Girls for a Change

Girls for a Change (GFAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization based in North Chesterfield, VA, dedicated to empowering Black girls through comprehensive programs that build essential life and leadership skills. Operating since 2000 and achieving nonprofit status in 2004, GFAC has developed signature programs that combine experiential learning with consistent mentorship to prepare participants for success in school, college, and their careers.

The organization's core programming focuses on leadership development, financial literacy, goal-planning, and socio-emotional learning, while addressing systemic barriers including institutional racism, sexism, and the digital divide. GFAC serves middle and high school girls through outreach initiatives, as well as providing extended support that follows participants from youth into young adulthood. Each program is designed around girl-centered development, encouraging participants to design, lead, fund, and implement social change projects that directly address issues affecting their own neighborhoods.

Through problem-solving skill-building, policy education, and movement creation training, GFAC participants develop the emotional, social, and practical competencies needed to overcome obstacles to advancement. The organization's commitment extends beyond individual skill development to include community engagement, network building, and exposure to opportunities that close achievement gaps. Based in North Chesterfield, GFAC's impact reaches across Central Virginia and beyond, with a two-fold mission to prepare Black girls for the world while preparing the world for Black girls. The organization's values emphasize uncompromising integrity, systematic community-centric approaches, and bold visions that challenge the status quo.