June 7, 2021—The Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) recently received a $10,000 grant from the Vermont Women' Fund. The grant will help further CWE's research on the impact COVID-19 has had on Vermont's women-owned businesses and establish programming in Brattleboro to support women-owned businesses with a focus on BIPOC individuals.

"We know the COVID-19 crisis has had a major impact on women in the economy and now we need to be able to prove it here in Vermont," says Gwen Pokalo, Director for CWE's Vermont Women's Business Center. "We're honored to be in partnership with the Vermont Women's Fund to conduct important research documenting the impact of COVID-19 on women entrepreneurs served by CWE this year. This grant will leverage CWE's existing resources to better support BIPOC women entrepreneurs in Southern Vermont, knowing that a ‘one-size-fits-all' approach won't work. Thank you to VWF for their investment!"

The Vermont Women's Fund is the first and largest philanthropic resource in the state founded specifically to advance women and girls in Vermont. Founded in 1994, it is a component fund of the Vermont Community Foundation and awards annual grants to nonprofits around the state that serve women and girls with programs that promote economic self-sufficiency, career development and systems change. Learn more at vermontwomensfund.org.