Kevin Marek, Author at Philanthropy Women

In the Midst of Political Disarray, Fund Anti Pay-Discrimination Work

In these times of extreme political turmoil, it might make sense for donors to go back to basics and focus on the ongoing battle to close the gender pay gap. According to US News & World Report, the typical American man earns $12,000 more per year than the typical woman. Perhaps moreso than other factors, this stubborn disparity is still hurting women where it counts: in the pocketbook.

US News and World Report ranks Rhode Island Number One for closing the gender pay gap. (Image credit: US News and World Report)

A recent call to attend to this issue comes by way of EqualPayToday.org. Each year they publish new information on what they call “Equal Pay Day” on March 25th. This the date in the new years when a typical woman makes as much as the typical man did by December 31 of the previous year. This year the typical woman had to work until March 25, 2025 to make as much as her typical male counterpart did by December 31, 2024. This represents an extra 84 days into the new year.

Big Problem: IPU Reminds Us that Men Still Hoard Executive Positions

Not that anyone will be surprised, but here is confirmation of your suspicion that women are being shut out at the highest levels. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is a globe-spanning organization of parliamentary democracies. With 181 members, there are very few places on earth that are not represented. One function it takes very seriously is to monitor the participation of women in national governments and in positions of leadership in large corporations.

Women are not leading the world. What will it take to get there? (Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash)

Currently, 27.2% of Members of Parliament (MPs) worldwide are women. Despite all the scary headlines about how men are falling behind in educational achievement, they still manage to dominate the higher echelons of both government and business. Less than 19% of MPs are under forty; so governments are not only primarily composed of men, but of old men.

G4GC’s Dr. Monique Couvson Listed a Prestigious ‘Closer’ by TIME

G4GC’s Dr. Monique Couvson Named to TIME’s 2025 List of ‘The Closers’

Philanthropy Women is thrilled to announce that Dr Monique Couvson has been recognized and honored by TIME Magazine. She has been placed on the magazine’s list of “The Closers”. This prestigious award recognizes 25 Black leaders who are driving powerful change by working to close gaps in racial equity.

Monique Couvson, president and CEO of Grantmakers for Girls of Color. (Image credit: G4GC)

Dr. Couvson is the president and CEO of Grantmakers for Girls of Color (G4GC), the primary national philanthropic intermediary organization with an explicit focus on girls and gender-expansive youth of Color in the U.S. and territories. In the short span of four years, she has helped convene 100 funders, moved more than $26 million to 400 organizations, and developed four signature funds such as The Black Girl Freedom Fund, The New Songs Rising Initiative for indigenous girls, the Holding a Sister Initiative for trans girls of color, and the Love Is Healing Fund. In addition, she co-founded the #1Billion4BlackGirls campaign.

State University Receives Biggest Grant Ever–From A Woman

The University of Rhode Island received a gift of $65 million from the estate of the late Helen Izzi Schilling, a 1954 graduate of the University.

This is a transformational gift that will support scholarships for high-achieving students. It is the largest in the University’s history. Through a commitment made with her late husband, the gift establishes the Helen Izzi Schilling ’54 and Francis Schilling Scholars Program.

Tides Foundation is launching Resist Project 2025 in response to the US election results. (Image credit: Tides)

The endowed scholarship will provide up to $20,000 per year for four years to high-achieving undergraduate students majoring in a science, technology, engineering, or math field.

CARE’s Astonishing 900% Return on Investment for Global Women

CARE recently released the 2024 report of its Women’s Economic Justice (WEJ) team. Entitled Her Money Her Future, the report confirmed that women are both good investors and a good investment.

Savings group members in Malawi, part of the Digital CARE Package program
with Mudzi Wathu Village Bank. (Image credit: CARE Report, Her Money, Her Future)

While CARE is famous for its aid programs, outside resources alone will not end global poverty. That will require internal resources created by the people who need the help. Most often women who suffer disproportionately from endemic poverty. Therefore WEJ works directly with women to help them start and run their own business.

The report shows that the results have been spectacular. CARE’s savings groups generated $9 in women’s income for every $1 invested.

New Initiative Launches to Bolster Support for Local Abortion Funds

The Frontline Repro Freedom Lab (FRFL) has been launched to provide critical funding and resources to abortion funds in neglected states. This new initiative was founded in response to the overturning of Roe being overturned by the US Supreme Court.

The Frontline Repro Freedom Lab has launched. (Image credit: FRFL website)

FRFL announced its first ventures in an exclusive article in The New Republic. This initiative will partner with Arkansas Abortion Support Network, Prairie Abortion Fund and the Wild West Access Fund of Nevada. These three funds provide desperately needed care for five states.

These organizations will receive grants, resources, and first hand practical expertise designed to build the organizational capacity of each group, which will allow them to maximize impact within their respective areas. The goal is to call for a collective effort that will allow more sustainable investment.

The Fearless Fund Has Been Taken Down. Who’s Next?

The Fearless Fund (FF) made the heartbreaking decision to end its grant program for companies owned by Black women. The program has been under attack from right-wing activists who claimed the program was discriminatory.

On June 3, 2024, the 11th Circuit Court ruled that the program was discriminatory and forced FF to suspend its Striver’s Grants program.

Ariana Simone and two young volunteers make the point about the impact of this ruling. (Image Credit: Fearless Fund Twitter Page)

As of September 11, 2024, Fearless Fund has chosen to settle the lawsuit by shutting down that program completely. Given the conservative super-majority on the US Supreme Court, with its record of hostility to Affirmative Action, FF decided that the best path forward was to find other ways to accomplish its mission.

US News Measures Global Gender Equality in Best Countries Report

US News & World Report Provides Important Data on Gender Equality in its Best Countries Rankings

The Best Country report from US News & World Report is in its ninth year. As part of its ranking, the report includes information on a country’s commitment to gender equality.

Denmark is ranked number one on the category of Social Purpose, of which Gender Equality Commitment is one indicator. (Screenshot of US News and World Report)

The results show that international support for gender equality remains strong all across the globe, despite generational gaps. The very good news is that 89% of respondents believe that women should have the same rights as men. Oddly, support for gender equality is stronger among those aged 46 and older, with 94% in favor.

How Trump’s Tax Policies Decreased Philanthropic Giving

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law in 2018 eliminated incentives for charitable giving for about 20% of US taxpayers.

One of the signature moves in the act was to increase the amount of the Standard Deduction to $25,000, which more or less doubled the threshold for itemizing deductions.

Taraji P. Henson has been given the AARP Purpose Prize. Read more below. (Image credit: Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation)

Overall, the reform decreased charitable giving by about $20 billion annually.

While many middle-class taxpayers give to charity such as a church, most are not able to give enough to put them over the threshold for itemizing deductions. In effect, the TCJA eliminated the incentive for making these donations. For middle-class taxpayers, this eliminated the incentive to give money to charity since these donations could no longer be used for itemized deductions from annual income tax payments.

Philanthropy Women and Kiersten Marek Featured in Time Magazine

In case anyone had doubts, Philanthropy Women is one of the world’s leading authorities on feminist giving. Time Magazine recently ran a story on the topic, and one of their major sources for the story was Kiersten Marek and the Philanthropy Women website.

Screenshot from Time Magazine, August 6th, 2024 edition.

The information presented in the opening paragraphs will be familiar to regular readers Philanthropy Women. The article cites both the World Bank and a McKinsey Report that have found that directing grants to women and girls can boost the overall world economy.

In addition, progressive-thinking countries like Sweden, Canada, and France have recently implemented feminist agendas to their giving in order to advance the cause of humanity.

Author: Kevin Marek