The Fort Wayne Branch American Association of University Women (herein referred to as AAUW) Trust was established in 1979 when the Branch received a bequest from the estate of R. Hazel Miller. An additional bequest in 1989 from the estate of Letha Falls was added to the capital account. In 1998, a generous donation was given to the Trust in memory of Anne K. Waterfield. Additional gifts and memorials are recognized in the Treasurer’s AAUW Fort Wayne Branch Annual Reports.

AAUW’s mission is to empower women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.

AAUW Trust purposes include:

• Encouraging education among members of AAUW and of the community
• Funding appropriate studies and projects in keeping with the objectives of AAUW
• Promoting standards of excellence in public school education and in higher education
• Cooperating with persons, organizations, trusts, or foundations with similar purposes

Grants ranging from five hundred to three thousand dollars are distributed once a year. An individual or organization receiving a grant may reapply no earlier than three years from the date of the received grant (for example, a grant recipient of April 2025 would be eligible to reapply in January 2029). The grant application period is January 1 through February 28. The application form is included in this website and must be returned by way of this medium. The Trust Board meets in March to review the grant requests for eligibility and awards determination. Recipients will be notified and in April, at a public meeting place, both parties will sign a contract (see sample on this website) and the monies will be disbursed.

Public acknowledgement of receipt of a grant must be made by all recipients through means acceptable to the Board.

Further, at the end of the grant period, detailed accounting of the use of the funds is to be documented and examples given of print materials and other media used for public awareness of the project and acknowledging the use of AAUW Trust funds.

Finally, a presentation of the grant use, goals, and measure of accomplishment of said goals shall be made before the Board at the following April public meeting including physically giving the said documentation to the Board Chair or representative.

AAUW Trust Historian’s Report for 2025

A total of six grants were awarded in 2025, totaling: $6,000. The grants were awarded to the following recipients:

• Girl Scouts Give Back: Community Engagement Expo (Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michigan) – To Empower and Educate Girl Scouts with the knowledge and inspiration to pursue community service projects that align with their interests. To connect with community by fostering meaningful relationships between Girl Scouts, troop leaders and local nonprofits, opening doors to a variety of fields and service opportunities. To enhance leadership and teamwork by building essential skills such as teamwork, leadership and relationship building through hands-on engagement. To create a replicable model or “How To” guide that will enable service units across the council to replicate the event, broadening its impact over time.

• Hope Alive, Inc: Residential Program Support for Homeless women with Mental Illness – To provide support to women overcoming homelessness and mental illness. To provide the necessary tools and support to help women transition from crisis to stability, empowering them to achieve independence and lasting transformation.

• League for the Blind and Disabled: Helping Women with Disabilities to Gain Advocacy Skills – To provide women with disabilities networking opportunities, while helping to reduce barriers in accessing quality education and professional development opportunities. The League’s Inclusion Institute provides an opportunity to develop community champions as participants as they become changemakers in creating a more connected community.

• Purdue Fort Wayne: Empowering Women on Campus, Expanding Access to Hygiene Products and Nursing Supplies for Student Wellbeing – To increase Access to Essential Products by providing free and easily accessible menstrual hygiene products and nursing supplies to support students’ health and wellbeing. To promote academic success by ensuring that lack of access to hygiene and nursing essentials do not hinder students’ ability to attend classes, focus on their studies, or participate in campus activities. To support student mothers by creating a more inclusive environment and providing nursing supplies in our designated lactation spaces, and resources to support student parents balancing academics and childcare.

A total of 422 grants have been awarded as of 2025. Through the years, the AAUW Fort Wayne Branch Trust has awarded grants to date totaling the amount of $484,212.