Well hello my philanthro-friends! How have you been? I’ve missed you, but have been busy with edits for the print version of Feminist Giving, as well as the ongoing work that goes with being a full-time therapist, and, over the past year, the nursery childcare provider for St. Stephen’s in Providence (smoky Steve’s!). Never a dull moment around here!
Feminist Giving is now available on Amazon, and this past week we finally finished the print version, and I have ordered the proof copy of the hardcover edition. The book has over 240 citations, so it took a lot of formatting work to put together the full print bibliography. My special thanks go out to Maggie May who has been sticking with it to make this project a reality. Thank you so much, Maggie. I literally couldn’t do it without you, and I appreciate your work every day.
In the midst of all this publishing activity, I’ve even managed to get a few e-bike rides in, which has been fantastic. I recommend the e-bike to anyone who loves to ride but doesn’t want to get all sweaty in the process. It makes for a glorious autumn jaunt through the neighborhood.
The past few months have also come with some health challenges for me, but I’m happy to report that my biopsy went well and I am now in healing mode for a solvable problem. In the week waiting for my biopsy results, I experienced a lot of existential gratitude for all the gifts I have been given in life, and am now recommitting to using those gifts for the common good. So I hope that bodes well for feminism and for the prospects of my book being a new catalyst for impacting the world with feminist intelligence.
There’s more news than ever in the feminist giving realm, seemingly, and yet there seems to be a near-total media blackout about this work. Beyond mainstream media mostly ignoring this topic, you would think the bigger feminist media platforms would be picking up some of these stories, but you would be wrong. Or, you might think, perhaps the philanthropy media would do a few more stories about feminist giving. There have been a few stories, with Alliance seeming to take the lead in opening up new conversations on feminist giving. Overall, however, there is still a big blackout in the media coverage of all that is happening in the feminist giving realm. In particular, I was hoping that in my absence some of the other philanthropy media outlets would have covered the Inaugural Giving to Women and Girls Day, but I did not find any news stories from the philanthropy outlets on this event. If I missed something, please let me know.
So here is a rundown of some of the biggest happenings related to giving for women and girls over the past month.
1: WPI and Collaborators Bring Us Inaugural Giving to Women and Girls Day
On October 11, the Women’s Philanthropy Institute launched Give to Women and Girls Day, a national awareness campaign to increase funding for women’s and girls’ organizations that will culminate on October 11, 2022, the International Day of the Girl. In collaboration with the Ms. Foundation, Philanos, Philanthropy Together, Schusterman Family Philanthropies, United Nations Foundation, Vital Voices, and Women Moving Millions, the day raises awareness and galvanizes philanthropic support for women and girls.
2: Inter-Parliamentary Union Announces Commitment to Grow Gender Equality
On October 17, IPU Member Parliaments committed to accelerating gender equality. Parliamentarians from around the world have adopted the Kigali Declaration, representing an important milestone for progress toward gender equality. At the closing of the 145th IPU Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda, IPU members committed to the declaration’s recommendations, which includes implementing electoral gender quotas to achieve parity in political decision-making, ensuring law-making and budgeting is gender responsive, placing vulnerable populations at the center of parliamentary action, and working to end gender-based discrimination and violence.
3: Collective Future Fund Expands Grantmaking to Address Gender-Based Violence
The Collective Future Fund recently announced funding for 29 survivor-based organizations in the next phase of its multi-year grantmaking, totaling $3.4M over two years. “In the face of escalating and pervasive violence, survivors are developing new ways of resistance and leading us to a future grounded in safety, abundance, and dignity for everyone. It is their work that is dismantling interconnected systems of oppression and creating the transformative change required in this moment of political, social, and economic upheaval,” said Aleyamma Mathew, Director of the Collective Future Fund.
4: S. Mona Sinha Appointed Next Global Executive Director of Equality Now
After an extensive search, Equality Now has announced that Sharmila “Mona” Sinha, an award-winning global gender equality advocate, will become the organization’s new Global Executive Director. Mona will join the leading international women’s rights organization on October 17, 2022, taking up full duties in January 2023. She will succeed Yasmeen Hassan, who has served as its Global Executive Director since 2011. Mona will bring over 25 years of experience in strengthening mission-driven organizations to Equality Now.
5. Women’s Funding Network Publishes New Report
The new report shows some of the strides we are making toward gender equality, but also uncovers some of the difficulties for the sector, including burnout, lack of staff, and racial bias. Some key findings: The percentage of women of color leaders within the network has increased by 10% since 2020, and 51% of place-based women’s funds in the U.S. are led by women of color, 73% of whom are Black women. Here is the link to the report.
Related:
NoVo Accounted for 17% of US Funding for Women’s Rights
Top 10 Posts for Zinger of a Year 2020 on Philanthropy Women
Leading Women: The Highest and Best Use of My Worth
