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 Dear Colleagues,
As we head into a long weekend, I am taking time to celebrate Indigenous people and to reflect on the contributions and leadership of Indigenous women. Long before Christopher Columbus took a wrong turn that would change the course of history, Indigenous women of the Caribbean, North and South America enjoyed equal status to men, including leadership positions within their nations. Today, Indigenous women are leading movements to reclaim the rights eroded by western influences post-invasion.
Today, I look to leaders like writer and scholar Leanne Simpson, who played an important part in the Idle No More movement, which protested treaty betrayals and environmental injustices impacting First Nations. Simpson is an intersectional feminist who has written about the connections between Black and Indigenous fights for justice. And I look to LaDonna Harris, a political and feminist activist, who is the founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity. Or Zintkala Mahpiya Wi Blackowl, who made the conscious decision to give birth in the Standing Rock camp during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. She said, “Having babies is my act of resistance; our reproductive rights as Native women have been taken away from us in so many ways. At one time, we were forcibly sterilized; assimilation has come down really hard on us.”
On Monday, I will celebrate Indigenous People Day by reflecting on the lessons of these and other Indigenous women leaders, including the late Wilma Mankiller, who said, “We must trust our own thinking. Trust where we're going. And get the job done.”
Thank you for getting the job done - despite the rise of white supremacists and hate groups like those that threatened Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this week. Thank you for trusting where we’re going.
Thank you for returning to our collective work on Tuesday with renewed energy and commitment to trust the thinking of women and girls of color, and to trust the wisdom of local leaders.
May your long weekend renew and inspire you, as well as provide you the opportunity for some much-needed rest.
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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Join The Alliance for Girls and the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women for a virtual Day of the Girl Celebration! They will celebrate the official release of Alliance for Girls' inaugural #GirlsPolicyAgenda, the first youth-led policy platform of its kind for the Bay Area and California.
October 9
3:30-5:00pm
Register here!
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The Women’s Foundation of Colorado released the final report of the Women and Families of Colorado Relief Fund, which distributed grants to 501(c)(3) and other tax-exempt organizations that address the emergency needs of Colorado women and their families who are most impacted by COVID-19.
The Women's Foundation has also launched the Women & Girls of Color Fund, which is dedicated to investing in women-of-color-led organizations that are working to advance the economic security of Colorado women and girls of color.
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Join the Women’s Foundation of Central Ohio for their Fall Challenge! Eight weeks of action for social change: we'll get out the vote, deepen our knowledge, raise critical funds for our courageous grants, and come together to make bold impact for our community.
Sign up here!
Members, invite coming soon to learn more from the Women’s Foundation of Central Ohio about their work to bring this initiative forward!
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OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
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The California Budget & Policy Center has released an interactive Women's Well-Being Index, a multifaceted, composite measure that consists of five "dimensions": Health, Personal Safety, Employment & Earnings, Economic Security, and Political Empowerment. The five dimension scores have been combined to create an overall Women's Well-Being Index score for each county in the state of California.
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The 16th Annual Massachusetts Conference for Women will be held virtually this year, providing one full day of connection, motivation, networking, inspiration, and skill building for thousands of women. Dozens of expert speakers lead workshops and seminars on the issues that matter most to women, including personal finance, business and entrepreneurship, health, work/life balance, and more. This year's keynote speakers will be 15-time Grammy Award-winning artist Alicia Keys, Golden Globe award-winning actress Awkwafina, and presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin.
December 10, 2020
For more information, click here!
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IMPACT Conference will be holding their fall conference virtually this year! Join organizers, researchers, communicators, and community and philanthropic leaders to share transformative ideas and powerful strategies to advance justice through antiracist, equitable state policies.
November 10 - December 8, 2020
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The Economic Opportunity Funders and Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation hosted a webinar last week, State and Local Budgets – the Next COVID-19 Battlefront. Panelists shared insights about the state and local fiscal crisis, lessons learned from the Great Recession, key principles for an equitable response, and how state and local advocates are gearing up for the budget battles to come. Listen to the webinar here!
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Next Monday is Indigenous Peoples' Day! As we work toward equity in all facets of philanthropy, it’s vital that we uplift Native perspectives. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the day and honoring Indigenous people. Take some time to explore “Investing in Native Communities,” a resource developed by Native Americans in Philanthropy in partnership with Candid.
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Many view the vice presidential debate between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence as a showcase of the challenges black women in politics face. - USA Today
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Last month, hundreds of thousands of women - nearly eight times more than the number of men - dropped out of the US labor force last month. - CNN
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A debate between two physicians has highlighted a major concern over the lack of female voices in media coverage of and policy debates on the coronavirus pandemic. - Washington Post
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A new survey reveals shocking amounts of escalating online violence against women and girls across more than 20 countries, with attacks most common on Facebook. - The Guardian
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NBC's series "Know Your Value" spotlights six women entrepreneurs, who have adopted and found success, despite the difficult economic climate. - NBC News
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Pew Research Center has released key facts about women's suffrage around the world. Check it out here!
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This week, New York Times' new series "The World Through a Lens," takes you to Nupi Keithel, or Women's Market, a 16th century bazaar in which all of the vendors are women and a fountainhead of social and political activism in the Indian state of Manpur.
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WATCH: From sports to politics to human rights movements, here are the incredible ways women have moved our society forward — and how they now hold the power in the 2020 election.
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If you have a story to share, email Megan at
[email protected]
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