Category: Global Philanthropy

Dear America, Why is Canada Leading the Charge for LGBTQ+ Funding?

In February 2021, the Canadian federal government announced new outgoing funding for 76 LGBTQ+ organizations across the country. Totaling $15 million CAD ($11.85 million USD), these new grants offer a much-needed capital injection for LGBTQ+ organizations at a time when the queer community struggles to meet and offer support for each other. This funding represents an exciting and forward-focused campaign for Canada — but says plenty about the lack of federal LGBTQ+ funding opportunities in the United States.

A child shows support for Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) at a march in Alberta, Canada. (Image Credit: Denin Lawley)

Our neighbors to the north have frequently led the way in liberal and progressive policymaking, and this new round of federal funding is yet another way that the Canadian federal government is outpacing our own in terms of progressive thinking. The Biden Administration already has its work cut out for it “rolling back the rollbacks” from 45, but it cannot ignore the conspicuous funding gap between federal programs and the LGBTQ+ community.

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Women’s Week: New IRL Celebration of Int’l Women’s Day

IRL has created a new category to highlight events that advocate for gender equality through education and celebration.

Using IRL's newest category, Women's Week, it is easy to find events both online and in person that honor and celebrate women. (Image credit: IRL)
Using IRL’s newest category, Women’s Week, it is easy to find events both online and in person that honor and celebrate women. (Image credit: IRL)

As more and more women take positions of leadership across industries, their roles and responsibilities have paved a new path for young women everywhere to pursue their interests, career goals, dreams and aspirations. Thanks to women like Sarah Thomas, the first female to referee the Super Bowl, and other prominent female leaders such as Kamala Harris or Megan Thee Stallion, International Women’s Day will be a global day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements from women and how much more there is to be done for equality and inclusion.

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Sex Doesn’t Stop for a Pandemic: Maverick Collective Pivots in COVID

When the world stops, life keeps going — especially for communities where social isolation and living off of savings are not viable options.

Maverick Collective connects women and girls around the world with essential sexual and reproductive healthcare. (Image Credit: Maverick Collective/PSI)

It’s a well-known fact that COVID-19 has made life at the bottom of the social pyramid even harder. Women and girls around the world, particularly in communities of color, are among the hardest hit by the ripple effects of the pandemic. The news reports address loss of income, life, and community, but the lesser-known impacts should not be forgotten.

Access to healthcare, particularly for women, was already a commodity difficult to come by in certain parts of the world. Now, in the wake of the pandemic, women and girls’ access to contraceptives, feminine hygiene products, and maternity care hangs more precariously than ever before.

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Lead With Love: Elena Marszalek on the Feminist Climate Movement

Editor’s Note: This interview in our Feminist Giving IRL series features Elena Marszalek, Managing Director of Del Mar Global Trust, a private foundation dedicated to the environment. 

Elena Marszalek
Elena Marszalek, courtesy of Elena Marszalek

1. What do you wish you had known when you started out in your profession?

I started my career in philanthropy as the only employee of Del Mar Global Trust, a newly established family foundation focused on the natural environment. Although I had previous experience working in climate change, I had little experience in philanthropy. I felt both hopeful and overwhelmed. 

Joining Rachel’s Network, a community of women environmental philanthropists, broadened my knowledge of complex environmental issues, and significantly improved my ability to select and monitor grant recipients. Networking with other women with similar goals and interests helped my career in numerous other ways, for example sharing information about projects that as individuals we would not be aware of. Perhaps most importantly, I have access to other members with many years of experience who offer advice and mentorship. As in all professions, you learn through experience. 

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New Hub for Gender Equality Strategizing Established in Kerala

On February 14th, 2021, The Gender Park Campus was established in Kerala, following the 2nd International Conference on Gender Equality.

The Gender Park Campus will serve as a hub for all things gender equality. (Image credit: Indian Eagle)
The Gender Park Campus will serve as a hub for all things gender equality. (Image credit: Indian Eagle)

The Gender Campus in Kozhikode, Kerala was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan on Feb 14th. The ceremony marked the functional launch of projects, programmes and completed facilities at the campus, where the second edition of the International Conference on Gender Equality (ICGE II) was held from 11-13 Feb, 2021.

