Women Leaders Archives

New Microgrants Will Support Trans and Non-Binary People

Human Rights Campaign also announces support of Destination Tomorrow’s work to provide support directly to transgender and non-binary people in urgent need

HRC announces new microgrants for trans and non-binary people. (Image credit: HRC)

Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF), the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announced the launch of a new small grants program as a part of the organization’s Transgender Justice Initiative (TJI). The program will award $30,000 nationally in the form of 30 $1,000 grants to community members advancing transgender justice initiatives rooted in partnership with outside organizations. Four grants per city will be available in Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, New Orleans and Philadelphia. An additional six grants will be available nationally. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit https://form.jotform.com/203525280512042.

WMM Celebrates Success, Looks to the Future with 2020 Impact Report

On December 17, international funding powerhouse Women Moving Millions released their annual impact report, showcasing the organization’s work toward a gender-equal world over the past year. The report also includes WMM’s multi-pronged approach to the future, including the goal to double their financial impact by 2025.

On December 17, Women Moving Millions released its 2020 Impact Report. (Image Credit: WMM)

Since its founding in 2007, Women Moving Millions has committed nearly $800 million to organizations supporting women and girls. The organization thrives as a collaborative group of 340+ high-net worth women around the world, all pledged to donate at least $1 million during their lifetimes.

$50K for Hometown Girls: Jesseca Dupart Funds Digital Ed in NOLA

No matter how far we go in life, we never forget where we came from. This is one of the many philosophies of businesswoman Jesseca Dupart, Founder and CEO of Kaleidoscope Hair Products and Kaleidoscope Kares, the beauty company’s philanthropic arm. And this holiday season, Dupart is giving back to the community that shaped her.

New Orleans native Jesseca Dupart is the Founder and CEO of Kaleidoscope Hair Products and Kaleidoscope Kares, its philanthropic arm. (Photo Credit: Kaleidoscope Cares/Jesseca Dupart)

Through Kaleidoscope Kares and the #WhatsHot: Bridge the Digital Divide Charitable Initiative, Dupart has pledged $50,000 to connect New Orleans girls of color with the digital education resources they need to continue distanced learning during COVID-19.

MacKenzie Scott and the $14.2 Billion Dollar Question for Women & Girls

What a week for women’s philanthropy. MacKenzie Scott has shown herself to be a woman who is true to her word, as she continues to give away her fortune at a staggering rate compared to most philanthropists.

“Economic losses and health outcomes alike have been worse for women, for people of color and for people living in poverty,” said Scott, in the Medium post where she announced her new gifts totalling $4.2 billion.

Who were the grantees specifically for women and girls? Ms. Foundation for Women, National Women’s Law Center, Global Fund for Women, and a huge proportion of this funding went to 63 different community YWCA programs across the country. Hispanics in Philanthropy, which has a grantmaking strategy focused on gender and racial equity, also received $15 million in funding. The YMCA National office received $20 million and many local YMCA’s also got funding. There were big groups of grants for United Way organizations across the country as well as Feed America, Easterseals, Meals on Wheels, and Good Will. Many universities for people of color also received substantial gifts. Most gifts appeared to be in the $10 to $50 million range.

Briefing Biden for Bold Action on Reproductive Rights

Reproductive rights under Biden: what will it look like?

Since the Biden/Harris team clinched the US Presidency, feminist advocates and policy makers have begun to discuss the massive reclaiming of women’s rights that must occur to recover from the last four years of Trump-era regressions. To dig deeper into this mandate, leaders from several high profile organizations gathered recently online to make explicit what must happen to begin the recovery of rights for women and girls around the world.

Leaders gathered recently online to examine the necessary steps for the Biden administration to take to restore reproductive, sexual and health rights for women around the world. (Image credit: December 10, 2020 webinar)

Author and Attorney Jill Filipovic moderated the discussion, which featured Serra Sippel, President of the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), Anu Kumar, President and CEO of Ipas, and Akila Radhakrishnan, President of the Global Justice Center.

Women’s Funding Network Adds New Gender Justice Leaders to Board

Women’s Funding Network welcomes national advocates and gender justice leaders Junemarie Justus, Adriana Loson-Ceballos, Ada Williams Prince and Teresa Younger to WFN board of directors

SAN FRANCISCO — Women’s Funding Network announced the appointments of four new additions to its board of directors: Junemarie Justus, Adriana Loson-Ceballos, Ada Williams Prince and Teresa Younger. The newly appointed members hail from diverse personal and professional backgrounds and are all national leaders in gender equity and justice advocacy. They will take their seats in 2021.

“We are thrilled to welcome another slate of exceptional women’s philanthropy leaders to our board of directors,” said Elizabeth Barajas-Román, president & CEO of Women’s Funding Network. “They are representative of our members and network, with a shared passion and dedication to our collective mission of leveraging the power of philanthropy to mobilize an intersectional, feminist movement for equity and justice.”

WMC Doubles Down on Ecofeminism with New Climate Channel

December 14, 2020 WASHINGTON — To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the Women’s Media Center today launches a new digital channel — WMC Climate — that highlights how the climate crisis affects the lives of women, indigenous people, people of color, and others whose needs and welfare tend to come last around the world.

women's media center climate — *Catherine C. Flowers and Jane Fonda at a Fire Drill Friday demonstration in November 2019. (Image Credit: Fire Drill Fridays)*

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s annual Arctic Report Card, released on Tuesday, found that the average air temperature from October 2019 through September 2020 was the second-highest recorded in at least 120 years: Temperatures were 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit above the baseline average for 1981-2010. And with the rise in temperatures comes a widening gap in who lives and who dies, and who lives well vs. who is left behind.

New Impact Strategy: Ms. South for Women and Girls of Color

MS. FOUNDATION LAUNCHES “MS. SOUTH” GRANT TO BENEFIT SOUTHERN ORGANIZATIONS LED BY WOMEN AND GIRLS OF COLOR

Nation’s oldest women’s foundation plans to strengthen financial sustainability and leadership development capacity of women and girls of color in the U.S. South

NEW YORK (December 10, 2020) –Today, the Ms. Foundation for Women announced the launch of Ms. South, a multi-year grantmaking strategy to support the sustainability and leadership of organizations led by women and girls of color (WGOC) in the southern region of the United States.

“We are living in a historic moment,” said Teresa C. Younger, President and CEO of the Ms. Foundation. “The COVID pandemic has exacerbated a crisis amidst an existing one, and our ability to support the leadership of women and girls of color in the South is more critical than ever. Our sisters of color in the South represent the future of this country, and we must shine a light on their enduring struggle and strength.”

Surging Philanthropy for Women and Girls? Not So Much

The Women’s Philanthropy Institute has put out its second iteration of the Women & Girls Index, and the news is not bad, but it’s not super good either. Charitable giving to women’s and girls’ organizations in the U.S. increased from $6.3 billion in 2016 to $7.1 billion in 2017, but the overall percentage of giving remained the same — 1.6%.

women's giving — This graphic from WPI’s new report shows the level of giving for women and girls relative to other sectors of philanthropy. (Image Credit: WPI)

Sometimes I feel like that number — 1.6% — is going to haunt us all to our graves. It is such a glaring indicator of what is wrong with the world we live in. Ultimately, giving for women and girls remains token. Its actual number, $7.1 billion, is only a little more than half compared to the next smallest area of giving — environment and animals at $12 billion.

Category: Women Leaders

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