By Stacie Hazeltt-Rothe, Women’s Fund Communication and Outreach Specialist

What happens when you hand a group of smart, motivated high school girls $10,000 and ask them to make a difference? You get Girl-Powered Giving—where leadership, empathy, and action meet.

This spring, 15 young changemakers from Appleton North, Appleton East, Appleton eSchool, Neenah High School, and Kimberly High School came together for a three-day immersive experience through the Women’s Fund’s Girl-Powered Giving Program. These students explored the power of philanthropy, dove into local issues, and discovered what it means to lead with purpose.

A central part of their experience? Identifying a community challenge they wanted to address—and they didn’t hesitate. The girls focused their collective energy on Sports Equity.

They recognized a persistent and often overlooked issue—while more girls are participating in sports than ever before, many still face barriers. From limited access to resources and funding to a lack of coach training in supporting girls’ unique needs, the gap is real.

To help close it, the girls decided to explore providing educational opportunities for local coaches, aimed at helping them better understand and support girls in sports. Their hope? That this investment will help create safer, more inclusive, and empowering spaces for girls to grow and thrive through athletics.

But that was just part of the experience.

The girls also took part in hands-on volunteering by packing period product kits for The Monthlies Project, a community initiative to address period poverty. Mentors from our B.F.F. (Brighter Female Futures) group joined them, offering guidance, encouragement, and personal stories to inspire the next generation of changemakers.

Each participant also took part in a mini-grant project, giving them the chance to support a cause close to their heart. Their creativity and compassion came to life through actions like:

• Purchasing immediate needs items for Harbor House
• Donating supplies to special education classrooms
• Painting ceramic tiles to sell at the Appleton Habitat ReStore—with all proceeds donated back
• And many more thoughtful efforts that met real needs across our community

This program wouldn’t be possible without generous support from the J.J. Keller Foundation. Their commitment to young women’s leadership and community impact helped make these three days unforgettable—and transformational—for everyone involved. Special thanks to Brenda Haines for helping us lead the girls through this program.

These young women didn’t just talk about change.

They funded it. 
They lived it. 
They led it. 

We can’t wait to see what they do next.