Working under the Department of Women & Child Development of the Government of Kerala, The Gender Park aims to become a premier convergence point for all gender-related activities. With UN Women as equal partners, it will be developed into a South Asian hub for gender equality.

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Female Entrepreneurs Get a Jumpstart from Visa’s New Grant Program

Visa has partnered with IFundWomen to create a new global grant program which will support three women-owned businesses in India this year.

Visa and IFundWomen's new India Grant Program will support small businesses owned and led by women in India. (Image credit: IFundWomen)
Visa and IFundWomen’s new India Grant Program will support small businesses owned and led by women in India. (Image credit: IFundWomen)

Visa (NYSE: V) today announced the recipients of its grant program in India to boost women entrepreneurship globally and empower budding businesswomen. As part of Visa’s first global grant program in partnership with IFundWomen, Bunko Junko, My Chapter One and MoWo Social Initiatives each received a INR 7,00,000 (approximately 9,575.85 USD) grant from Visa and resources from Instamojo to grow their businesses digitally, in a continued effort to offer better services to their communities.

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(Liveblog) Building Multicultural Leadership with Ready to Lead

On Thursday, January 28th, the Girls Leadership team and representatives from Open Access, TPG, Morgan Stanley, the National Hockey League, and TIME’S UP gathered to discuss the changing face of the American workforce. Based off of the organization’s pivotal Ready to Lead report, the second of Girls Leadership’s three roundtable discussions focused on the implications of the report’s findings on the workforce of the future.

The report details leadership supports and barriers for Black and Latinx girls and exposes the factors that make it difficult for these girls to rise into leadership positions. External challenges like the tendency for school systems and workforce upper management to be dominated by white employers, leaders, and authority figures, represent a major barrier to Black and Latinx girls carrying their own torches of leadership into the future.

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(Liveblog) Realigning Powerful Systems by Valuing Health and Equity

On Tuesday, January 26th, the Philanthropy Women team gathered with representatives from The Jane Club, Women in Global Health (WGH), PSI, and Maverick Collective for a discussion on the ways radical philanthropy, operating alongside women-led movements, can lead to systemic change, particularly in health care services and employment, for women and girls around the world.

The Jane Club hosted a live discussion on women’s access to healthcare, as well as what feminist funders can do to advance gender equity in funding and global health. (Image Credit: Jane Club)

Editor-in-Chief Kiersten Marek moderated a discussion between Rena Greifinger of PSI/Maverick Collective and Sarah Hillware of WGH. Hosted by The Jane Club, a network of female-identifying persons and nonbinary and male allies, the event focused on ways to create more equitable healthcare systems by transforming the philanthropic system toward justice.

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Najada Kumbuli: Aligning Assets with Values at Visa Foundation

Editor’s Note: This interview in our Feminist Giving IRL series features Najada Kumbuli, the new Head of Investments for the Visa Foundation. 

Najada Kumbuli, courtesy of Najada Kumbuli

1. What do you wish you had known when you started out in your profession? 

I was fortunate to start my career in the field I was passionate about – impact investing. At the time, impact investing, or investing to generate a measurable, beneficial social and/or environmental impact alongside a financial return, was nascent, which provided both an opportunity to shape the trajectory of the industry and a challenge, as there were few companies leading the way, yet tremendous need to accelerate and scale their work. 

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Rena Greifinger On High Risk/High Return Grantmaking for Women

Editor’s Note: This interview in our Feminist Giving IRL series features Rena Greifinger, Managing Director of Maverick Collective, a network of strategic philanthropists cofounded by Melinda Gates that is dedicated to elevating the status of women and girls everywhere through access to healthcare.

Rena Greifinger is the Managing Director of Maverick Collective, a network of strategic philanthropists dedicated to elevating the status of women and girls. (Image Credit: Maverick Collective)

1. What do you wish you had known when you started out in your profession?

I’ve been working with and for nonprofits my entire career (15 years), yet only started working directly with philanthropists, and on the subject of philanthropy, in 2017. It has been one of the steepest and most joyful learning curves.

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