(Photos | Courtesy of Fancywork Yarn Shop)
GlobalGiving announced that Fancywork Yarn Shop has been selected to receive a $5,000 COVID-19 relief and recovery grant from The Red Backpack Fund, an opportunity for small businesses and nonprofits made possible by The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation.
“My hope is that this gift will help alleviate some of the pressures caused by this horrible pandemic. Twenty years ago, I started Spanx with $5,000 in savings, and I see this as a time to pay it forward. Small business is the backbone of our culture. I know what it’s like to be a small business owner, and I want to provide some relief to these entrepreneurs during this time,” said Spanx Founder Sara Blakely.
The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation donated $5 million to support female entrepreneurs in the wake of COVID-19 and teamed up with GlobalGiving to establish The Red Backpack Fund.
Thousands of business owners and nonprofit founders from across the United States and its territories applied to receive a grant from The Red Backpack Fund to combat economic hardship caused by COVID-19. Fancywork Yarn Shop was selected for the grant based on its outstanding application, its urgent need for COVID-19 relief and its demonstrated capacity to overcome COVID-19 setbacks.
GlobalGiving, a 501(c)(3) organization with nearly two decades of grantmaking experience, will award grants to at least 1,000 women entrepreneurs from now through September 2020 through The Red Backpack Fund. GlobalGiving has assembled a 100 percent women-led team to lead the grantee selection process. The team includes grant specialists, social workers, female entrepreneurs, analysts and monitoring and evaluation experts.
“We’re proud to announce the grantees of The Red Backpack Fund. They have successfully undergone GlobalGiving’s rigorous vetting process, and we believe this grant will help them continue to thrive, despite the shifting economic circumstances brought on by this crisis,” said GlobalGiving CEO Alix Guerrier. “The world needs more women-led organizations who are a key force in overcoming COVID-19 and establishing a better normal.”
Learn more about The Red Backpack Fund at globalgiving.org/redbackpackfund.
Founded two years ago by Elise Jones, Fancywork Yarn Shop serves Central Oregon’s fiber arts community with exceptional yarn, swoon-worthy accessories and gifts, woolly inspiration, classes, project support and cozy, warm community. In addition to time-honored workhorse yarns and much-loved standards, Fancywork specializes in hand-dyed, independent and American yarns as well as carefully curated specialty yarns from abroad. Fancywork is located between the East and West sides of Bend in the Maker’s District as well as online at fancywork.com.
Fancywork.com • Spanxfoundation.com • globalgiving.org
