Growing the Legacy
The Jeannette Rankin Foundation is Jeannette Rankin’s living legacy. As we embark on a new chapter, we are fueled by Jeannette’s passion and inspired by the women whose lives we have touched throughout our 47-year history.
Together, we can transform the futures of thousands more!
The Great Force
Honoring Jeannette Rankin,
the first U.S. Congresswoman
We are inspired every day by our namesake to empower women to build better futures of their own making. Jeannette Rankin lived a bold life. She recognized the inequities in American society throughout her lifetime, put on her hat and got to work to create meaningful change. As the first woman elected to U.S. Congress and a lifelong advocate for women’s rights, her fortitude changed our country forever.
Our Goal
Maximizing our impact as a FORCE for good
Jeannette’s $16,000 bequest to help “mature, unemployed women workers” inspired our founding mothers to be a force for good. Today, we have awarded more than 1,700 Scholar Grants to women around the country. Yet the unmet need is significant.
Every year we award grants to just 25% of our pool of student applicants. These are women of grit and substance who are striving to lift themselves out of poverty and change the trajectory of their lives. By seeking their first associate’s or bachelor’s degree at the age of 35 or older,* they are doing everything they can to realize a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.
The Great Force Campaign will triple our impact on women’s lives by expanding our endowment and operational strength.
ACHIEVED GOAL: 54%
Left to raise: $6 million
GOAL: $13 million
allowing us to award MORE Scholar Grants and support MORE women along their educational journey!
*The Jeannette Rankin Foundation awards post-secondary Scholar Grants to students who identify as women or nonbinary, are 35 and older (25 and older in Georgia and Montana) and demonstrate financial need — from all states and backgrounds.
endowment growth = more investment in Scholars =
OVER 1,000% RETURN
For each dollar invested in a Rankin Foundation Scholar, you are
- closing the gender and racial wage gap
- reducing generational poverty
- impacting communities where Scholars share their skills and leadership
The Impact
Lifting the trajectory of women’s lives
Students who apply for a Rankin Foundation Scholar Grant are already working hard to create a brighter future. Most support their families while going to school. But too often, the immediate day-to-day needs of the individual or family can delay completion or permanently waylay academic aspirations.
Unlike traditional scholarships, our unrestricted Scholar Grants are awarded directly to students. Our Scholars feel trusted and empowered to use the funds in whatever way they choose to reach graduation and ease college debt. Along the way, our case management, coaching and community of Scholars help make long-sought dreams achievable.
Rankin Foundation Scholars
75%
are single mothers
65%
are survivors of domestic violence
56%
are the first in their family to go to college
And what they achieve is remarkable!
94%
Graduate or Persist
in continuing their studies, compared to the demographic average of 8 – 31% identified by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research
Without the help and support, I do not think I would not be able to pursue my education. Knowing that the funds can help with my everyday living expenses, such as lights, or car payment has been the most amazing thing. It has greatly impacted myself and my family.
I not only want to set the tone for my children but for the world. There have been a lot of people following my story, and I want to let them know it can be done and don’t give up.
Like Jeannette Rankin, I hope to be a force for social impact. The studies I am immersed in contain information that won’t just stay in books but will have an impact on people’s lives.
We don’t have the generational and historical ties to higher education as Indigenous people. Connecting weekly with other Rankin Foundation Scholars kept me going during the times I didn’t think I could do it anymore.
