Feminist News and Information

A LETTER FROM THE WFN // March 21, 2023

From the Desk of Mirenda Meghelli

Dear Colleagues,

We’re reminded every day of the power of our network. Last week, we heard a great example from Anna Beth Gorman, CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, that I wanted to share.

This month, a state senator introduced a bill, SB71 [[link removed]], attempting to end affirmative action in Arkansas, which made national headlines. “It would have a profound effect on our actual work, our ability to work with state and local governments, and impact the economic mobility of women and people of color,” said Anna Beth. Unfortunately, the Women's Foundation of Arkansas has never engaged in formal lobbying and weren’t sure what steps they could take to fight this problematic bill. She reached out to the WFN Executive Leaders Listserv asking for help in understanding how the organization could navigate lobbying without jeopardizing their nonprofit status. “Our experience is one that I imagine many smaller funds could find themselves in,” she said.

Jo Giles, Executive Director of the Women’s Fund of Omaha, stepped up to help. Over the phone, she walked Anna Beth through some immediate steps. A few days later, the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas had formally retained a lobbyist who informed legislators about the bill’s impact. The bill is still in committee, hopefully to soon be defeated. “We’re happy to share the valuable lessons learned over the years of our advocacy journey. We’ve gained knowledge from other members, such as The Women’s Foundation of Colorado. Our WFN is powerful,” Jo said.

If your organization could use more guidance in legislative advocacy, I recommend taking these steps:

Join the WFN Advocacy and Public Policy peer [[link removed]] community and Executive Leaders peer [[link removed]] community and take advantage of the related monthly calls, listservs, and resourcesExplore Bolder Advocacy’s Resource Library [[link removed]], Trainings and Events [[link removed]], and their free technical assistance phone and email hotlines [[link removed]]Plan on attending WFN’s Feminist Funded ’23 [[link removed]]: Legislative Conference and Feminist Foreign Policy Convening in Washington, DC. It will be an opportunity to learn from policy experts and each other, with U.S. women’s funds being able to meet directly with their Congressional representatives and global guests to connect with government officials about the impact of policies across the globe.

We love hearing stories of the myriad ways our network can share knowledge and support one another. After all, we’re stronger together.

In solidarity,

Mirenda Meghelli

Director of Policy and Programs at the Women's Funding Network

WFN Members WFN Membership Renewals & New Members

Our network is only as strong as the people and organizations who are a part of it. Join us in appreciating our members who have renewed for 2023. If you were a WFN member in 2022 and have not yet renewed your membership for 2023, have sent payment but have not received payment confirmation, or if you have questions about membership or would like additional information, please contact us [mailto:[email protected]].

Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres

Fonds pour les Femmes Congolaises

Gender Justice Fund

How Women Lead

Jeannette Rankin Women's Scholarship Fund

New Hampshire Women's Foundation

Ms. Foundation for Women

The Ascend Fund

The Haitian Women's Collective

VidaAfrolatina

WAKE: Women's Alliance for Knowledge Exchange

Women's Foundation of Arkansas

Women's Fund of Greater Chattanooga

Learn more about WFN Members [[link removed]]

Global Fund for Women is currently hiring for two positions. To learn more, click here [[link removed]].

Vice President, Brand & Culture [[link removed]]

Vice President, Brand & Culture leads one of three core vertical teams at Global Fund for Women – Brand & Culture.

Consultant: Philanthropic Community Building & Advocacy in the MENA region [[link removed]]

Under the supervision of the VP for Strategic Partnerships, the Consultant will support Global Fund for Women’s MENA Philanthropic Community Building and Advocacy process designed to bring more and better philanthropic resources to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

VidaAfrolatina has released their Launch Report [[link removed]], a look into their journey over the last four years of funding exclusively, Black and Afro-descendant women-led organizations in Latin America. To read the report, click here [[link removed]].

Opportunities and Resources

Launched on March 21, 2023, the $250 million Yield Giving Open Call is an initiative focused on elevating organizations working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States: communities, individuals, and families with access to the fewest foundational resources and opportunities. The registration period is now open.

Learn More and Apply Here [[link removed]]

Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) is hosting a webinar, Building Immigrant Women's Economic Power [[link removed]]. With wage inequality impacting the ability of women – particularly women of color – to receive fair compensation for their labor, GCIR is hosting a discussion on strategies for supporting the economic empowerment of immigrant and refugee women. Given the particular workforce complications that can arise in relation to immigration status – and the potential impact of the termination of DACA workforce authorizations on hundreds of thousands of individuals – this session will focus on entrepreneurial strategies as well as labor union efforts to improve economic opportunity.

March 29, 2023 | 10:00am - 11:00am PST | Register here [[link removed]]

Registration is now open for the second installment of Funders for Justice's 2023 member learning series, Introduction to Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) Abolition [[link removed]] by Rachel Herzing. Participants will learn basics about this political orientation and its application. The workshop is designed for people who are new to PIC abolition but is open to anyone interested in the topic; experienced folks are also welcome to participate for a refresher.

March 28, 2023 | 12:00pm PST | Register here [[link removed]]

What We're Reading

Florida Republican's Bill Would Ban Young Girls From Discussing Their Periods In School. - HuffPost [[link removed]]

Patricia Schroeder, Feminist Force in Congress, Dies at 82. - The New York Times [[link removed]]

To tackle the pushback on gender equality, foster and fund inclusive feminist movements. - U [[link removed]] N Women [[link removed]]

Women Of The Year. - USA Today [[link removed]]

What We're Watching

During Women’s History Month 2023, NowThis’ miniseries ‘Black Women Are The Blueprint’ is engaging Black women leaders in conversation about how their lived experiences inform and empower the work they do in their respective industries.

Every week, the conversations are broadcast via Instagram Live, with questions from the viewers featured at the end. Leah Thomas is an environmental justice advocate and author. She shares what sparked her passion for environmentalism, how systemic racism fuels environmental injustice, and how we can work together to support lasting solutions to our planet’s problems.

Have a story to share?

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