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Dear Colleagues,
Long before the current vacancy on the high court of the United States, we knew that there was a gaping hole in our systems of justice. That’s certainly bad news — especially following a nationally televised debate when a sitting president of the United States not only refused to denounce racism, but seemed to hold the reins of white supremacist groups, calling on them to “stand back and stand by.”
Deeply embedded racism and sexism demand systemic change — and not just within corporate, education, government and judicial structures. Every aspect of our society must look inward and do the hard work of dismantling unfair structures and bias in our communities, in our organizations, and in ourselves.
The Women’s Funding Network recently engaged in a process of reflection to ensure that our mission, vision and values clearly expressed our alliance’s commitment to intersectionality and our justice-driven theory of change.
Our newly relaunched website lifts up the importance of your work and underscores that the interconnectedness of women’s funds and foundations and gender equity funders is pivotal to improving the effectiveness of philanthropic interventions aimed at eradicating unequal and oppressive systems of power. Even more important - we wanted the website to reflect the enthusiasm, energy, and optimism the leaders of this network bring to our collective space.
Easy to navigate, visitors to the website can easily engage, explore, and learn about other members. It is a hub for information and place to cultivate and build our collective field of practice within philanthropy. We look forward to using this platform to support our joint work to develop strategies, mobilize resources, and raise awareness to combat systemic gender and racial inequality.
We don’t know what the rest of 2020 has in store, but we do know that our powerful alliance of women’s funds, foundations and gender equity funders is essential to meet future challenges. Working together, everything is possible.
Yours for equity and justice,
Elizabeth Barajas-Román
Women’s Funding Network
President & CEO
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Browse the New WFN Website!
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INFLUENCE + AMPLIFICATION
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Donna Haghighat, CEO of the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts, and Nicole Young, Community Investments Manager at the Women's Fund, wrote an op-ed on the murder of Breonna Taylor.
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Emily O. Weltman, Founder of Collective Flow Consulting, has released a new piece, "100 Years of Politics, Persisting and Patriarchy" where she discusses the importance of allyship.
Emily's story of founding Collective Flow Consulting has also been featured in Conscious Company Media. Check it out here!
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As a lead up to the UN's International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, WFN Member Shadhika is inviting everyone to engage 100 girls in 10 days during their 10X100 Campaign, to discuss the Girl's Bill of Rights and the promise the Bill holds for them.
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WFN Partner, Native Americans in Philanthropy, is holding a Youth Art Contest. Young Indigenous artists ages 5-24 years old will have the opportunity to receive national recognition, funding for art supplies, and/or cash prize awards. Art submissions must be inspired by this year’s theme and prompt:
“Be A Good Relative."
Deadline: October 7, 2020
Click here for more information!
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Jamia Wilson and Kevin Young just became two of the most powerful figures in the literary world. - Literary Hub
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McKinsey & Company, in partnership with LeanIn.Org, have released their sixth annual "Women in the Workplace" study, which tracks the progress of women in corporate America.
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During the first presidential debate, Democratic candidate Joe Biden attempted to frame the potential appointment of Judge Amy Coney Barrett as a women's issue., arguing Barrett's nomination as a threat to Roe v. Wade. - Fortune
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Yesterday was Native Women's Equal Pay Day. Based on 2019 data, Native Women earn approximately $0.60 cents on the dollar of White, non-Hispanic men. Read a piece from Surina Khan, CEO of The Women's Foundation of California.
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Most professional gender gaps are motherhood gaps: mothers pay a large career penalty. And it is being exacerbated in the pandemic. - New York Times
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Although more women have been selected to moderate debates in recent history, women have historically not been awarded the first debate moderator slot. - Axios
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The United Nations reports that most countries are not doing enough to protect women and girls from the economic and social fallout being caused by the virus. - UN News
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Pro-democracy protests in Thailand have been spearheaded by young women. "Women are not taking the back seat. They are the front line.” - New York Times
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In France, paid paternity leave will be doubled from 14 to 28 days starting next summer, offering one of Europe's most generous plans. - New York Times
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In the American education system, black girls are arguably the most at-risk student group. - New York Times
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Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, these five women athletes are still changing the game for female athletes. - NBC News
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WFN is working with CHANGE Philanthropy to support launching a second Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals (DAPP) survey in December 2020! The DAPP survey aims to help the philanthropic community better understand its workforce and leadership. The survey is unique in soliciting anonymous self-reporting from individuals on the staff and board of participating foundations, helping grantmakers to accurately assess the culture and climate of their institutions.
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WFN Member Women's Foundation of Mississippi will be offering their second installment of their Board training program, She's On Board 2.0. The training is designed for women who attended their She's on Board training in June '18 or '19 (or a similar program) and have basic knowledge of Board process and legal responsibilities.
November 13
9am-4pm
Additional information and registration will be released on their website soon!
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Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity is hosting a series of webinars on their latest publication Grantmaking with a Racial Justice Lens. The first webinar on October 29th will feature an overview of how to use the Guide, and the second later in the fall will offer participants a more interactive opportunity to explore and share specific ways different foundations are using some core components.
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The Urban Institute is launching a new virtual event series, WorkRise: Uncovering Bold Ideas for Transforming the Labor Market for Low-Wage Workers. This week-long public conversation series will explore how to drive a truly inclusive economic recovery. Business leaders, worker advocates, practitioners, policymakers, and scholars will discuss how to rebuild our economy in ways that place workers of color, women, and young workers at the center and create pathways for economic security and mobility for all workers.
To view full session descriptions and speaker lists, click here!
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Through the fall, Ms. Foundation for Women and Brooklyn Historical Society will be hosting a multi-part virtual series, Women + Power: 100 Years After the 19th Amendment, which will reflect on the triumphs and shortcomings of the passage of the 19th Amendment, with discussions on the relationship between gender, power, and the ongoing struggle for equality. The next program in the series will This conversation will focus on the social justice movements today including the Movement for Black Lives and the fight for Indigenous sovereignty
Women + Power: PEOPLE POWER
October 6, 7:30 pm ET
Free Admission
Register here!
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Alliance for Girls, Black Girls Brilliance, and The Black Council will be hosting #SayHerName: An Evening of Community Healing for Black Womxn and Girls, where they will use artistic forms of expression to honor the Black Womxn and Girls who have lost their lives to the police state (Breonna Taylor, USA), gender-based violence(Amahle Quku, South Africa), and other forms of violence that continue to threaten our lives.
October 2
6:00-7:30pm
Register here!
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WATCH: Survivor Tabitha Mpamira joined forces with nonprofit Nyaka Global to create EDJA, an initiative working to break the cycle of sexual assault in rural communities of Uganda.
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If you have a story to share, email Megan at
[email protected]
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