|  | | Dear John, We recently recognized Giving Tuesday, and year-round, we know who we give to and how we give matters. We also know women and nonbinary leaders of color have been at the forefront of nearly every successful social movement, yet remain woefully underfunded and are experiencing a crisis of burnout. This week, we released a poignant, timely, and incredibly important report that looks at the effects of historic underfunding and disinvestment in women and nonbinary leaders of color. Living with Pocket Change: What It Means to Do More With Less is a series of 1:1 interviews with leaders of color and is a continuation of our original groundbreaking Pocket Change research. The report provides ways to fundamentally reposition philanthropy and social justice organizations so that organizations on the front lines are fully able to access the resources they need and build power to win. We’re incredibly thankful to our staff, partners, and movement leaders who contributed to this report, and hope we all heed the call to not only increase sustainable funding, but truly invest in their care and well-being as well. In solidarity,  
Ruth McFarlane
Chief Advancement Officer |
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Items in this newsletter: -
New Report: Living With Pocket Change -
New on the Blog -
Activist Collaboration & Care Fund Update -
Family Values @ Work Panel -
Donate to Support Care-Based Philanthropy |
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| New Report: Living With Pocket Change This week, we released Living with Pocket Change: What It Means to Do More With Less, which examines the impact and real-life experiences of chronic philanthropic underinvestment in the leadership of women and nonbinary people of color – and issues a call for care-based philanthropy. “Care-based philanthropy is our clarion call, echoing the chorus of grassroots leaders and women and nonbinary people of color in philanthropy who passionately urge us to fund these leaders as if we truly want them to win,” said Ms. Foundation Director of Innovative Grantmaking Shawnda Chapman and Chief Program Officer Ellen Liu in the report foreword. Living with Pocket Change outlines seven recommendations and steps that philanthropy can take to better support these leaders, including long-term investment, breaking down silos in philanthropy, and more. You can read the executive summary HERE and the full report HERE. You can also find more information in the report press release and please help spread the word by sharing with your networks using our social media toolkit! |
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| | New on the Blog 8 Things We’re Grateful For This Year
As we head into a season of gratitude and think back on our year, we're taking a chance to reflect. 2023 brought both triumphs and challenges, and we found joy in community, in laughter, in rest, and in struggle. "I’m thankful for life’s many lessons and the growth that comes with each one," said Grants Administrator Alaya Gaddy. We asked Ms. Foundation staff to share what they’re grateful for. Read more on the blog! |
| | Grantee Partner Spotlight: I Am Why
We’re also grateful for our incredible grantee partners. Girls of Color Initiative grantee I Am Why is shifting collective power to young women and gender-expansive youth through art and storytelling. “Knowledge is power. Bringing activists together uplifts their voices and lived experiences. We aim to reshape policies around reproductive justice, youth justice reform, and building wealth within communities of color by advocating for suppressed voices, respecting their stories, and sharing lessons learned.” |
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| | Activist Collaboration & Care Fund Update We recently completed our Activist Care & Collaboration Fund (ACF) grant cycle, and we were proud to move over $1.24M to 87 organizations. Even still, we received $8.8M in ACF grant requests from 338 eligible organizations. This need underscores what we heard in our Living with Pocket Change report: women and nonbinary leaders of color are woefully under-resourced by philanthropy. In our latest blog, Shawnda Chapman of the Ms. Foundation and Kheira Issaoui-Mansouri of Najam Consulting shared learnings from the ACF grantmaking cycle and invited donors - both foundations and individuals - to resource these leaders. Read it now. |
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| | Family Values @ Work Panel November is National Family Caregiver Month; a month dedicated to honoring and shedding light on the work of those who care for family and loved ones. When we have time to care, our families are healthier, our communities are safer, and we advance toward equity. President & CEO Teresa C. Younger moderated a Family Values @ Work panel of leaders in the care movement, including author and activist Sonya Renee Taylor, Family Values @ Work Executive Director Josephine Kalipeni, Option B Senior Manager Becca Bernstein, and Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. |
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| | Donate to Support Care-Based Philanthropy |
|  | Throughout this week, we’re continuing our Giving Tuesday campaign. We hope you’ll take some time to read our Living with Pocket Change report, and join us in shifting towards a care-based philanthropic approach. When you invest in the Ms. Foundation for Women, you invest in the leadership, sustainability, and well-being of the women and nonbinary people of color showing up for our movements everyday. |
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| | | Ms. Foundation For Women
1 Willoughby Square, Suite 2000 | Brooklyn, New York 11201
(212) 709-4444 | [email protected] |
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