Women of Color Archives

Founding Mothers Reflect: America Now Free to Be You and Me Again

It’s a herstoric moment. It’s a historic day. It’s the end of the reign of terror that lasted four years under President Donald Trump. It’s the day that a woman of color ascends to one of the highest roles of leadership for our country.

Ms. Foundation Founding Mothers, from left to right: Gloria Steinem, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Marlo Thomas, Patricia Carbine. (Image credit: Ms. Foundation for Women)

Many women leaders have been inspired to speak today, to tell of how they are experiencing this massive shift in representation for our leadership, which we believe will lead us to becoming a better country. Here are some great responses and reflections from the Founding Mothers of the Ms. Foundation, all incredibly strong and enduring women leaders who capture the monumental nature of this event with their words. They are introduced by Teresa C. Younger, President and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women.

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.

Announcing the Newest Partnership for Nike: Black Girl Ventures

Nike, Inc. has announced that it will begin a partnership with Black Girl Ventures to support the economic empowerment of women of color.

Black Girl Ventures has become the newest partner of the Nike, Inc. Black Community Commitment. (Image credit: Nike, Inc.)

Expanding the NIKE, Inc. Black Community Commitment to support organizations focused on social justice, education and economic opportunity for Black Americans, Nike announces a new partner focused on economic empowerment, Black Girl Ventures. The $500,000 investment from NIKE, Inc. will support Black Girl Ventures in its efforts to provide Black and Brown women-identifying founders with access to community, capital and capacity-building to support entrepreneurship. This contribution builds on the commitments to Black Girls CODE, NAACP Empowerment Programs and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) announced in July 2020.

Jaana Rehnström: Bigger Not Always Better, Especially for Women

Dr. Jaana Rehnström, Founder and President of the Kota Alliance, an organization fostering international collaboration for women-centered nonprofits, recently authored an article that struck a deep chord with me. Readers here at Philanthropy Women will also likely feel a strong resonance with Dr. Rehnström’s words.

Dr. Rehnström begins by summarizing the current status of gender equality in the world:

Dr. Jaana Rehnström, Founder and President of the Kota Alliance, discusses the need for funders to step up for women and girls if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. (Image Credit: Kota Alliance)

Gender equality has been talked about in Europe and the United States since the late 1800s. The Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress in 1972, falling short of state ratifications by the original deadline. The CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women) was adopted in 1979. The 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 and SDG #5 commits governments to take measures to comply by 2030.

New 20.6 Billion Pledged for Women, Children, From Call To Action

20.6 billion has been pledged by countries and foundations globally to aid women, children, newborns, and adolescents affected by COVID-19.

*PMNCH’s Call to Action raised $20.6 billion for women, children, newborns, and adolescents around the world. (Image credit: PMNCH)*

(From PMNCH Press Release, December 2020) The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening three decades of improvement in health and social services for women, newborns, children and adolescents.

The well-being of this vulnerable group is being more affected than others due to disruptions to essential health, nutrition and social services since the pandemic, according to senior health experts at The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), a global alliance of more than 1,000 organizations, hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO).

FRIDA Leaders Celebrate 10 Years and Look to Future Goals

This past fall, feminist organization FRIDA celebrated its 10th anniversary with an event on Facebook LIVE. Calling out 2020 as “a year of highs and lows,” the organization sought to end the year on a high note with this unique online event.

Panelists celebrate at FRIDA’s 10th-anniversary event. (Image Credit: FRIDA)

According to the organization’s mission statement, FRIDA — The Young Feminist Fund provides young feminist organizers with the resources they need to amplify their voices and bring attention to the social justice issues they care about. Beginning with one staff member and a growing community, FRIDA has become a thriving organization in its own right in the 10 years of its operation. FRIDA has awarded $7.5 million in direct grants through more than 250 initiatives in 115 countries in the Global South.

Driving Opportunity for Women and Girls in the COVID World

Editor’s Note: The following essay is by Brenda Darden Wilkerson, CEO of AnitaB.org, a leading organization and grantmaker for women in technology.

2020 has had no shortage of challenges. The many losses of COVID-19 compounded with the painful yet necessary ripple effects of the rising social justice movement have called into question how we personally and professionally work.

Brenda Darden Wilkerson, CEO of AnitaB.org, shares her expertise on how to employ and empower more women in the COVID world. (Image credit: AnitaB.org)

While the events of 2020 have impacted everyone, women – and especially women of color – face the greatest burden. With over 11 million jobs disappearing from February to May of this year, and with lifestyle impact of gender pay parity so profound, the “she-cession” is upon us.

New Editor in Chief Announced for Nonprofit Quarterly

Nonprofit Quarterly has named Cynthia Suarez as the new co-president and editor in chief, assuming the new role on January 1st, 2021.

The Nonprofit Quarterly’s board of directors is very pleased to announce it has selected its new editor in chief and co-president in Cynthia (“Cyndi”) Suarez, who assumed the role as of January 1^st, joining co-president and publisher Joel Toner. Suarez was selected after a national search and comes with four years of strong, tested leadership in a senior editor role at NPQ.

Cynthia Suarez is the new Editor in Chief of Nonprofit Quarterly. (Image Credit: Nonprofit Quarterly)

Suarez’s work focuses on how social change occurs. She has decades of experience working in, and consulting to, nonprofit organizations, social movements, and philanthropy. She has a passion for liberatory practices and specializes in network and platform strategies. She is the author of the celebrated book The Power Manual: How to Master Complex Power Dynamics(2018), as well as numerous articles at NPQ looking at the state of racial and social justice in the sector and beyond. Before coming to NPQ, Suarez was, among other things, executive director at Northeast Action, the first regional political strategy center in the United States. Past consulting clients include the Movement for Black Lives and United We Dream.

Grantmakers for Girls of Color Makes Valuable Gifts to 100+ Orgs

Grantmakers for Girls of Color Awards Nearly $3 million to More than 100 Organizations Serving Girls and Gender Expansive Youth of Color

Love is Healing COVID-19 response fund addresses gender and racial equity in philanthropy

New York, NY – Grantmakers For Girls of Color announced has awarded $2.8 million to more than 100 organizations in 28 states and D.C. as part of its Love is Healing COVID-19 response fund. Launched in May 2020, the fund represents the organization’s first grantmaking milestone and aims to address the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, particularly Black/African American, Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian girls and gender expansive youth of color.

Category: Women of Color