employment and interview coaching, professional attire and styling, soft skills, digital skills and employment retention support.
Family Hope Center
"Courageous Beauty"
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This program hopes to host 46 group meetings in which activities and lessons will lead to conversations about healthy relationships, sexual avoidance, and self-worth.
It is designed for girls 11- 18 years of age.
Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes
“Circle Activities”
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The supplies needed to run school empowerment groups and girls’ circle groups which focus on at risk youth to build resiliency and self-advocacy will be provided by this grant. The program expects to reach over 300 women and girls during the grant cycle.
Wood Library
“Beginner Yoga Classes for Women and Girls"
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A six-week series of beginner yoga classes for women and girls who cannot afford classes, will be offered during winter 2023. The series will be divided into two groups: a morning class for women 55+ and an evening class for women and girls ages 16-54. Equipment will be provided for everyone who signs up. The grant will cover class instruction and equipment for participants.
2022 ONYA Grants​
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Mentoring Girls for Lifelong Success
Mentoring Girls for Lifelong Success will serve 100 at-risk girls in Ontario and Yates counties with one-on-one mentoring that helps them stay in school, avoid risky behavior, have improved relationships with peers and adults, to have a greater likelihood of graduation, leading them to future economic independence and success. The money will help support the staffing cost needed to recruit, screen and train new mentors to serve Ontario and Yates county girls, some of whom are on the current wait list.
Habitat for Humanity
Women Build
Women Build brings together individuals from all walks of life to build and learn while directly engaging in Habitat’s mission. On a Women Build site, women are involved in every aspect of construction and quickly grow in skills and confidence. Through hands-on learning opportunities, participants gain experience that will benefit them in maintaining their own home while giving back to the community. The $3,000 requested will support the purchase of materials and tools related to Women Build training and workshops planned for 2022.
Habitat for Humanity
HOPE (Home Owner Preparation and Education) program
This program helps families and individuals improve their financial self-sufficiency, pay down debt, establish good credit, and prepare themselves to become successful homeowners. Participants meet regularly, one-on-one, with trained staff to establish and achieve their financial goals and receive coaching in personal finance and budgeting. This grant allows them to increase the number of individuals served by the program through direct coaching.
The Living Well Mission
Power Up for Girls and Women
Middle and High School girls in Penn Yan will learn how to perform basic home repairs (change a light bulb, change batteries, use a hammer, wrench and other tools) as well as create simple wood working projects. Each participant will receive a toolbox. This will be a 4-6 week program.
In addition, they will partner with the Penn Yan Public Library and host a community read focusing on women’s authors and a story regarding successful women. They will then partner with St. Mark’ Terrace in Penn Yan and Dundee to offer a building wide book club.
Family Hope Center
Courageous Beauty
Courageous Beauty is a girls’ group for conversation about healthy relationships, sexual risk avoidance and self-worth. The program proposes to host 46 group meetings in 2022 in which activities and lessons will be provided to reach 30-60 girls in the Geneva area. The program targets girls ages 11-18. The grant will fund staff, supplies for activities and lessons, and community marketing and engagement.
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2022 Mini Grants​
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Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ontario County
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This grant will help fund a six-week program this Fall, to help women farmers gain the tools necessary to become better farm owners and managers.
Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes, Inc.
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The objective of this program is to help clients become financially independent by providing them with money management classes and materials. The classes will help clients learn how to budget, how to manage bank accounts, how credit works and how to build their credit, among other things.
Child & Family Resources, Inc.
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This grant will provide a fund to address specific emergency needs of mothers in Ontario and Yates Counties such as food, diapers, formula, baby wipes, and financial help with utility shut-off notices.
St. Vincent DePaul Society
Care products
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The object of this mini grant is to assemble personal care items that will be provided to women and girls through the Clothing Room.
St. Vincent DePaul Society
Vouchers
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This grant will allow for the purchase of $20 and $30 food vouchers from Tops and Aldi stores.
The Living Well Mission
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This program will provide first aid kits to the women in their community and educate them on how to apply first aid so that they can be confident caregivers.
Mozaic Chapter NYSARC, Inc.
The focus of this Women’s Group will be a cooking class providing the opportunity to learn new skills to become self-sufficient as well as providing an opportunity for social interaction and social skills development.
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2021 ONYA Grants
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Family Counseling Services of the Finger Lakes
Seeking Safety Teen Girls Program
This program will offer three separate 12-week Trauma Informed “Seeking Safety” groups which will help girls become independent and self-sufficient and build skills for empowerment and resiliency.
Wood Library Association
Job Readiness and Digital Equity
The library is partnering with Ontario Workforce Development to provide access to job readiness skills, digital tools, and support for adult women who are unemployed or underemployed. Laptops will be purchased that can be borrowed by participants to access the county’s SkillUp/Matrix Learning program. Workshops will be held on resume writing, effective communication and interview skills, how to conduct a job search, and an introduction to MSWord and Google Docs.
Family Hope Center
Courageous Beauty
This program is a girls’ group for 11 to18 year-olds. It will provide conversations about healthy relationships, sexual risk avoidance and self-worth. The Center hopes to hold 92 group meetings over 46 weeks in which activities and lessons will be provided.
Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes
Summer Youth Leadership Workshop
Two five-day Summer Leadership Workshops will be held to teach student leaders skills they need to lead presentations with peers, to act as activists against violence, to model healthy relationship behaviors, to create anti-dating violence media, and to organize clubs in their communities. ​​