Feminist News and Information
WEEKLY NEWS // MAY 9, 2025
// A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT & CEO
Mothers, Not Markets, Catalysts of Hope Amid Crisis
Dear Colleagues,
It’s Mother’s Day this weekend in the United States. And while many of us gather to celebrate the strength, love, and labor of moms and caregivers, countless families around the world are facing the pain of separation and displacement. Migration policies in the Global North are tearing families apart, criminalizing care, and putting the lives of women and children at risk.
At Women’s Funding Network, we know that when systems fail, women’s funds step in. Across our network, local women’s funds are providing immediate, community-rooted support—shelter, legal advocacy, emergency grants, and mental health care—while advancing long-term strategies for justice. They are responding to crises not with charity, but with solidarity.
Our members are supporting asylum-seeking mothers denied basic rights at border crossings and are ensuring displaced women and their families have access to safety, dignity, and hope. This is the kind of leadership that puts mothers—not markets—at the center of policy and possibility.
On this Mother’s Day, we invite you to honor not only the mothers in your life, but also the organizers, funders, and freedom fighters who are mothering justice in our communities.
Together, we’re building a world where every mother—no matter where they come from—can keep their children safe and close.
In community,
Elizabeth Barajas-Román
Women's Funding Network
President & CEO
Feminist Funded ‘25 registration is open
Presented by the Women’s Funding Network, Feminist Funded '25 is the largest gathering of global leaders in feminist philanthropy, working to co-create a more just, equitable, and safer world for all. Join to celebrate 40 years of remarkable collaboration and action.
September 10-11, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Pre-Conference Policy Action Day on September 9, 2025
News from WFN
NEW MEMBERS & 2025 WFN MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
Our network thrives on the strength and diversity of our members.
Please join us in welcoming new WFN members:
- Change Elemental
- Cynthia Reddrick
- Elmira Bayrasli
- New Moon Network
Please also join us in appreciating WFN members who have renewed for 2025:
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Women’s Foundation of Montana
- Working for Women
WFN’s 2024 members have been emailed 2025 membership renewal information. If you were expecting communication on membership renewal but haven’t received anything—or if you have questions about membership or would like additional information—please contact us.
WFN members enjoy exclusive access to discounted pricing for Feminist Funded ’25, so join or renew today.
Women's Funding Network invites applications for the Director of Membership Strategy and Engagement position. The Director will be responsible for the strategic and operational aspects of WFN’s membership program, including recruitment and retention, education and learning opportunities, and member-centered regional and global events. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
In case you missed it, read Why philanthropy needs a one-world strategy for gender, an article written by Women's Funding Network's President & CEO, Elizabeth Barajas-Román, and Hispanics in Philanthropy's President and CEO, Ana Marie Argilagos. Read it here along with other engaging feminist reads in Alliance Magazine.
WFN EVENTS
Join WFN for an upcoming virtual event, The US Presidential Transition and its Global Implications for Women. This webinar, initially scheduled for April 16, was impacted by widespread outages on Zoom and has been rescheduled for May 22. Join for this important conversation to learn about the most recent developments in U.S. foreign policy and international relations, including tariffs, the future of USAID, struggles for journalists in the new political environment, and the challenges facing immigrant women and migrant workers.
May 22, 2025 | 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EDT | Register here
News from WFN Members
MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Tech2Empower, an initiative of WAKE: Women's Alliance for Knowledge Exchange, supports change-makers by getting technology expertise to women leaders in the nonprofit sector, social entrepreneurs, and at schools focused on girls' education and leadership. Apply by May 16 to join as an Advisor on October 4-11, 2025 in Kigali.
The Gender Justice Fund's Trans Resilience Fund is now accepting applications. The Fund is a grant program of Gender Justice Fund to support regional trans communities. The application deadline is May 23, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
The Aurora Women and Girls Foundation kicked off its 25th anniversary year at its 2025 Annual Meeting, where they released Aurora’s 13th research report, Toward Equity: Investing in Women and Girls for Connecticut’s Future. It's a bold call to action and reflection, chronicling the status of Connecticut’s women and girls over the past 25 years.
The Women's Fund of Central Ohio has shared their 2024 Impact Report. Read through the report to find inspiration in the stories of resilience, impact, and joy.
MEMBER EVENTS
Join the Women's Fund of Greater Chattanooga at the downtown Chattanooga Library to learn more about period poverty and women’s health. Hear from two speakers: Lauren Barlew, Owner of Lotus Center for Women, and Curtis Wayne Cecil, co-founder of the Soddy Daisy Community Library.
May 14, 2025 | 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT | Register here
At the upcoming We Give Summit, Collective Conversations are breakout room discussions on issues impacting the collective giving movement. Join Working for Women's Marketing Director, Marjorie McCord, and her cohost, Tharesa Lee to discuss The Art of Gathering.
May 15, 2025 | 10:00 - 10:50 a.m. EDT | Register here
The Women's Foundation of Colorado is hosting a virtual legislative session wrap-up event. Hear from legislators, lobbyists, nonprofit partners, and advocates about progress made and future opportunities to advance women's causes despite the challenging legislative landscape.
May 20, 2025 | 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EDT | Register here
Join Women's Fund of Greater Chattanooga for a Nightingale Network social hour to learn about Nurture the Next's union with TN Voices and their work in the community.
May 21, 2025 | 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. EDT | Register here
Nightingale 2025 Grant Applications are also open, now until June 20, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EDT. Details on upcoming information sessions can be found in the grant application.
Join The Haitian Women Collective for an unforgettable evening of community, advocacy, and impact at The Haitian Women’s Collective 2025 Fundraiser. This elegant event will help raise vital funds for the First Feminist Fund in Haiti and launch their Ambassador’s Program to further empower and uplift Haitian women and families.
June 21, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. EDT | Register here
Opportunities and Resources
Join Borealis Philanthropy, Funders For Justice, and the Headwaters Foundation for Justice for a virtual donor event marking five years since the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer—and the national uprisings that followed in defense of Black lives and in protest of police violence.
May 20, 2025 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. EDT | Register here
Read this piece in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, I Was Recently Detained by ICE. Here’s My Message to Philanthropy by Jazmín Chávez, Vice President of Movement Building and Infrastructure at Hispanics in Philanthropy.
What We're Reading
Interview With Melinda French Gates On Her New Memoir ‘The Next Day,’ Advancing Women And How To Make A Difference — Forbes Women
When Women Lose Medicaid, We All Pay the Price — Ms. Magazine
How The SAVE Act Could Impact Married Women And Other Voters — Forbes
2028 Olympics: Women's soccer to have more teams than men's in L.A. — ESPN
What We're Watching
With reproductive freedom experiencing unprecedented rollbacks in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, women’s bodily autonomy and lives are under attack. Now is the time to educate ourselves about the implications of legislation already passed and to take action to make sure that we protect our hard-won rights and not further regress.
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