Dear John,

As I enter my 11th year of leading Ms. Foundation, I’m thinking about this moment in time. August was a month of celebrating history – hearing of it, seeing it happen, and living into it. 

At our annual Ms. on Martha’s event, I had the unique opportunity to have a conversation with reproductive justice foremother Byllye Avery, who received her first grant from Ms. Foundation some 40 years ago. That grant lifted her confidence to move to Atlanta, to write and research and build out the Black Women’s Health Project (which was later renamed Black Women’s Health Imperative), and to lay the groundwork for what would one day become the reproductive justice movement – a movement that is key to democracy today. 

We saw history being made with the nomination of the first Black and first South Asian woman to lead a major-party ticket as a nominee for President of the United States. 

This month also marked the close of our Creating the Future We Deserve campaign, the largest fundraising campaign in Ms. Foundation’s 50 years, where we exceeded our goal of raising $100 million. With over 70% of those gifts in the form of planned giving, we know we’ll have the resources to fight for gender justice for decades to come. 

May we learn from history, may we witness history, and may we prepare to make history. 

In solidarity,

Creating the Future We Deserve Campaign Close 

In honor of Ms. Foundation’s 50th anniversary, we embarked on the largest fundraising campaign in our history: Creating the Future We Deserve. We achieved and surpassed our $100 million goal by raising $106 million in funding since launching the campaign in January 2023.

“This record investment in women and girls comes at a time in United States history when our fundamental human rights are under attack," says President & CEO Teresa C. Younger. "For decades to come, Ms. Foundation will use these gifts to bolster and support future feminist movement building led by women, girls and gender expansive folks across the country.” Read more on our website.

New Grantmaking Initiative: Ms. Midwest

This election cycle, campaigns and media are hyper focused on the Midwest, as the region is a defining battleground for national issues that impact the lives of women, girls, and gender-expansive people. Over the years, philanthropy has systematically disinvested in the brilliant leaders of color in the region. Our Pocket Change research showed that women and girls of color in the Midwest receive just $2.99 per capita from philanthropy each year – less than half the support offered in the West and Northeast.  

This month, we launched our Ms. Midwest grantmaking initiative, which will focus resources and efforts to the region, an outgrowth of our regional strategy that began with Ms. South. Learn more about our latest initiative and the thinking behind it in a blog by Senior Program Officer Samantha Franklin.

New on the Blog: 10 Lessons with Teresa

2024 marks Teresa C. Younger’s 10th year as Ms. Foundation’s president & CEO! In honor of her 10th anniversary, she shared 10 valuable lessons she’s learned about leadership, strategy, failure, and the organizational impacts she’s made during her tenure to-date. 

Learn how she never loses the fun, follows her North Star, tells her own story, and more in our latest blog.

Statement: Vice President Kamala Harris’s Historic Presidential Nomination

President & CEO Teresa C. Younger released a statement on the historic nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris. 

“Human rights and democracy go hand in hand, and both are at stake on the ballot this year. A feminist democracy is the path forward for systemic change, and that’s why we’ve been committed to investing, resourcing, and uplifting the vital work led by women, girls, and gender-expansive people across the country.” 

Read the full statement on our website.