Women’s Money Matters Receives $155,000 Grant from Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts to Bring Financial Wellness Programs to Girls in Western and Central Massachusetts
Ninth grant from longtime funder marks Foundation’s strategic expansion beyond Greater Boston
Women’s Money Matters (WMM), a Boston-based nonprofit empowering women and girls living on low incomes to improve their financial health, has received a $155,000 two-year grant from the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts. The funding will scale WMM’s Life Launch financial wellness program to reach girls and young women in Central and Western Massachusetts for the first time with dedicated, in-person programming. This grant marks WMM’s ninth award from WFMA, a partnership that began in 2019.
“The Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts has been more than a funder. They’ve been a true partner in helping us empower women and girls to build financial wellness,” said Danielle Piskadlo, Executive Director of Women’s Money Matters. “This investment will allow us to hire dedicated staff and bring focused attention to communities in Western and Central Massachusetts where the need is greatest.”
Life Launch equips girls and young women ages 8-24 with foundational money management skills, confidence, and peer support through financial health workshops, peer support, and one-on-one coaching. WMM has a proven track record of strong outcomes: 100% of participants set financial and personal goals, 100% create and learn how to use a budget, and 100% report increased confidence in managing their finances.
While WMM has previously offered virtual programming to participants outside Greater Boston, this grant enables a strategic shift to dedicated, place-based programming in Central and Western Massachusetts, regions where the need is acute but access to quality financial wellness resources has been limited.
Western and Central Massachusetts are home to several of the state’s Gateway Cities, midsize urban centers facing persistent economic challenges as the Commonwealth’s economy has concentrated in Greater Boston.
In Springfield, nearly 26% of residents live below the poverty line. In Holyoke, the rate is 24%. In Worcester, the state’s second-largest city, it’s 21%. All are roughly double the statewide average of 10%. Women and girls growing up in these communities often lack access to the financial wellness education and coaching that can set them on a path toward economic stability.
“When girls learn to manage money early, they carry that confidence into adulthood,” said Christina Gordon, Co-Founder and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts. “Women’s Money Matters has built a proven model for financial wellness that transforms lives. We’re proud to help bring that work to more communities across the Commonwealth.”
The investment comes as WMM celebrates 15 years of building financial wellness, confidence, and economic security. Since 2009, WMM has reached more than 3,000 women and girls—with more than half reached since 2020. In FY25 alone, the organization reached 1,207 women and girls through financial wellness programs and wraparound services, with graduates increasing their savings by 254% on average.
The ripple effect of this partnership extends far beyond a single organization. When funders invest in women and girls, they uplift entire communities and help build a more equitable future across the Commonwealth.