|
Dear John,
This month has been a mix of highs and lows. We helped celebrate the 1-year anniversary of the Black Girl Freedom Fund – of which President and CEO Teresa C. Younger is a proud co-founder, and their #1Billion4BlackGirls campaign which is a critical initiative calling for investment in those that are on frontlines of fighting for racial and gender equity, that is mobilizing $1 billion in philanthropic investment for Black girls, femmes, and Black gender-expansive youth over the next 10 years.
We’ve also seen the right to choose continue to be under attack with the devastating Texas legislation going into effect. For International Safe Abortion Day, the Ms. Foundation released a statement advocating for bodily autonomy and the protection of reproduction rights that says in part, “Access to legal and safe abortion is a fundamental right and a necessary standard of sexual and reproductive health. Texas’ near-total abortion ban makes it all but impossible for women, nonbinary, and transgender people to claim ownership of their own bodies and make informed decisions about if and when to parent.” Read the full statement here.
What remains certain, is that the Ms. Foundation will keep supporting and building women’s collective power to ensure that women and girls everywhere have the right and opportunity to lead full, healthy lives. Continue reading to see what else we’ve been up to.
President and CEO Honored:
Ms. Foundation President and CEO, Teresa C. Younger, was inducted this month into the Connecticut Women’s  Hall of Fame as a 2021 Social Justice Inductee for her outstanding work and impact. Since its inception in 1994, this annual ceremony had honored and recognized more than 133 Connecticut women whose work inspires change, innovation, and progress for the benefit of local, national, and world-wide communities. Congratulations Teresa!
The Feminist Factor:
President and CEO Teresa C. Younger served as the moderator for the opening plenary of this year’s Women  Funded 2021: The Feminist Factor conference. Hosted by The Women’s Funding Network, it was a virtual gathering of gender and racial justice funders, allies, and individuals committed to place-based solutions across the globe for gender equity. It explored the intersectional nature of feminism as a driver of our work, the values that we hold, and how we are collectively building a more equitable future.
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, October 19: Join the Ms. Foundation for Women and our programming partner the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Network of the New York University Law School for the first program in The Fight for Gender Justice, a three-part speaker series that will convene thought leaders from advocacy organizations and the legal field to highlight battles at the forefront of the movement for gender justice.
This provocative virtual series launches on Tuesday, October 19 at 6 pm ET with the Ms. Foundation’s Chief Advancement Officer Ruth McFarlane moderating a panel discussion about “Protecting Gender Identity & Expression for America’s Youth," with activists and attorneys fighting to protect the individual right to gender expression and freedom from discrimination. More to come!
Wednesday, October 20: Join us for a Planned Giving Webinar at 1pm ET/10 am PT, for a program about donor impact through legacy giving. The 50-minute program will be presented by Ruth McFarlane and Jeffrey K. Woods, Principal of Planned Giving Coach and will provide information on how you can plan ahead to protect the people, communities, and causes you love. An audience Q&A will follow the program. Register here.
For questions about the webinar or planned giving at the Ms. Foundation, please contact Stephanie K. Blackwood, Senior Director of Engagement and Major Gifts, [email protected].
Next Month:
- National Estate Planning Awareness Week – it’s a week to plan for the future and we’re encouraging our Ms. Foundation for Women community to plan for the future using FreeWill’s free resources, which makes it easy to get peace of mind and establish a legacy of supporting gender and racial equity. Get started now on your free plan.
- We’re formally announcing our new FY21 grantees in our Ms. South, Activist Collaboration Fund, S.H.E, Girls of Color Initiative, and Building Connections programs. See a sneak peek of our amazing grantee partner list here.
In Solidarity,
 
Ruth McFarlane, Chief Advancement Officer
|
