Feminist News and Information
WEEKLY NEWS // NOVEMBER 7, 2024
// A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT & CEO
Post-Election, Our Work Hasn’t Changed
Dear Colleagues,
The outcome of this U.S. presidential election is a sobering reminder that expanding human rights is the fight of our lifetime.
What’s needed to win that fight has not changed: grassroots leadership, globally-informed national collaboration and shared analysis, and the resources to get the job done.
Despite the presidential outcome, there were some inspiring wins on Election Day thanks in part to the work of women’s foundations. Abortion rights advocates at the state level worked tirelessly to build coalitions and motivate voters to turn out to expand abortion rights in 7 out of 10 states where it was on the ballot. Another proud moment was passing Prop 1 in New York—a state constitutional amendment that enshrines reproductive freedom and protects against discrimination because of someone’s gender, age, ethnicity, pregnancy status, disability status, or whether they’re LGBTQ+—which the New York Women's Foundation was central in advocating for and helping get passed. And we were also inspired by the Senate victories of Angela Alsobrooks in Maryland and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester in Delaware, which marks the first time in our country’s history that more than one Black woman will be serving in the Senate.
For more than 40 years, women’s funds have played a key role in advancing gender equity across the world by ensuring deep investment in the frontline every day, every year, until victory.
Now is the time to fund them for the long-term work ahead. Knowing what a second Trump administration may hold, we need philanthropy’s greater-than-ever investment in gender and racial equity ecosystem leaders. Their light builds powerful local strategy that will show us the way out of darkness.
The project of democracy isn’t about a single election. It isn’t about a single demographic or country. It’s about all of us. It’s about not giving up.
Join me in committing to the work ahead. We won’t stop until we’ve built a world where everyone has a chance to thrive.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Barajas-Román
Women’s Funding Network
President & CEO
You're Invited
RSVP to be the first to hear about ticket sales for Feminist Funded '25, presented by the Women's Funding Network. The 2023 conference was a sold-out event. This is an opportunity you won't want to miss.
September 9-11, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
News from WFN
Join Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) for a webinar, The 2024 Election and the Path Ahead. In this session, co-sponsored in part by Women's Funding Network, GCIR, movement organizations, and funders will come together for a post-election debrief and discussion about new election realities, the strategies already being put into play, and how philanthropy can align its grantmaking to support these efforts while keeping an eye on the long game of building a multiracial and inclusive democracy.
November 19, 2024 | 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. PST | Register here
News from WFN Members
MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Collaborate Cleveland was awarded the Deborah Vesy Systems Change Award by the Deaconess Foundation for their work bringing paid leave to Cleveland municipal employees and its ripple effect. The award is given to a nonprofit that has "innovative achievements of work completed or collaborations that have demonstrated their commitment to, participation in, and achievement of systems change and/or scalable innovation in the local workforce development ecosystem." They received an unrestricted prize of $50,000 and amplification of the importance of Paid Family Leave policies.
The Fund for Women & Girls is proud to share the Impact Report of their last fiscal year. Read more about their Blueprint Report Special Edition, Youth Programs, Grantmaking, and more. Discover how their community has made a difference for women and girls in Chester County.
Rise Up Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Denise R. Dunning, co-authored an op-ed with Cummins Inc. Chair and CEO, Jennifer Rumsey, in Industry Week entitled, We’re Women Leaders Answering the Call for Investments in Girls. The op-ed was published on International Day of the Girl, October 11, and called on fellow leaders in the business, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors to build strong alliances and make greater investments in girls through concrete actions.
The Women’s Fund of East Tennessee announced a new, rolling grant strategy to support the continuation of services and programs through a privately funded “Self-Sustainability” grant program. Funding available for this designated giving will total over $100,000 and be available to non-profits within the 25 counties served in East Tennessee. The intent of this new channel of grant-making is to impact program expenses, staffing, travel, materials, and/or general operations for organizations and programs aiding the self-sustainability of women and girls in the region.
MEMBER EVENTS
Join a conversation with MADRE’s grassroots feminist partners at their virtual event, Shaping Tomorrow: Feminist Lessons for What Comes Next. Come together after the election to discuss how we shape the way forward. They have decades of experience mobilizing in their communities to meet urgent needs and build the kind of future that we all need, seizing opportunities and navigating crises.
November 21, 2024 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. EDT | Register here
Mark your calendars for ABFE's Harambee 2025 Annual Conference: Let’s All Pull Together in Atlanta, Georgia. As the largest assembly of Black professionals in organized philanthropy, this is a chance to come together in a city known for its deep legacy of Black excellence, activism, and culture. Early registration is now live.
April 6-9, 2025 | Register here
Opportunities and Resources
Roanhorse Consulting, LLC (RCLLC) is searching for a new Research and Evaluation Associate. Learn more about the position here.
What We're Reading
Will a Woman Ever Be President?— The New York Times
8 women who made history in the 2024 election: ‘It’s humbling to win’ — CNBC
What We're Watching
Former Senator Claire McCaskill joins Nicolle Wallace and reacts to Vice President Kamala Harris’ concession speech, reflecting on her historic run and what she had to overcome to find herself in that position in the first place.
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