Feminist News and Information

WEEKLY NEWS // DECEMBER 18, 2025

// FROM THE DESK OF RASHMI YADAV MARYA, BOARD CHAIR, WOMEN'S FUNDING NETWORK

Chair's Letter: Building for the Next 40 Years

Dear WFN Community,

As Board Chair, I've spent the past two years thinking about what makes organizations endure. The answer isn't complicated: strong foundations built intentionally, before you need them. It's work that often happens behind the scenes, but it matters deeply.

Demystifying Board Work

People often ask what a board actually does. Here's the truth: we don't run programs or make daily decisions—that's the work of our talented CEO and staff. Our job is stewardship. We ensure WFN has the governance, financial systems, and strategic clarity to support feminist philanthropy for decades to come. We hold fiduciary responsibility—making sure resources are used wisely, and the organization remains financially healthy.

What We've Built

The past two years have focused on creating infrastructure that doesn't always make headlines but makes everything else possible. We've formalized how we support and evaluate our CEO. We've built succession plans for leadership and board roles—not because change is imminent, but because preparedness is responsible governance. We've adopted investment and finance policies that align our resources with our values. A significant part of our work has been risk management: anticipating challenges and creating safeguards so WFN can navigate uncertainty with confidence.

We've also thought carefully about who serves on this board. We created a Board Development Committee, established a clear nominations pipeline, and decided that board members must also be WFN members—putting our own resources where our mission is.

We've strengthened security and efficiency by moving to a digital governance platform. We've reviewed our legal protections. We've even scheduled board meetings through 2027, signaling our commitment to consistent, long-term engagement.

How We Work With WFN

The board-staff relationship works best as partnership. We ask hard questions and provide strategic guidance while trusting staff expertise. We engage deeply—from participating in conference planning to active committee work—but our role is strategic oversight, not operational control.

A strong board governs well, which often means knowing when to step back. When our network mobilizes emergency response, launches new data tools, or convenes global leaders, that's not us. That's the power of our members and staff doing what they do best.

The Work Ahead

As I reflect on these past two years, I'm struck by how much the board's work mirrors the values we see across our network. We've practiced feminist leadership ourselves—building collaboratively, planning for succession, creating space for new voices, and ensuring our governance reflects our commitment to equity and transparency.

The board doesn't make WFN powerful. You do—our members, donors, partners, and the communities you serve. Our work ensures that WFN has the governance, infrastructure, and strategic foundation you can count on for the next 40 years and beyond.

Now and in the future, we want our network leaders to reach out to each other with confidence, knowing the organization connecting them is built to last.

As we close out 2025, I hope you're able to spend time with those you love and find space for the rest and renewal we all need. Thank you for being part of this movement.

With gratitude,

Rashmi Yadav Marya

Women's Funding Network

Chair, Board of Directors

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News from WFN NEW MEMBER & 2026 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

Our network thrives on the strength and diversity of our members. Please join us in welcoming to the network new WFN member, Heirs to Ocean (H2OO).

Please also join us in appreciating WFN members who have renewed membership for 2026:

New Hampshire Women's FoundationRise Up TogetherThe Fund for Women and GirlsThe Women's Fund Miami-DadeVidaAfrolatinaW.K. Kellogg FoundationWomen’s Foundation of MassachusettsWomen’s Foundation of MinnesotaWomen’s Fund of Western MassachusettsWomen’s Fund SouthCoastWomen's Fund of Rhode Island

If you are interested in joining as a new member or renewing your current membership, please let us know [mailto:[email protected]].

Time to Renew Your 2026 WFN Membership

It's that time of the year. Don't forget to renew your annual membership. As part of WFN, you belong to the largest global community of gender justice funders and changemakers. Collectively, we’re advancing leadership, shifting resources, and amplifying the power of women, girls, and gender-expansive people around the world.

Why Renew?

