New Loan Closing: Dominican Women's Development Center
Advancing gender equity and social justice in Inwood and Washington Heights
$250,000 working capital loan (October 2021)
Dominican Women’s Development Center (DWDC) provides a comprehensive array of vital services to Latinx and immigrant women and their families in the Manhattan neighborhoods of Inwood and Washington Heights. The organization was founded with an initial budget of $30 – one dollar each from each of its founding members, all women from the communities the organization planned to support. Thirty three years later, the organization has grown exponentially; today, it offers English courses, GED support, childcare, sex education for both youth and adults, a safe space for LGBTQ+ young people, domestic violence support, and more. Ninety percent of the 6,000 people the organization serves live below the poverty line; 100% identify as Latinx.
Led by people from the communities DWDC serves, the organization has provided essential programs for thousands of community members for decades. However, it continues to rely on funding from frequently delayed government contracts – contracts that have been even slower to pay out since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Offered through NFF’s no-interest CARE Fund, this working capital loan will ensure that DWDC can consistently access the cash it needs to provide these programs at any point, even when the government payments it depends on take months to come through. And when DWDC can consistently offer these programs, thousands of people in northern Manhattan can access the supportive services they need to overcome challenges and achieve their aspirations.
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