Somerville Offering $2M In Grants To Help Close Gender Wage Gap

SOMERVILLE, MA — Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne announced last week that the City will award $2 million to nonprofits for programs that help to close the gender wage gap.

The mayor said the programs that receive these grants should create and maintain employment opportunities for low-income and moderate-income women in Somerville.

The deadline for submitting applications for funding is Jan. 31. Request for Proposal guidelines are available online, as are applications and eligibility criteria.

Funding, according to the mayor, will come from the city's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the Job Creation and Retention Trust, city funds and funds generated from development impact fees.

"The gender wage gap threatens not only the economic security of women, but also their families and children, which can be especially concerning for single-parent households," Ballantyne said. "We can do better to break this cycle. We know that job creation and career support services are integral tools in our battle to ensure pay equity, particularly for women of color who suffer the largest pay gaps."

Ballantyne continued: "With this call for proposals, we are looking for innovative, forward-thinking projects that create not just jobs, but careers, for low-income and moderate-income Somerville women. I know our area nonprofits will answer this call with gusto."

According to the mayor's office, the types of proposals being sought include: training in high-demand industries, career navigation services, criminal records expungement, digital and financial literacy training programs and paid internships for low-income, first-generation students.

Consideration will also be given to proposals that identify other needs that will contribute to addressing the wage gap for women, particularly women of color, the mayor's office said.

Ballantyne's office said a review committee from the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development will evaluate all proposals.

In the proposal, applicants are asked to detail their organization's history, goals and accomplishments, describe their target Somerville population, detail the program for which they are seeking funding, and list its objectives for serving low-income and moderate-income clients.

According to the City, Somerville was allocated $77.5 million in ARPA funds to aid local pandemic recovery efforts. Thanks to input from surveys, focus groups, public forums and the 14-member advisory committee, the City determined how the funds should be allocated.

Officials said Somerville already has distributed 57.6 million in funds. The new grant program also aims to support post-pandemic earnings recovery in addition to creating longer-term gender and racial wage parity for women, city officials said.