Stay connected to a powerful global network driving systemic change. Access cutting-edge research, advocacy tools, and funding collaborations. Strengthen the movement for gender equity with your leadership and vision.

All current members should have received a renewal email with instructions on how to renew. If you don’t see it, please check your spam or junk folder. Still can’t find it? Reach out to Julie Montgomery, Director of Membership Strategy and Engagement [mailto:[email protected]], for assistance.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in transforming philanthropy for gender justice. Our network is only as strong as the people and organizations who are a part of it. Learn more about our members here [[link removed]].

Not a member yet? Join us [[link removed]] to be a part of a feminist movement transforming philanthropy for good.

News from WFN Members MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Jeannette Rankin Foundation is offering three unrestricted non-tuition grants [[link removed]] for nontraditional students who identify as women, nonbinary or Two-Spirited. Apply to their National Grant, Emerge Grant – Georgia & Montana, or Tribal Scholar Grant by February 13, 2026.

WomenStrong International's new resource, A Funder's Playbook for Women-Led Change [[link removed]], shows how women-led grassroots organizations drive transformative change despite chronic underfunding and rising backlash against women’s rights. The Playbook offers six practical principles philanthropists can use to help women-led organizations not just survive, but thrive.

Collaborative funds are reshaping philanthropy by pooling resources to drive systemic change. The Collaborative Effect [[link removed]], a report from Philanthropy Together, shows that when funds center equity, trust, and shared power, they deliver greater movement impact than traditional philanthropy. WFN member, Grantmakers for Girls of Color (G4GC), is among the cohort of studied collaborative funds. This research affirms that feminist funding structures are not only principled, but also highly effective and essential to scaling justice movements.

MEMBER EVENTS

Australians Investing in Women (AIIW) is a leading not-for-profit organization that advocates for gender-wise philanthropy. They encourage all Australians—particularly philanthropic, corporate, and community leaders—to apply a gender lens to their giving and increase investment in women and girls. Join AIIW for one of their upcoming learning circles [[link removed]] to explore how participants can help each other in their unique missions and common purpose around gender equality.

February 18, 2026 | 8:00 - 9:15 p.m. EDT | Register here [[link removed]]

For 20+ years, Chicago Foundation for Women's (CFW) Tickled Pink [[link removed]] event has been a tradition of hope and resilience, uniting the community to make a meaningful difference. This year marks the 40th anniversary of CFW, who has been a trailblazer since 1985 in driving systemic change. Every dollar raised through Tickled Pink will empower women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals in the Chicago region to live healthier, safer, and more economically secure lives.

February 27, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. CDT | Register here [[link removed]]

Join more than 400 visionary Jewish women nonprofit leaders, feminist philanthropists and advocates at Elluminate’s 2026 Annual Luncheon [[link removed]] at Cipriani in New York City. Elluminate empowers feminist Jewish women leaders and philanthropists to advance equity and social justice.

April 29, 2026 | Save the date here [[link removed]]

Join G4GC for their first in-person convening [[link removed]] in 2026. This convening will create intentional space for funders and philanthropic leaders to ground attendees in what matters most—the leadership, joy, and brilliance of young people. Celebrate, connect, and amplify visions alongside philanthropic leaders, community organizers, and youth advocates from across the nation.

May 12-15, 2026 | Register here [[link removed]]

Opportunities and Resources

Global Philanthropy Project released their latest report, Shocks & Shifts: Impact of Major Donor Funding Cuts on LGBTI Intermediary Infrastructure – Summary Report [[link removed]].

What We're Reading

Reimagining Capital: Returning to Relationship — Roanhorse Consulting [[link removed]]

Women in the Workplace 2025 — McKinsey & Company [[link removed]]

What We're Watching

On Human Rights Day, we’re commemorating the 30th anniversary of Hillary Clinton's groundbreaking speech at the UN World Conference on Women in Beijing, where she declared, “Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights, once and for all.”

Have a story to share?

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