In 2023, the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) launched the Community Impact Fund (CIF) to rethink how national organizations support grassroots change. Instead of deciding where money should go from the top down, NWLC handed the reins to community leaders in New Mexico and South Carolina—people who live the realities of child care and income insecurity every day.
They formed a Design and Advisory Committee (DAC) made up of local organizers and women with lived experience. Over a year, this group didn’t just advise—they led. They defined the problems, designed the grant process, and chose the grantees. NWLC supported them with translation, stipends, and flexible meeting formats, but made sure the community’s voice stayed at the center.
The result? A grant focused on tackling the economic struggles of early childhood educators—especially those facing racial and gender discrimination. The process wasn’t fast or easy, but it was deeply inclusive. And it showed that when communities lead, the solutions are more grounded, more relevant, and more powerful.
