The mission of Financial Resources for Women and Children is to develop resources and services that improve the financial stability and long-term safety of women and children who have experienced family violence.

In 1996, Financial Resources for Women and Children, Inc. was founded to address the economic needs that keep many women from moving away from violence and toward self-reliance. Convinced that concerned citizens are willing to support this effort, we have developed products and services without government funding.

Since 1996 FRWC has worked with a variety of partners who provide shelter, education and/or support to women and their children. Morning Star Sanctuary in Madison, TN, Women’s Resource Center of Bristol & Newport Counties, RI,  Sojourner House in Roxbury, MA, Women Empowered in Vineyard Haven, MA, and Burning Bush, Inc. in Kenya, Africa. Each of these programs has been a unique pilot, working with FRWC to deliver its mission of increasing the safety of women and children by helping to increase their financial stability. FRWC provides technical support and grants to each of its partners but allows each program to establish its lending project to fit the needs of its participants.

Morning Star's lending program has been volunteer driven, matching volunteer mentors with women who have stabilized sufficiently to receive a loan. They have made twenty loans (totaling approximately $15,000) with three of those loans going to women who repaid the first loan. One loan is in default, but all the rest have been repaid.

Women’s Resource Center in RI used staff to deliver financial training in classes at a number of sites. This partner never developed a revolving loan program, but upon staff recommendation made several substantial non-repayable grants. Staff provided ongoing mentoring and local donors provide funding.

Sojourner House partnered with Roxbury Highland Community Bank through its affiliation with FRWC. In December of 2003, the first loan by the bank was made to a Sojourner House participant who was recommended by staff and mentored by a volunteer. The loan was fully repaid ahead of schedule.

With Women Empowered, FRWC developed an Individual Development Account (IDA) model that encouraged participants to save toward a specific, life-enriching financial goal. Once the savings goal was reached, FRWC provided matching funds. See the Women Empowered website to learn more about their work.

Burning Bush began as a health clinic in rural Kenya. It then became a place where women go to learn financial and other life-skills, and has now become an incubator for cottage industry development.  More than 200 people have participated in micro-loans during the last year.  See www.BurningBushKenya.org for more information about this partner.

Use the Contact Us feature if you are interested in a possible partnership.